This article is published by the Zamfara International Journal of Humanities.
By
Bulus
Daniel Maiyaki, (PhD)
National
Rural Electrification Agency
Abuja
- Nigeria.
bulsyaki@gmail.com (+2348033117757)
Abstract:
Organization is an association of persons aimed at achieving certain set of
objectives. It is a rational coordination of the activities of a number of
people for the achievement of some common well defined goals, through division
of labour and function and through a hierarchy of authority and responsibility.
Effective time management could also be seen as the art and science of rational
use of time which is the science of effective time investment, a process of
planning, organizing, coordinating, monitoring, directing, motivating and
communicating. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to educate
every employee of an organization on the effective management of time to
achieve the set organizational goals, though with a special emphasis on a
Professional Office Assistant. The paper explains the concepts of time
management, productivity, Professional Office Assistant all geared towards
administrative effectiveness in an organization with interest on the effective
time management. Primary and secondary
data were used to gather data for this work. Linkert scale format was used to
design the questionnaire. On the whole, the paper concludes among other things
that there is a relationship between time management and administrative
effectiveness. Thus, all the activities being performed by administrators are
done within the time hence time management cannot be separated from administrators’
efficiency.
Key
Words: Organization, Time Management, Professional Office Assistant
Introduction
Organization
can be defined as a process that defines the resources as well as allocate
them, coordinate human efforts and integrate both in order to achieve the
defined
goals. It is not enough to put resources together without integrating them
towards a set goal. In other words, it assigns works in a systematic manner to
several workers/ employees within the organization. It is part of the duty of
organization to ensure that suitable work is handed out repetitively to an
employee who is a good performer in his specific area of specialization. Thus,
an employee working regularly in a specific area gains invaluable experience in
the long run. This is the main reason for people been assigned to handle a
particular job he acquired more experience as he continuous doing the same job
over a period of time.
Time
is unique and it is one of the scarcest resources in the universe. It can
neither be replaced like man, nor accumulated like money. Time cannot be turn
on and off like a machine or stock plied like raw materials. Therefore, due to
the unique nature of time, it is important we manage our time effectively to
maximize production. Time management is basically the art of arranging business
and personal affairs in such a way that a person together with his things show
up when, where, and how he has intended them to as effortlessly and
ubiquitously, as practicable; and to facilitate getting things done as promptly
as practicable with the less amount of resources (money, time, energy and
people) necessary.
This
idea brings us to the concept of time management in an organization. Time is
key to effectively manage an organization to minimalize output. Time management
is the process of planning and managing your time to work smarter rather than
harder. You can plan your time between your most critical tasks with the help
of good time management. Thus, Effective time management is the process of
utilizing your time to plan your days so that you can do your work with less
effort and make the most out of your available time. Indeed, by controlling
your time, you can achieve greater outcomes in less time with no stress.
Now,
the crux of this paper is to educate every employee of an organization on the
effective management of time to achieve the set organizational goals, though
with a special emphasis on a Professional Office Assistant. A Professional
Office Assistant is not just an employee, but a person who needs to manage
his/her time effectively to the benefit of the organization. He/she is a
professional who oversees clerical tasks, such as sorting and sending mails.
They keep an inventory of office, supplies and order new materials as needed to
ensure that the work place is neat and clean for visitors or clients. Thus, the aim of this presentation is to
among other things analyze the impact of effective time management on
organization effectiveness; and to also examine the relationship between time
management and organization effectiveness.
Statement
of the Problem
In
every organization, effective time management is crucial to productivity. Time
is necessary for every organization to strive and aimed at achieving its set
goals and objectives. Therefore, the importance of time in an organization
cannot be over emphasized. A Professional
Office Assistant is not just an employee, but a person who needs to manage
his/her time effectively to the benefit of the organization. We shall be
looking at the utilization of available time as an important resource in
productivity.
Objectives
of the Study
1.
