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WORK CHALLENGES AFFECTING EFFICIENT SECRETARIAL FUNCTIONS A Research Paper Presented to the School of Business and Accountancy Central Philippine Adventist College Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Office Administration Camon, Sophie Lachica, Cherie Mae Marcial, John Carlo Rubaton, Angelica May 2024.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 APPROVAL SHEET This Thesis entitled WORK CHALLENGES AFFECTING EFFICIENT SECRETARIAL FUNCTIONS Prepared and submitted by Angelica Rubaton, Cherie Mae Lachica, John Carlo Marcial, and Sophie Camon they have been examined and recommended for approval and acceptance for ORAL EXAMINATION. SHEILA JOY D. SAMIJON, CPA, MBA, CB Adviser PANEL OF EXAMINERS Approved by the committee on oral examination with a grade of ____% BRYAN PAUL MANONG, CPA SHEILA JOY D. SAMIJON, CPA, MBA, CB Member Member RICHEL B. TABEROS, PhD Chair Accepted in partial fulfillment of the degree Bachelor of Science in Office Administration requirements. LUCEL I. AGUSTINO, MSTsat Research Director.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 ABSTRACT Add here Keywords: Academic Performance, Challenges Encountered, Academic, Environmental, Financial, Personal.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Add here The Researchers.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables......................................................................................................................6 CHAPTER 1...................................................................................................................... 8 Problem and its Background........................................................................................... 8 Background of the Study........................................................................................................................8 Biblical Foundation..............................................................................................................................11 Statement of the Problem..................................................................................................................... 11 Theoretical Framework........................................................................................................................ 12 Conceptual Framework........................................................................................................................ 12 Schematic Diagram...............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Null Hypothesis Statements................................................................................................................. 14 Significance of the Study..................................................................................................................... 14 Scope and Limitation of the Study.......................................................................................................15 Definitions of Terms............................................................................................................................ 15 Organization of the Study.....................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER 2.....................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Literature Review..........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Topics................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER 3.....................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Methodology..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Research Design...................................................................................................................................33 Sampling Technique.............................................................................................................................34 Research Instruments........................................................................................................................... 35 Validation/Authenticity........................................................................................................................35 Data Gathering Procedure.................................................................................................................... 36 Data Analysis Procedure 36 Ethical Considerations..........................................................................................................................37 CHAPTER 4.................................................................................................................... 39 Data Analysis and Interpretations................................................................................. 39 Research Question 1: Descriptive Statistics of the Respondents’ Demographic Profile.................... 39 CHAPTER 5.................................................................................................................... 40 Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations............................................................40 Summary of Findings........................................................................................................................... 40 Conclusions.......................................................................................................................................... 40 Recommendations................................................................................................................................ 40 REFERENCES................................................................................................................41.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 v APPENDICES................................................................................................................. 42 Appendix A...................................................................................................................... 43 INFORMED CONSENT...............................................................................................43 Appendix B.......................................................................................................................44 Validity Forms...............................................................................................................44 APPENDIX C.................................................................................................................. 45 Questionnaire................................................................................................................ 