Effect Of Skill Acquisition On The Performance Of Office Technology And Management Graduates In Corporate Organizations

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Education plays an unquantifiable role in societal, national and even global development. It is the only instrument that emancipates and safeguards the entire human rights via a balanced knowledge acquisition. Provision of qualitative education has been one of the challenges facing developing countries like Nigeria, which is a veritable tool for the development of individuals and nations. (Onasanya, Nathaniel, Laleye & Akingbemisilu, 2013). The world of work is more complex and fluid, newer approaches to work and learning are in high demand than before; this made most educational institutions to imbue their students with functional lifelong learning skills they need to survive and meet the changes of the twenty-first century (Federal Ministry of Education, 2002). In the present office environment, technology has brought changes to the old methods of performing office works; thereby give way to new methods. This new methods requires new skills, competences, knowledge and abilities to be able to perform and succeed in the 21st century modern office. The new methods of performances of office duties as a result of technological changes in office environment call for training and preparation of prospective office workers to acquire skills, knowledge, and experiences needed to perform in the modernoffice.

Skill as a concept is a specific form of learning and the ability to be trained on a particular function, or task till you become an expert and master on the skill. Uzor and Ike (2010) described skill as ability to do something well, gained through training and experience. Skill is also seen as one’s potential competencies in the performance of specific tasks acquired after a period of training or experience. Skill therefore is the rapidity, precision, expertise, dexterity and proficiency exhibited through mental and manual repetition of performance of an operation. Okoli (2013) defined skills as the economic-tools with which entrepreneurs confront and solve societal problems. Skills are practical activities which make one employable, self- reliant and relevant to the society. OTM graduates must possess these skills that are necessary to enable them perform effectively in the modern office.

This skill can be obtained through education, training or experience that will inculcate into the individual how to carry out or discharge his/her responsibilities very well with the new knowledge. Inalegwu (2016) viewed skill as expertness, aptitude and competences appropriate for a particular job; it has to do with expert knowledge and creative reasoning to a level of mastery. In order to attain these skills, the individual needs to acquire basic training or knowledge levels related to the task to be performed whether through formal, informal or combination of the two. Boytziz (2010) defined skill as the ability to demonstrate a system and sequence of behavior that is functionally related to attaining a goal. When necessary skills are acquired, tasks performance becomes easier. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013), noted that skill acquisition is one among other policies embarked upon in Nigeria with the sole aim to alleviate poverty, youth restiveness, sophisticated crimes and corruption rates, rural-urban drift, unemployment and other social vices by providing technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic development. It is expected that graduates of OTM acquired skills that would enable them to perform in modern office.

Office Technology and Management is a comprehensive term referring to those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related science and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic and social life (Baba & Akarahu, 2012). Nwabuona (2010) stated that OTM programme focuses on combination of office information technical skills with adequate and relevant business knowledge in solving organizational problems. Nwabuona went further that the target of the programme is to produce hybrid administrative professionals to respond to the demand of a dynamic and intensely computerized work place. Odunaike and Amoda in Ibrahim (2015) stated that the goal of OTM is primarily to produce competent, skillful and dynamic office managers, office administrators and businessmen and women that will effectively compete in the world of work. Oliver in Ibrahim (2015) stated that business education OTM inclusive is the sum total of the knowledge, skills and attitude that are required for successfully promoting and administering business enterprises. Komolafe and Ajani (2010) corroborated that OTM is a work oriented educational programme that aims at skill acquisition which are useful and employable in the labourmarket.

Office Technology and Management programme therefore, is an educational programme meant for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, office ethics and competencies needed to prepare the individual to enter gainful employment in specific business and office occupation. It is a veritable programme of study which builds its participants and graduates to be able to contribute meaningfully to national development. The programme is designed to equip students with the competencies required to work in a modern office environment. This implies that students must possess office skills that will enable them to perform successfully as secretary or office administrator in a modern office. Therefore, office technology and management as a programme prepare students to possess some certain skills which are germane to their successful performance in a modern office or world of work right from the school.

With the advent of technology the old methods of performances in office settings has given way to the new methods and it is expedient that these new technology be included in OTM curriculum in Polytechnics. Therefore, it became imperative that acquisition of OTM competences, skills and abilities is a must by students for successful performance in 21st century office. The changing nature of work environments, the emergence of technology-driven processes, and the diversified needs of clientele are the emerging challenges of higher education institutions in order to meet the demand for employable graduates (Same Inanotech,2014).