Determine the role of time management
in productivity of an organization within a specific time frame.
2.
Determine the duties of
professional office assistant in a work place.
Research
Questions
1. What
is the role of time management in productivity of an organization within a
specific time frame?
2. What
are the responsibilities of professional
office assistant in a work place?
Literature Review and Conceptual
Clarifications
Production
and Productivity in a Work Place
Productivity is commonly defined as a ratio
between the outputs volume and the value of inputs. It measures how efficiently
production inputs such as labour and capital are being used in an economy to
produce a given level of output. It also refers to the physical relationship
between the quantity produced (output) and the quantity of resources used in
the course of production (input). It is the ratio between the output of goods
and services and the input of resources consumed in the process of production.
In other words, output means the quantity of products provided and the inputs
are the various resources used in the production. The resources used may be
land, building, equipment, machinery, materials, labour, etc. Some scholars
would tell you that productivity is an economic measure of output per unit of
input. Output refers to the total production in terms of units or in terms of
revenues while input refers to all other factors of production used like
capital, labour, equipment etc. productivity is a good indicator of the
efficiency with which a factory is operating. If a firm has higher productivity
(i.e.) it produces more with a given amount of inputs, it means it is utilizing
the resources properly. Therefore, a high level productivity means that the resources
are utilized to the optimum, while minimizing wastage. This leads to reduction
in cost of production and subsequently availability of quality products to
customers or clients (as the case may be) at lower price. Profitability of the
firms is also related to its productivity; which translated to mean, more
profit means that more retained earning which would definitely increase
stakeholders’ wealth.
Productivity
differs from production in the sense that production means the process of
converting raw materials into finished product. It determines the volumes of
output produced, which is an absolute concept. However, productivity indicates
surplus generation. That is, it is all about higher output over the given
input. It is a relative concept. In other words, production is addition of
value to the raw material, while productivity is the efficiency in production.
At
this juncture, it is pertinent we talk about time as a useful resource in the
actualization of production.
Concept of Time Management
In
order for us to have a clear comprehension of the concept of time management,
it is important to know the meaning of the two main words of ‘time’ and
‘management’. Time is one of the valuable resources of everyone. It must be
effectively utilized to achieve the target goals of an organization. To me,
time is like a river. One cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow
that has passed will never pass again. Time is one of those resources available
to anyone without exception and equally supposed to be utilized effectively
through using all potentials, talents, personal ability, and defined process
because time is important. Therefore, it is the management of time that is
important to make the best use of it. It is not renewable resources and cannot
be replaced or controlled.
Effective
time management could also be seen as the art and science of rational use of
time which is the science of effective time investment, a process of planning,
organizing, coordinating, monitoring, directing, motivating and communicating.
(Ali,2010). It is also defined as a strategy or tool which helps a person to
manage his time in a much productive manner that it results in getting more
done in less time. It is known as the method of organizing and taking control
over the activities that one performs throughout their days in a given amount
of time. It is used to control the time which helps you to be more effective,
efficient and productive (Khaled and
Almaz, 2015)
Indeed,
time is one of the most important standards for measuring individual or
organizations performance; since time improved performance in general, and
increased income and return from work, whether at individual or organizational
level. In the words of (Cordier, 1990), time is an asset that all competitors shares
in common. The fact that management of time could be one of the decision
element in attaining organizational objectives especially, that time boarders
in productivity, it follows that time can be wasted or conserved. This tendency
is the reason responsible or the emphasis on the need for effective management
of time on employees productivity in an organization. In this case, there are
some essential tools used for the management of time for optimum productivity
in an organization. These include:
The use of productivity calendar: the use of productivity calendar is a schedule of time (period and date) and the special activities to be accomplished by a person. The following are the requirements you need to take when preparing a productive calendar:
i.
Make
specific plan-some activities must be planned for specific time committed time
might be activities or appointment over which you have no control. This might
include department or sectional meeting, appraisal meeting, visiting of client,
project site attending to customers’ special request or conducting market
survey.
ii.