45 Curriculum Vitae............................................................................................................ 46 Documentation.................................................................................................................47.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 6 LIST OF TABLES 1.......Table 1...................................................................................................................39 2.......Table 2...................................................................................................................39 3.......Table 3...................................................................................................................39.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 7.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 8 CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Nowadays, the success of an organization relies heavily in their employees. One important role in an organization is the secretarial position. Secretaries are the ones who ensure that everything is organized and runs smoothly for the organization. Ensuring that everything is under control. But just like all the workplace, secretaries have also some challenges to face. The efficiency of secretarial function can be affected by the challenges encountered in the workplace, may it be personal or environment. Nowadays, the hiring process of an organization or department goes thru a careful selection of candidates. In secretarial position, candidates are carefully selected based on their skills, training, and experiences. Secretaries are carefully selected to ensure that even when they encountered challenges, they will still be effective in the organization. Secretarial positions are not for everybody. It is not for those candidates with a weak heart. Secretaries with a weak heart tend to resign from their position when challenges arise. Some secretaries give up during difficult and challenging times. Some secretaries are becoming less and less effective in their duties. This study aims to determine what challenges affect the efficiency of secretaries in their field. It also aims to determine the proper training needed before being and effective secretary. Background of the Study The researchers discovered that efficient operations, careful task coordination, and good communication are the foundation of any organization. The secretary is at the.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 9 center of this complex web of efficiency. The responsibilities of a secretary go much beyond routine administrative tasks, despite their frequent neglect. These experts act as an organization's glue, making sure that tasks are done quickly, time is used wisely, and communication is clear (The Vital Role Of Secretaries, 2024) The effectiveness of any organization relies heavily on its secretaries, who are responsible for a range of tasks such as organization, communication, and administrative support. However, the efficient execution of these tasks can be hindered by various challenges. Effective workplace communication is crucial as it elevates employee motivation, involvement, efficiency, and contentment. Furthermore, it plays a pivotal role in enhancing team collaboration and coordination. In the end, proficient workplace communication leads to improved outcomes for individuals, teams, and companies. Effective communication enables employees to grasp their roles, duties, and assignments, thereby decreasing the chances of errors and the necessity for task repetition, ultimately resulting in heightened productivity (Cooks-Campbell, 2022). A lack of training is yet another issue that may affect secretaries. To excel in their roles, secretaries require training in the latest software and technology, but organizations might be reluctant to invest in such training. Job training alone may offer many benefits, but a much greater impact could be found when using vocational skills training strategies that entail many different organizational commitment practices and policies. An effective training program is one such organizational practice that can lead to greater secretary commitment and a more stable workforce. Majority of secretaries believe that upon training there is likelihood that they.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 10 will receive a promotion. A number of them would prefer internal training and external training if offered by the employer or if the employer was willing to guarantee on loans for studies (Kayode, 2019). Additionally, those working under excessive pressure are at a higher risk of experiencing stress and burnout. This research article will investigate the challenges that hinder the effective completion of secretarial tasks, discuss their implications for organizations, and offer recommendations for potential solutions. This research article will also investigate the training for secretaries and their coping strategies in facing challenges. As future secretaries, the researchers would like to find out the role of different secretaries in the workplace, the different challenges that affect their performance, and what training is needed to be effective in this role. The researchers would also like to find out what important skills they need to acquire in order to be an effective secretary. In this study, we are going to determine the different work challenges affecting the efficient function of secretaries in different organizations. This study derived from the interest of the researchers to understand the life of secretaries in their workplace and determine the factors or challenges that affects their performances. By that, this study will formulate an idea about the needed training and preparation for secretaries. This study will uncover the different challenges in the workplace of secretaries..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 11 Biblical Foundation The duties and responsibilities of employees specifically secretaries are not easy as what others think of it. Others may say that being a secretary is an easy job because all you have to is to schedule meetings, do a report, talk with clients, and record everything, but it’s more than that. The work of a secretary plays a vital role in a company because a secretary contributes a lot by keeping everything organized. The bible says in Romans 5:3-5, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” This verse tells us that in whatever we do, we should always have the desire to do it no matter what challenges we face and no matter what resources we have. In doing what God ask us to do, we should always have the willingness and the flame in our hearts in spreading His gospel. In an organization, a secretary will never complain of the responsibilities he/she has because of the desire to complete the tasks he/she was asked to do. No matter how much the salary is, how difficult the nature of job is, and how difficult to deal with every circumstance, a secretary will always do everything to the best of his/her abilities without compromising the quality of work. Statement of the Problem This study determines the work challenges that affects the efficiency functions of secretaries in different organizations. It aims to discover the different factors that keeps.