EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE OFFICE MANAGER. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON OFFICE TECHNOLOGY
Abstract
We live in a digital world in which the amount of information available for human consumption doubles every three years. As information users we expect reliable information at our fingertips, continual connection to people wherever they are, and equipment that fits into a top pocket. Whether we are consumers, clients, students, professors, employees or managers, we expect the digital world to work for us. The concept of information overload is not new, but with the continued growth of digital technology and the plethora of tools and channels for digital communication, the challenge of managing all that information is not getting smaller, and it is increasingly everyone’s responsibility to deal with it.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Todays office business, professional or Government is in a state of change. This change is reflected in the office structure and office positions from entry level to Executive Office Manager Level. Hence attention is now given to what the office does and the way in which office activities can be accomplished in an efficient and an effective way an office manager is responsible for the smooth operation of the day-to-day business of the company, a good office manager makes it possible for other people to function efficiently. Office managers work closely with the company partners, owner, or president to meet their company’s staffing, equipment, and organizational needs. Duties may include pricing products from vendors, interviewing job applicants, managing payroll, and reimbursing members of the firm for out-of-pocket business expenses, and so the need for information technology had to come into play as information technology has replaced the traditional equipment used by an office manager to perform his tasks.
Montgomerie (2004), defines information technology as the handling of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical Information by means of micro-electronic based equipment in computing and telecommunication. This clearly brings about the advantages of information delivery through technological means, since almost all aspects of office work can adequately be taken care of. Aronu (2000) defines Information Technology as the combination of two technologies, computing and the main purpose of which is to transmit representation of information signals between remote locations. The concept of “core competence” has been defined and studied at the organizational level in the management literature as well as in information systems, as exemplified Sambamurthy and Zmud’s work on managerial IT competence. These latter authors state that such competency enables an organization “to effectively acquire, deploy and leverage its IT investments in pursuit of business strategies and in support of business activities” and helps fulfill the objective of aligning IT strategies and business strategies.
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