Any
of the above listed commitments must be blocked in the productivity calendar
which can be planned on hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. Plan ahead what
you would need from other and give reasonable deadline to other people for
information of materials you will need from them.
a.
Arrange
what you have to do in order of priority
i.
Indicating
your needs /goals is the basis for setting priorities.
ii.
Make
the priorities simple enough to be adopted to your various activities and
circumstances.
b. Understand your body and mind so as to know when best to do what and select activities that minimize interpersonal stress. This involves the use of a clock to guide your means of carrying out the daily activities.
Principles of Time Management
According to European Journal of Scientific
Research (2008) indicated the following as principles of effective time
management.
1. Planning:
planning involves setting goals and identifying practical steps to be followed
to achieve such goals. There are three types of plans ,namely: strategic plan,
intermediate plan, and short plan
2. Organization:
organization refers to integrate all resources you have within the plan for the
purposes of achieving personal goals.
3. Responsibility:
the modern management basis is focusing on responsibility and accountability.
The following steps are used for responsibility are:
l
To be responsible for whom you are
l
To be responsible for what you can do
l
To be responsible for what you have received.
l
To be responsible for those who are leading you.
4. Accountability:
it is important for any responsible individual to bear the responsibility for
actual results of his/her actions and compare such results with places plans.
Professional Office Assistant and Effective Time Management
As earlier stated, Time management is about
making an active effort to create efficiency and effectiveness in a way that
makes someone achieve his/her targeted result more likely. Time management as a
resource under your control should be sufficient to accomplish a given
activity. It is a period during which action or process take place.
Now, who is an Office Assistant? An office
Assistant is a professional who is charge with the responsibility of oversees
clerical tasks, such as sorting and sending mails. They keep an inventory of
office, supplies and order new materials as needed to ensure that the work
place is neat and clean for visitors or clients. A good Office Assistant needs
to have excellent organizational skills and a good eye to detail
responsibilities so as to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. A good
Office Assistant must be able to work well with others workers in a manner that
coordination is achieved for the benefit and growth of the work place
(organization). He or she must be someone who often uses critical thinking when
making decision independently which is helpful during busy time.
Office Assistant is a vital part of any office.
Though, this may go by other related names such as Administrative Assistant,
Secretary, but they all have one thing in common, their roles are to support
the staff members at hand and make sure everything runs smoothly behind the
scene. Thus, we want our audience to know that the term office assistant could
also be called Administrative Assistant, Secretary or Office Assistant,
depending on the structure of such organization.
According to (Adekoya 2009), who indicated that
there are relationship between time management and administrative
effectiveness. It gives the impression that administrative needs the proper use
of time before they can be effective in their various assignments. All the activities being performed by
administrators are done within the time hence time management cannot be
separated from administrators’ efficiency. Therefore, time management is very
crucial to an Office Assistant in order to achieve his enormous duties and
responsibilities in an organization. Effective time management is key to the
importance of quality of life. Indeed, neither time, nor lost opportunity can
be regained. But we can make a good use of presence and future time. Thus, time
management is not the question of choice. All of us manage it, but only
sensible people wish to master this skill and use it effectively. Therefore,
effective time management depends on two factors: planning work and focusing on
details. If we look closely into what we spend our time on, then decide on our
priorities and plan the work to do step by step, we are bound to increase our
efficiency. Good work organization is of utmost important as it creates
conditions conducive to effectively and more creatively. It is necessary to
gradually change our habit and set priorities on our activities.
Procedure
Primary and secondary data were used for this
research article. It covers selected organizations within the federal capital
territory, Abuja-Nigeria, notably, the Rural Electrification Agency, Abuja. The
secondary data were also obtained from books, journals, magazines, newspapers,
and the internet. Empirical works of some scholars were also consulted in this
work. Sample of some randomly selected subjects who were mostly Professional
Office Assistants were engaged to fill in questionnaire regarding the research
questions of this work. Although, the questionnaire was designed in Likert
scale format which makes it very easy for the input of items as well as the
analysis of findings, but it has also helped the researcher to be explicit with
his discovery.