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 12 the workplace effective. It also aims to discover the preparation of a secretary in doing his/her responsibilities.. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the challenges encountered by office secretaries? 2. How do challenges that affect the secretaries performance? 3. What are the coping strategies secretaries with the challenges encountered? Theoretical Framework This study anchors on the work performance theories specifically motivation-hygiene theory of Frederick Herzberg in late 1950s to understand the challenges that secretaries face in the workplace that affect their progress in performing their duties and responsibilities. Work performance really plays a vital role in achieving the goals and objectives of a company or an organization. It shows how an employee performs in his/her chosen field, and it also shows what they lack of in order to perform effectively in their responsibilities without compromising the quality of work. According to the motivation-hygiene theory pioneered by Frederick Herzberg in the late 1950s, it states Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework is defined as an element of the scientific research process in which a specific concept is defined as a measurable occurrence or in measurable terms that gives a clear meaning to the concept..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 13 The factors and the work challenges that the secretaries face in doing their duties and responsibilities are lack of proper training, poor communication in the workplace, salary, and the harmony in the workplace. First is the lack of proper training, it affects the performance of a secretary because without proper training makes them unprepared. Next is the poor communication with coworkers, it’s difficult for them to achieve a goal if communication between coworkers is poor. Next is the salary that they receive, maybe it affects their performance if they feel that the salary is not satisfying enough for the efforts they exerted. The last one is the lack of harmony in the workplace, it affects performance in a way that it makes the employees uncomfortable in the workplace. Research Paradigm This study follows the input-process-output format. This study aims to determine the work challenges and factors affecting the function efficiency of secretaries in different organizations in Murcia, Negros Occidental. In selecting the participants of this study, the researchers followed a category in choosing the participants. The participants of this study must be a Filipino citizen ages from 23-50 years old residing in Murcia, Negros Occidental and working as a full-time secretary in any organization. In gathering the data needed, the researchers will use a validated self-constructed interview guide, audio recorder, and research field notes. The gathered data will be used to determine the work challenges and factors affecting the function efficiency of secretaries in different organizations..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 14 Null Hypothesis Statements Work challenges encountered do not affect secretaries work efficiency. Significance of the Study This section provided a detailed exposition of the importance and value of this study to various sectors to which the result of the study is applicable. It will discuss the benefits of this study to different organizations and sectors. The following are the beneficiaries of this study and the significance they can get: School Administration. They will be provided with research-based information about training and development needs of their students to be prepared for their lives after college or in the corporate world. Schools Offering BSOA Courses. This study will serve as their guide in practicing and teaching their students as preparation in their career. Companies and Organizations. They will be provided with research-based information about maintaining strong communication in the work place to help their employees in facing work challenges. Secretaries. This will help them and the aspiring secretaries by identifying organizational factors that affect secretaries' effectiveness in their duties and responsibilities. This will give them an idea on how to be prepared in facing different work challenges. Secretarial Students. This will provide an in depth study of the work challenges and the preparation they need to do for their chosen career/ Other Researchers. They will be provided with information in connection with their further studies..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 15 Scope and Limitation of the Study The general objective of this study is to determine the work challenges affecting efficient secretarial functions. This is an in-depth study of what factors affect the performance of secretaries in the different organizations. This study will be conducted during the academic year 2023- 2024. The target participants of this study will be the selected secretaries in the different organizations and offices. The participants were chosen thru purposive sampling. This study will focus only on the different work challenges or factors that affect the efficiency of secretarial function. This study will not talk about how a secretary got hired and the day-to-day responsibilities of secretaries. Definitions of Terms The following terms are defined conceptually and operationally to provide clarity in the presentation and analysis of this study. Challenges. Conceptually, according to the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI), a challenge is someone or something that inspires determination to improve one's problem- solving abilities; initiation (to acquire skills): the struggle is a challenge to work extremely hard. Operationally, this refers to the obstacles that a secretary goes through in the organization. Work Performance. Conceptually, John Spacey (2024) defined work performance as how well an individual performs a job, role, task or responsibility. This includes tangible things such as revenue targets and intangible things such as communication. Performance.