IDENTIFICATION OF HIGHER LEVEL COMPETENCIES REQUIRED IN TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN OFFICES

Abstract

This study identified the higher level competencies required in modern offices as a result of advancement in technology. Office activities have been transformed due to technological advancement. This transformation calls for improvement of skills as well. Therefore, higher level competencies are required to perform office duties. Four specific purposes and four corresponding research questions guided the study. Two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was carried out in public establishments in Afikpo North` Local Government Area of Ebonyi State that have secretaries in their employment. The total population was 52. There was no sampling because the population was manageable. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined to be 0.85 using test retest method. The research questions were answered using mean statistic and standard deviation; while Z-test statistics was used to test the two null hypotheses. It was found that office employees required higher level competencies such as adaptive thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and computing competencies in modern offices because of the changes brought by advancement in technology. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that employers of labour should always be involved in planning Office Technology and management curriculum which is the programme training office practitioners and curriculum planners should, as they review the curriculum be deliberate in including course content that will expose the students to these skills.