Findings and Discussions
On what should be the role of time management in
productivity of an organization within a specific time frame? It was discovered
that, time is central to productivity in every organization. Time management is
the strategy of planning out your available time and controlling the amount of
time you spend on specific tasks in order to work more efficiently. Effective
time management comes easier to some people than to others, but everyone can
develop habits to improve their time management skills. Without strong time
management, your work and well-being can suffer, and it can lead to: producing
poor quality work, missing deadlines, increasing your stress levels, ruining
your work-life balance, harming your professional reputation, etc. therefore,
every individual employee, irrespective of cadre must work according with time.
On what is the importance of effective time
management to a professional office assistant in a work place?
On what are the duties of professional office
assistant in a work place? It was discovered from the analysis of our data
that, every professional office assistant should be very smart and active with
all sense of responsibility. The idea person for an Office Assistant or
Administrative Secretary must be a very hard working professional who is able
to undertake a variety of office support tasks and work diligently under
pressure. This person will be comfortable working with a high degree of
attention to detail and discretion as well as incorporating new and effective
ways to achieve better result. He must be humble, modest and honest. An
office assistant’s responsibility include taking calls from customers or
clients and delivery messages while also using basic office equipment like
faxes, or scanners for efficient productivity. He/she helps to maintain files
to keep track of important document/records organize travel arrangement, manage
supply and perform data entry as required. Other functions of an Office
Assistant are:
5. Sort
and distribute communication in a timely manner.
6. Create
an update records ensuring accuracy and validity of information.
7. Schedule
and plan meetings and appointment
8. Monitor
level of supplies and handle shortages.
9. Resolve
office related malfunctions and respond to request or issues.
10. Maintain
trusting relationship with suppliers, customers and colleagues.
11. Perform
receptionist duties when needed.
12. Coordinate
with others departments to ensure compliance with established policies.
Conclusion
Organization induces accountability by defining
relationship among the employees within an enterprise. This is done by defining
whom an employee is accountable to. In effect, it provides an ordered flow of
information and instruction. It also helps in classification of the extent of
authority, responsibility and provides for a hierarchy. All these are to
enhance productivity in an organization. Therefore, the role of a professional
Office Assistant cannot be over emphasized in an organization, being it private
or public setting. Thus, time being an invaluable resource needs to be applied
judiciously to maximize productivity. Therefore, effective time management is
crucial in attaining target goals of an organization. On this premise, paper
concludes that, there is a relationship between time management and
administrative effectiveness. Thus, all the activities being performed by
administrators are done within the time hence time management cannot be
separated from administrators’ efficiency. So, every Professional Office
Assistant should value his/her time in the course of performing his/her duty.
Therefore, to manage our time means to effectively manage our activities in
line with our action plans which is schedule within a defined time frame and
purpose geared towards achieving the organizational goals.
References
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Academic Performance Up and
Down the Third Base”. Master Thesis, Educational Planning, Defuel Branch
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Hanada, A. (2020). “The
Impact of Effective Time Management in Improving
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Employees Performance”. In European Journal of Economic, Finance and
Administrative Sciences. ISSN 1450-2275. Issue 105, June
2020/www.europeanjournalof economicsfinanceandadministrativesciences.com
James, Z. (2016). “Impact of
Time Management on Organizational Effectiveness”. South American Journal of
Management volume 2(6)
Khaled, E.A. & Almaz, S.
(2015). “Time Management’s Effect on Efficiency of
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case of National Oil Cooperation”. International Journal of Engineering,
Business and Enterprises Application (IJEBEA)Vol.pp
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What is Management? http://www.managementguide.com
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