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 16 is evaluated with respect to documented responsibilities, objectives, goals and reasonable expectations associated with a role, profession and industry. Operationally, it refers to how a secretary performs her/his duties and responsibilities in the work place. Secretarial. Conceptually, according to Abigail Lewis (2023) this may refer to the role and responsibilities associated with administrative assistants, office clerks, or support staff who perform various administrative and organizational tasks in an organization. Operationally, this refers to the responsibilities of a secretary like scheduling, record- keeping, correspondence, and other related functions. Training. Conceptually, Lev Goldentouch, PHD (2023) defined training as structured and organized educational programs designed to impart specific knowledge, skills, and competencies to individuals. It is typically provided within formal institutions such as schools, colleges, universities, or specialized training centers. Operationally, it refers to the process that secretaries need to undergo in order to be more effective in the workplace. Communication. Conceptually, it refers to the act of communicating with people. (Cambridge Dictionary) Operationally, it refers to how secretaries communicate with the management and coworkers in achieving common goal..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 17 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW Secretaries’ Nature of Work In an organization, all employees have their own duties and responsibilities like accounting, human resources, sales, but what could be the responsibilities of those in secretarial positions? Is the tasks and duties of a secretary important in an organization? The nature of the work of a secretary focuses more on inbox or email management, travel management, scheduling meetings, and keeping records of the organization. Secretaries’ job is to ensure that everything is organized and updated. (Muis & Thenikusuma, 2019) added that service work in the administrative profession is not only behind-the-clock work, but communication activities both internally and externally are also its responsibility. Likewise, the secretary's work is part of his activities. A secretary must be someone who has a good personality. Personal ethics is a guideline for attitudes and behaviors in everyday life, both inside and outside the office. In carrying out its duties, the secretary must serve in accordance with the norms and manners contained in the ethics of staffing. Office employees, especially secretaries, are expected to be able to understand the ethical content of the secretary and carry out it as well as possible to.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 18 improve work productivity. Secretary's ethics are built on the principles of beauty, equity, goodness, justice, liberty, the truth. Significance of Secretaries’ Work Others will think that secretaries are not important in an organization or in a department because they think that the duties of a secretary can be done by anyone. A secretary in an organization plays a vital role in the progress and success of a company. From scheduling day-to-day meetings, keeping all the records, inbox management, delegating transactions of the boss, and keeping everything organized as possible. A boss of an organization has important things to do and meetings to attend, and he will not be able to manage all his schedule without the help of a secretary. Secretary’s job is to take away the worries of her boss by organizing everything delegating the needs of her boss and finding ways on where she can help. Secretaries are like Pepper Potts to their Tony Stark from the movie Iron Man, the secretary ensures that everything is organized and runs smoothly. A secretary is in a unique position among office workers. Along with the performance of the specific job duties, the secretary is in a special position of trust and responsibility. She knows the inner workings of the office so well that she can handle the minor details that flood the 1 office daily with little or no consultation with her employer. This simply means that secretaries really play a significant role in an organization because a secretary knows what to do in meeting deadlines without compromising the.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 19 quality of work. (Onifade, 2010) stated that secretary is an assistant to an executive. He is trained to type and perform many office duties. He possesses personal and business attributes. He guards his professional ethics of confidentiality, superb appearance andabsolute loyalty. The personal attributes of asecretary include adaptability and self- confidence while his business attributes include secretarial skills and responsibility. What the secretary needs in order to keep his job is to be abreast of the new technologies. He should continually undergo retraining in secretarial or office skills and communication skills. Work Challenges of Secretaries This study is all about the work challenges faced by company or organization secretaries that affect their functionality. As we know that a company or an organization needs an effective secretary to make things organized and smooth. But there may be some challenges that a secretary faces in the workplace which affects the quality of work. As state in the study of (Peij & Bezemer, 2021) entitled “Exploring the Key Challenges Facing Company Secretaries in a Two-tier boar context”, they have found out that company secretaries perceive a myriad of factors contributing to pressures on their time, the need to work for multiple organizational bodies and the processing of information. They believe process interventions and social interventions are needed to alleviate these issues. The results of their study shows that a secretary in a company faces a lot or countless challenges like their time management and the workload that they are tasked to do. Also, in the study of (Kwaghbo, 2022) entitled “Secretarial Profession in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges, and the Future”, he found out and summarized a total of six (6) issues.