CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The advent of technological growth and transformational changes in the management of an organization have brought rapid changes in the way, manner and methodology of office work. This has equally affected the office environment where the office manager performs his/her job. The duties of an office manager, no doubt is of pivotal importance to the success of any organization. One of the factors that enhance the office manager’s job performance is a health and conductive office environment. The office manager is bound to perform very creditably, while a poor working environment would be counter productive.

The office environment entails the physical conditions of the office, its appearance, and condition of work, materials available and their location, safety measures put in place, medical care, provide interpersonal relationship among workers, and other social welfare schemes put in place for the worker’s benefit. This project work is therefore directed at finding the effect of the office environment on the office manager’s job performance.

A large number of scholars have studied the effect of environment on office manager’s job performance. The importance of environment as it is an important determiner of office manager’s performance and helps office manager’s to concentrate on their job properly. Similarly working environment also effect on job satisfaction as studied by researcher that office manager’s prefer to work in working environment that is less risky. Similarly office design also impacts on performance environmental factors are source of motivation by office manager’s as pointed out by researcher that factors like working conditions, remuneration and promotions play important role for office manager’s level of job satisfaction. The performance of office manager’s will increase by keeping working conditions and working environment up to certain threshold level and subsequently will decrease if work load will increase from above certain threshold level. Therefore, in line with this background, the study aims at examining the effects of the environment on office manager’s job performance.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The office manager’s position out an establishment is strategic to the survival of the organization. It is one of the keystones to the success and indeed the very existing of the organization. The office manager’s function of obtaining, organizing, maintaining, supervising, developing, training and initializing human and material resources in ganging degrees towards, the achievement of the objectives cannot be over emphasized. The junior office managers, typists, office managers’ functions of receiving, recording, filling, writing of correspondence supplying information when they are needed within and outside the cooperation. In the course of performance of these functions of duties complaints are made about incompetent performance by workers at all levels, this may result from infrastructural facilities and also mordent office facilities and also modern office facilities. The resultant is emotional, instability and low moral. When the environment is adverse and unfavourable, it tends to have effect on the office manager’s job performance. Additionally, the environment under which an office manager performs his/her job matters a lot because unfavourable environment produces poor work or poor job performance of the office manager.

This project work is therefore meant to ascertain the effects of poor office environment on the office manager’s job performance. This project work is therefore meant to ascertain the effects of office environment on the office manager’s job performance.

1.3   PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of environment on office manager’s performance. In addition, it will also find out the following;

1. To identify the environmental factors which affect the office manager’s job performance.
2. To identify the aspects of the office manager’s work which are affected by the environment.
3. To find out the desirable environment in which a office manager should work
4. To identify the factors to be considered in the location of an office in an organization.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will be useful to office managers in organizations and the organization’s management group. Also, the result f the study would help to enhance the physical environment of workers.

This study will not only provide direction and goals, but will also give an indebt understanding of the concept of performance as linked to the environment and its importance t achieving the organization goals. It is hoped that this study will examine the effects of a poor and good office environment on the office manager’s job performance and solutions proffered will help the management of an organization provide conducive work environment to enhance the office manager’s job.

1.5   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be used to address the study.

1. What environmental factors affect the office manager’s job performance?
2. Which aspect of the office manager’s work are affected by the environment?
3. Which is the desirable environment in which a office manager should work?
4. What factors influence the location of an office in an organization?

1.6   DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study was carried out in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori and the secretariat of the Khana Local Government Council. These two organizations were chosen because of the peculiarity of the area in which the research is to cover. They are also the two areas where a number of office managers and executives can be got within Bori Ogoni.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

In the context of this work, these terms which are used are defined as follows.

ENVIRONMENT: The condition that affects the behaviour and development of somebody or something.

OFFICE MANAGER:    A person who works in an office, working for another person, dealing with letters and telephone calls, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people.

OFFICE: A room, set of rooms or building where people work, usually sitting at desks.

VENTILATION:    An act of allowing fresh air to enter and move around a room.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER:        A metal container with water or chemicals inside for putting out small fires.

ORGANIZATION: A group of people who form a business together in order to achieve a particular aim.