CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The world’s economic trends in business require organisations to respond quickly to demand and opportunities through competition and continuous expansion of domestic and international markets and by being innovative as well. This requires organisational members (including the office manager) to move beyond and achieve higher frontiers which are achievable only by having the right information. Studies have demonstrated that one of the world’s most vital resources is information as it is required to solve problems and make decisions affecting both the present and the future.

There is enough evidence to explain that the degree of success enjoyed by an organisation and its members depends largely on how well information is managed. The view of O’ Brien & Marakas (2008) and Laudon & Laudon (2010) is that, information is data that have been processed into a form that is meaningful and useful to the recipient and has a real or perceived value and can cause a change in decision making. Robek, Brown, and Stephens (2005) describe it as any intelligence, which can be communicated in either graphic form or alphanumeric character, which include records, documents, data and files created and maintained by organisations. As a vital resource, information plays very important roles in the life of every organisation and therefore its management has attracted the attention of practitioners and academics as well.

An office manager, according to Mbaga, (2012) is a middle level manager in charge of a department, section or unit of an organization. The office manager of today is one who possesses either HND/B. Se degree in Office Technology and Management (OTM). The office manager who is directed in-charge of information management has a key role to play in the management of information; this is because the way the office manager manages information at his disposal determines his/her level of performance in the organization. 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 company partners, owner, or president to meet their staffing, equipment and organizational needs.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The challenges and pressures facing office managers is growing day after day, and it must bring all that is new in terms of technology in order to be able to cope with its competitors, as it has become urgent to deal with the many challenges of a high degree of seriousness, and positioning themselves to enter the stage coming firmly on the foundations of scientific thought, so you should take advantage of the unfair application of information management with respect to improving performance, as it is still employ information systems applications without the required level, as the problem of the study by answering questions following the study shows. Hence, this research studies to determine the effect of information management on the performance of the office manager.

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of information management on the office manager’s performance. Specially, it will be discussed under the following;

1.       To indentify the technologies used by office managers to management information.

2.       To determine the factors that affect the way office managers manages information.

3.       To determine the relationship between information management office manager’s performance.

4.       To determine the impact of information management office manager’s performance.

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

If the findings of this study are put into effects it will be beneficial to office managers, organizations and the society at large.

The findings will help office manager to appreciate the impact of information management on their performance. It will help them to see the need to manage information properly so as to increase their level of performance.

This study will be of great benefit to organization, as they will see the need to ensure their office manager manage information properly so that they can be efficient in performing their duties.

The society will also benefit because when office managers manages information properly, there will be quality services rendered and which will in turn foster a good customer and client relation.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.       What are the technologies used by office managers to manage information?

2.       What are the factors affecting the way office managers manage information?

3.       What are the relationships between information management and office manager’s performance?

4.       What are the impacts of information management on office manager’s performance?

1.6     HYPOTHESIS

HO1Male and female office manager do not differ in their mean rating on the technologies used by office managers to management information.

HO2 Male and female office manager do not differ in their mean rating on the factors that affect the way office manages manages information.

HO3 Male and female office manager do not differ in their mean rating on the relationships between information management office manager’s performances.

HO4 Male and female office manager do not differ in their mean rating on the impacts of information management office manager’s performance.

1.7             SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to discussing the effects of information management on office managers’ performance. It will be carried out in some selected business organization in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They include; Rivers State Ministry of Education, First Bank Plc.,  Intels Nigeria Ltd,  Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), Nigeria Agip Company. Only office managers (secretaries) will be used.