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 20 or challenges that a secretary face namely; performance/ professional growth, rewards, hazards, training, dichotomy, and attitude of autocratic leaders. Trever recommended some solution to reduce these issues and challenges. Based on the result of his study, there are some recommended ways to help secretaries in facing these challenges like more occupational growth opportunities should be created, appropriate reward system should be imbibed, adequate security measures should be made for secretaries considering their exposure to hazards, training and retaining of secretaries should be enhanced to provide for adequate skills acquisition for the demands of secretarial work, and that the dichotomy should be removed. Personal Challenges Lack of Proper Training The absence of adequate training is a critical issue that hinders individual growth, organizational success, and overall development. In this discussion, we will delve into the challenges and consequences associated with the lack of proper training. We'll explore how this deficiency impacts various domains, from education to the workplace, and the imperative need for effective training programs to bridge these gaps and cultivate a more knowledgeable, skilled, and proficient workforce. Furthermore, it's essential to recognize that the ramifications of inadequate training extend beyond individual and organizational boundaries. The persistent absence of proper training reverberates throughout society, impacting broader aspects of development. The study of (Ocholi et al., 2022) entitled “Secretarial Profession and the Training Needs of Secretaries for the Future Office Work” examined secretarial profession and the.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 21 training needs of secretaries for the future office work. In this study, the concepts of digital skills and future office, the importance of digital skills for secretaries and the nature of future office, the digital skills training that the secretaries need and how secretaries can develop these skills were examined. It was concluded that technological revolution is creating new opportunities for secretaries with digital skills who are prepared to work in the future office. The study therefore, recommended that institutions offering OTM program should expose office technology and management students to the manipulative aspect of the office automation so that the would-be secretaries will fit into the paperless office of tomorrow. According to (Okeke, 2010), training involves providing employees with directed experience that enables them to be more effective in performing the various tasks that constitute their jobs. If effective, the training experiences result in changes in employee’s attitudes, work habits, and performance. From the above definitions, one can now say that in-service training is a means of building up skills through reading professional materials, attending conferences and workshops in order to perform excellently and to bring about high productivity in the work place. Aminu and Ibeneme (2005), defined in- service training as a calculated attempt towards improving quality of an employee in terms of skills, knowledge and attitude with a view to obtaining qualitative and quantitative output from him. In-service training needs arise when workers or employees cannot cope with new techniques and innovations in their professional areas. They maintained that in-service training is a well-planned and organized efforts to change the.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 22 behavior and to improve on the skills acquired by an employee as to perform to acceptable standard on the job. Therefore, the executive secretaries require adequate training so that they can handle confidently more diverse and demanding assignments. A secretary maintains that the goals and objectives of the organization will be achieved by the motivation, dedication, quality of work and skills that would be exhibited by the training staff in their work environment. (Umudike, n.d.) added that the professional secretaries should periodically be sent to training or course to be familiar with modern communication structures, information technology and the serious need to enhance Company Secrecy. This will help them to know more about company or established organization or institution index system, classification/codification, microfilming structures and deep understanding of human relationship. Furthermore, they should also periodically be sent to know more about methods of recruitment procedures and champion company or established organization or institution's internal and general meetings. They should be allowed to prepare the preliminary – take off of any board meeting. They should know some or even advanced company or organization or Institution bye laws, such as nature of contract agreement, essential elements of a valid contract or agreements. They should be served as pivot in established organization or Company for smooth running and improving the development of daily administration. Compensation/Salary.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 23 One factor that affects the efficiency or work performance of an employee is the pay or the salary that they receive. Some employees may work based on the salary they have either they will work at their best or they will work equal to what they receive. According to (Ruihong, 2023), for employees, the salary that meets their expectations can make employees feel satisfied emotionally, which will directly affect whether employees are enthusiastic about completing work tasks and affect the overall work efficiency. In the case of better and better salary, employees feel that their work value is fully recognized, not only actively participate in the task, but also give full play to their potential according to their own abilities, so as to obtain higher work returns. Employee salary satisfaction and job performance are positively correlated with the mediating variable of job engagement. The mediating role of job engagement in studying pay satisfaction and job performance is obvious. If private enterprises want to stimulate the enthusiasm of employees, strengthen internal management, and achieve the goal of transformation and upgrading as soon as possible, they need to pay attention to employees' salary satisfaction and job engagement. Recognition of job engagement acts as a mediator. The use of various salary management systems to improve the employee's work engagement, thereby affecting the employee's satisfaction with wages, so as to achieve the purpose of improving production efficiency. Additionally, the study of (Odusina et al., 2022) also found out that communication skills, analytical/research skills, flexibility/adaptability/managing multiple priorities skills, multicultural sensitivity/awareness skills, planning/organizing skills, result-driven skills, problem-solving/reasoning/creativity skills, interpersonal skills,.