PERCEIVED INFLUENCES OF OFFICE ERGONOMICS ON THE JOB PERFORMANCE OF CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARIES IN GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES IN EBONYI STATE

Abstract

This study examined the perceived influences of office ergonomics on the job performance of Confidential Secretaries in Government Ministries in Ebonyi State.  Four research questions as well as four null hypotheses guided the study.  Descriptive survey research design guided the study. The population of the study was eight six (86) Confidential Secretaries in Government Ministries in Ebonyi State. There was no sampling. A structured questionnaire, validated by two experts in Business Education and one expert in Science Education Departments was used for the study. Using Cronbach alpha statistics, the instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.96. Eight six (86) copies of the questionnaire were distributed, 81 was retrieved and used for data analyses. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses. The results of the study showed that office layout, office furniture, office lightning, and office temperature has influence on the job performance. Hypotheses tested shows that male and female Confidential Secretaries did not differ significantly in their opinions regarding the influences of office layout on job performance; highly experienced and less experienced confidential secretaries differed significantly in their mean responses on the perceived influences of office furniture on job performance; male and female Confidential Secretaries differed significantly in their mean responses on the perceived influences of lightening on job performance; there was no significant difference in the mean responses of Confidential Secretaries on the perceived influence of office temperature on job performance based on their educational qualifications, and also there is no significant difference in the mean responses of Confidential Secretaries on the perceived influences of noise on job performance based on their grade level. Based on the above findings and implications, it was recommended among others thatmanagement in Government Ministries should be concerned about office ergonomics, by create conducive work environment that attracts, retain and motivate its employees, since ignoring these principles will result in low productivity and also increased medical costs to its employees.

 Keywords: Perceived, Influences, Office Ergonomics, Job performance, Confidential Secretaries