The office skills required for effective performance of secretary in a modern office are soft and hard skills. This can be divided into technical elements and behavioral elements (Noe, Hollenbeck & Gerhart, 2015). Technical elements measure hard or technical skills. These skills are used as a basis for the development of educational curriculum, future profiling of jobs and the technical functions that the industry desire most (Kennedy, 2016). Hard skills are the technical skills individual use each day to perform the job for example computer skills or procedural knowledge applied in job (Dennis & Jimmy, 2011, Jane & Helen, 2008). This implies that hard skills are the core competences and knowledge acquired for effective performance of office works and duties such as ability to operate office machines and equipment, keyboarding skill and many others. It is a technical knowledge or training that you have gained through any life experience including in your career or education. The communication elements measure soft skills which include the attitudes and approaches applicants take to their work, such as the ability to collaborate on team projects (Daud, Abidin, Sapuan & Rajadurai, 2012). Soft skills refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with. Soft skills defined as desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge, they include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude (Jungsun, Mehmet, JeoungWoo, & Hwayoung, 2011). Soft skill can be seen as personal qualities, an inbuilt traits and attitudes that guide ways of behavior of an individual. Soft skills are personal habits or traits that shape how you work on your own and with others. It is skills that enable you to fit in at a workplace. They include your personality, attitude, flexibility, motivation, and manners. Soft skills are personality traits and behaviors. Soft skills are not about the knowledge you possess but rather the behaviors you display indifferent situations.
Global trend in education have shown that students of various disciplines including business education students in general and OTM students in particular leave school without acquiring the pre-requisite skill that foster individual, community or national development. Therefore it is important that the skills required by employers must be equivalent with the skills possessed by the graduates. It is on this note that this study intends to examine the effect of skill acquisition on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Many people today lamented that Nigerian graduates are not employable with the kind of skills required in modern offices and industries. This is because they are unable to perform as expected in the 21st century office, as a result of acquisition of inadequate office skills and competences that are required to perform. Audu, Abdulkadir and Abdul (2013) corroborated this in a recent survey research carried out, that over 40 million graduates are unemployable into the industries because of lack of technical and vocational skills required for jobs available. Indeed there are vacancies for jobs in Nigeria but right now, there are little or no human resources with appropriate skills to fill the vacancies for the available jobs (Alfred, 2010). This is an indication of the insignificance skill acquired in the programme offered in schools to the employment needs of individual learners. Based on this, acquisition of adequate office skills in OTM programme is to enhance the competences, knowledge and abilities of the graduates to be able to fit into the 21st century office and be able to perform optimally. Therefore, it is pertinent for the study to determine the effect of skill acquisition on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of skill acquisition on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria. The study has the following specific objectives.

Determine whether skill acquisition programme enhances acquisition of the necessary skills for gainful self-employment in Nigeria

Ascertain the skill acquisition opportunities in the OTM programme.

Investigate the extent to which skill acquisition programme exposes OTM graduates to entrepreneurship opportunities.

Ascertain the factors limiting OTM graduate from utilizing skill acquisition opportunities.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions are raised in line with the objectives of the study.

Does skill acquisition programme enhance acquisition of the necessary skills for gainful self-employment in Nigeria?

What are the skill acquisition opportunities in the OTM programme?

What is the extent to which skill acquisition programme exposes OTM graduates to entrepreneurship opportunities?

What are the factors limiting OTM graduate from utilizing skill acquisition opportunities?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Ho: Skill acquisition has no significant effect on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria.

Ha: Skill acquisition has a significant effect on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will provide relevant information on the importance of skill acquisition development to stakeholders in the education sub-sector which will encourage them to put in place policies and measures that will enhance skill acquisition development education to OTM students.

Secondly, it will also provide useful information to the government that will stimulate the government to put in place measures that will promote and enhance skill acquisition development of OTM Graduates in Nigeria. Thirdly, the study will provide relevant information that will enhance collaboration between private institutions and the government to fashion out an effective way of providing an enabling environment for the growth of skill acquisition among OTM graduates in Nigeria. Finally, this study will add to the body of literature pertaining to career structure and job satisfaction. Empirically, the study will add to the general body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to student and scholars who wish to conduct further studies in related field.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study boarders on the effect of skill acquisition on the performance of office technology and management graduates in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria. Therefore, the study area covers office technology and management graduate in corporate organizations in North Central States of Nigeria.

1.8 Limitation of the Study

This research project, like all human endeavors, had some challenges that threatened to derail the study’s completion. One of the reasons is that the time allotted for this work was so limited that the researcher did not have enough time to complete the task thoroughly. During data collection, the researcher also had to put forth extra effort to understand the respondents’ interview schedules, several of whom fell into the incomprehensible age group. Also, there were financial and transportation constraints to deal with. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, interview).

1.9 Definition of Terms

Skill acquisition:

This is the training of a person on a particular task or function thereby making him/her an expert in it.

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.

1.10 Organizations of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.