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 24 innovation skills, self-improvement skills, interpersonal relationship skills and information and communication technology skills were among the indicators of secretaries job effectiveness in private organizations in Ogun State of Nigeria. It was recommended that there should be periodic upward review of secretaries’ wages/salaries and other fringe benefits through collective bargaining process. The economic realities of the time should be considered during the process. The issue of paying regular salaries to secretaries should be considered as a priority by the private organization. Environmental Challenges Communication in the workplace Every human activity was basically driven by the motivation. Work motivation was a condition or an energy that directed employees to achieve organizational goals of the company. Nowadays, the development of organizational communication saw the communication as one of the most dominant and important activity in the organization and it could be able to motivate employees. (Ramadanty & Martinus, 2016) studied how the role of the communication that occurs within the organization could give the motivation to employee. Their study found out that nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication leadership and communication climate have a significant role to form employee motivation. Nonverbal communication has slightly strong role in shaping the positive motivation to employee. The role includes body communication, facial communication and eye communication..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 25 Interpersonal communication leader is based on the satisfaction level of information between management and employees. Management and transparency in openness in downward communication under the form of information from superiors are by listening the communication between supervisors and employees are running smoothly. Employers understand written communication to be types of documents, a way to write, and a mode of communication. Oral communication skills mean a style of interacting, presenting, and conducting meetings. Visual communication skills were understood to be data visualization or nonverbal communication. Electronic communication was interpreted as email (Coffelt et al., 2019). Communication apprehension can lead to professional challenges for individuals, teams, and organizations. communication apprehension is common, including in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal situations, and public speaking. It is significantly more common among early-career professionals, women, introverted professionals, and professionals with anxiety. Interpersonal situations appear to be the situations in which contemporary professionals are most likely to experience high communication apprehension. It is suggested that more attention is needed to address communication apprehension in interpersonal and group situations. It also frames communication apprehension as a matter of inclusion and team performance (Cardon et al., 2023). Many employers bemoan a lack of communication skills relevant to the workplace in their workforce, particularly with their younger intake. As a result, it shows that providing young people who aren't confident communicators with structured oracy and writing activities as well as real-world opportunities to practice those skills with.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 26 business professionals can improve their communication skills, build their confidence and inspire them to pursue their goals (Brown et al., 2023). Harmony in the workplace A workplace is where we go to in order for us to show what we can do in exerting efforts to provide for our needs. This is where we find ourselves drained most of the time yet a place where we cannot escape from. As an employee what do we really looking for in the setup of a place where we are working? One thing that all employees seek for is the harmony and peace in the workplace. A kind of workplace where we feel comfortable and far from stress. The variable of harmony in the workplace has a positive impact in increasing the strategic balance level in the surveyed plant. Moreover, adoption of marketing agility practices by top management would definitely enhance the strategic balance. The more people feel the value of their work and involve them in making decisions relevant to their work, and the greater level of independence related to the practice of their work, the more it motivates job cadres to devote their skills to achieving the required objectives. Additionally, it turned out that the implementation of marketing agility approaches would also positively boost the impact the variable of harmony in the workplace on the strategic balance (Al-hadrawi1 et al., 2024). (Zwain & Noorulhudanabih, 2022) studied the degree to which harmony in the workplace affects job independence. As a result, it showed a direct impact between the dimensions of harmony in the workplace and the job independence The dimension of self-harmony in functional independence, which provides a positive work environment,.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 27 can provide a strong incentive to perform tasks and complete them in the required manner. This commitment reinforces the empowerment of management for working individuals and grants them the freedom to make decisions and determine their methods of work on their own. Harmony with the administration contributes to enhancing functional independence, because of the freedom and confidence it can provide, affecting the way work is arranged, tasks are scheduled, and the style and methods of their achievement. It can also affect the dimension of harmony at the level of the organization by following the ethical rules and ensuring the openness and transparency of operations, which ensures the generation of trust that leads to independence. According to (Victor Barinua (Ph. D) and Bob- Fubara, 2022), a properly managed dispute is expected to bring about increase productivity, as well as achieving the goals for the business. They studied the relationship between industrial dispute management strategies and workplace harmony. As a result, they found out that achievement of workplace harmony will enhance achievement of organizational mission and vision. Therefore, the following recommendations were made among others that industrial management should try as much as possible to discourage destructive conflict while promoting constructive conflict. Coping Strategies Training of Skills During College Secretaries are important in a company for their duties and responsibilities affect the organization’s day-to-day tasks. It is important that aspiring secretarial professionals are already trained during college before entering the corporate world. It is important that.