CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Office Technology and Management is a nomenclature that has replaced Secretarial Studies Programme in Nigerian Polytechnics as introduced by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in 2004. This was as a result of an extensive review of Secretarial Studies Curriculum in order to make its recipients to be ICT-compliant and fit appropriately in the world of work, most especially, in modern offices that are characterized by various types of state of the art communication and technology. Polytechnic education in Nigeria is recognized as part of tertiary education whose aim is to provide middle-level manpower to man the various sectors of Nigerian economy (Ikelegbe and Odede, 2012).

According to the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004), Polytechnics in Nigeria shall maintain a two-tier programme of studies; namely, the National Diploma (ND) and the Higher National Diploma (HND) with one-year period of industrial experience serving as one of the pre-requisites for entry into the HND programme.

Office Technology and Management programme is designed to equip students with the competencies required to work in a modern office environment. The broad objectives of OTM programme, according to NBTE (2004), are:

1. Acquisition of Secretarial skills.
2. Acquisition by ability to write shorthand for three minutes in varied materials at 1.3 syllabic intensity dictated at 80 Words Per Minute (WPM) and 1.4 syllabic intensity of 100 wpm and transcribe on the computer with a minimum of 95% accuracy for both ND and HND respectively.
3. Typing effectively various office jobs and acquiring a copying rate of 40wpm and 50wpm for ND and HND respectively on passages not below 1.3 syllabic intensity with 98% accuracy.
4. Acquisition of general education.
5. Laying the foundation for advanced studies.

The efforts towards the use of ICT in the training of office managers and its use in teaching office technologists/secretaries has met several challenges as pointed out by Udoye and Ikenga (2010). These include:

Inadequate ICT infrastructure such as computer hardware and software; resistance to change from traditional pedagogical methods of teaching secretarial education/office management to more innovative and technology-based teaching and learning method; lack of skilled manpower to manage available systems; inadequate facilities for office managers/educators at the tertiary institutions and incessant electricity distribution. This study is there set to find if these challenging situations still exist or there has been improvement.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The unavailability and inadequacy of facilities for OTM programme have generated serious concerns recently. The OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic faces the problem of inadequate facilities and this has hampered the acquisition of knowledge and skills expected to prepare the learners for the world of work. Learning practical work would be meaningless without the use of teaching resources and students would grope in darkness for long before they could get a grasp of what the teacher is teaching (Azih, 2008). Office Technology and Management programme curriculum that appears to be a response to a global initiative with an objective that portends new academic direction in favour of ICT requires adequate provision of modern facilities for effective teaching and learning. Unfortunately, there seems to be inadequacy of these resources with the attendant negative consequences.

Office technology and management program in our polytechnics is in a poor state.  Due to the poor state of our economy, the program lacks the required materials and equipment for effective academic instructions.  Most of the typing pools of these instructions still maintain the old out-dated typewriters, sometimes even those that are available are in a very poor condition as they do not function well.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The major purpose of this study was to assess the state of facilities in the department of OTM and its effect on OTM graduates. Specifically, the study intend to find out:

 To examine the state of the computer laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori.

 Identify the state of the typing pool available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori.

 To identify the state of the shorthand laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori.

 To know the state of the office practices laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori.

 To determine the state of the classroom available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work just like every study is significance to the extent that it will enable the department of office technology and management to look into the poor facilities in the department and help office technology and management student likewise the lectures to be conversant with the relevant facilities.

From this study, office technology and management student will know about some of the facilities commonly used in offices and make efforts to purchase them.  It will also strengthen the link existing between the employer of labour and OTM student if these facilities are adequately provided.

Lastly, if these instructional facilities are adequate it will be a pre-requisite for the award of National Diploma (ND) are the Higher National Diploma (HND).

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guided the study:

 How is the state of the computer laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori?

 How is the state of the typing pool available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori?

 How is the state of the shorthand laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori?

 How is the state of the office practices laboratory available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori?

 How is the state of the classroom available for OTM programme in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori?

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research work is limited to discussing the state of facilities available in OTM department and its effects on OTM graduates. It will be carried out in the department of office technology and management of the Ken Saro-Wiwa polytechnic Bori.

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

WPM:     words per minute.

TECHNOLOGY:    A device, material, or sequence of mathematical coded electronic instructions created by a person’s mind that is built, assembled, or produced and which is not part of the natural world.

MANAGEMENT: The process of or practice of managing.

INNOVATION: The introduction of something new, in customs, rites etc.

FACILITATES: Equipment that are provided for a particular project.

EFFECT: A change that something or somebody cause in something or somebody.

PERFORMANCE:  How well or badly something is been done