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 28 aspiring secretaries are already equipped with the skills like being resourceful, adaptable, dependable, detail-oriented, and organized which are needed in a secretarial position. As aspiring secretaries, they must be equipped with the professional core competencies of a secretary like communication skills, language expression skills, document writing skills, coordination skills, organizational skills, meeting and other planning skills. (Yang, 2018) stated that the students trained in higher vocational colleges are skilled, applied and practical. Therefore, the professional core competence of students is an important part of the professional teaching of high vocational secretarial students, and it is also the main module for students to study at school. The training and orientation of secretarial students should be formulated around the professional goals and the needs of the society for secretarial talents, so as to cultivate students into highly skilled talents with solid theoretical knowledge, skilled hands-on ability and rich practical operation ability. It implies that aspiring secretaries should be given practical training during college in order for them to be prepared in professional world. This training can enhance the aspiring secretaries’ opportunities in employment, career choice, and entrepreneurship. Team Building to Maintain Harmony in the Workplace One thing that every employee loves in the workplace is the peace and harmony it has. Every employee enjoys going to work everyday because they know that the workplace is a place where they have responsibilities but also a place that they can rest too. Organizations are now globally dependent on effective management and team.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 29 building to survive and prosper. Over the years great emphasis was given in selection of members for effective team building. Role of leadership is vital in this regard. Leaders are required to have active cooperation in all the activities of organizations rather than mere role of supervising and controlling. Every employee of an organization gets affected by management principles, and processes either as a leader or a team member. It is a considerable fact that working environment and relationship amongst the leader and team member is key factor that creates motivation and accelerates work to achieve goals. It is found that teambuilding and leadership has positive significant effect on employee motivation in a state-owned petroleum corporation. The actions of team leader and behaviour have greater importance over team building. It’s the leaders who innovates and motivate members through different techniques such as incentives, prizes, promotions and extra pays. The characteristics of team members are defined and predictors of schedule performance towards the motivation and organization activity . In the absence of teams, employees are limited to individual efforts alone but with teambuilding, workgroups evolve into cohesive units and share expectations for accomplishing group tasks, added to trust and support for one another and respect for individual differences (Muhammad Ramzan & Wajidi, 2019). One way to maintain the peace and harmony in the workplace is to conduct a team building for all employees to build a professional relationship with each other, knowing each other, and resolve conflicts. Team building experience can help employees to have a specific understanding of they could manage and resolve conflicts. It is.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 30 important in an organization to conduct a team building activity once in a month to maintain the harmony of the workplace. This strategy can assess employees in their ability to build professional relationship towards each other. Acknowledge Communication in the Workplace Communication in the workplace is important because it boosts employee morale, engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Communication is also key for better team collaboration and cooperation. Ultimately, effective workplace communication helps drive better results for individuals, teams, and organizations. When employees are directly involved in work products and initiatives, it helps to foster a sense of ownership in the company’s future. It also makes them want to work to improve things like the company’s profitability, customer satisfaction, and brand. One way in maintaining the communication in the workplace is to acknowledge it together with the employees. Acknowledging communication in the workplace contributes a lot to the success of the company because it makes the employees interested to contribute in meeting its aim and the objectives. (Cooks-Campbell, 2022) listed some effects of acknowledging communication in the workplace like better engagement, increases morale, improves productivity, reduces churn, greater loyalty, better collaboration, fewer workplace conflicts, and greater motivation..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 31 Synthesis The findings of studies synthesized here are highly relevant to our research idea. First, we are planning to determine the work challenges or factors that affect the efficiency of secretarial functions. The findings of the different studies above helped and contributed this study, for instance, to keep in mind that secretaries face different work challenges in their daily duties and responsibilities. The findings of the studies also supported this research by determining the different factors or challenges that affect secretarial function like, and these are salary, communication in the workplace, peace and harmony, educational requirement, and proper training. The researchers tabulated all the information above for a purpose of knowing, comparing and documenting the gathered data from previous related studies. These.

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 32 differences in views due to cultural gaps and difference of norms and orientation had built a similar perspective toward the work challenges of secretaries. Despite of its uniqueness for every conduct and respond of the study, a conclusive inference can be made that secretaries in our study conveys the same challenges as what other secretaries face in the workplace..

CENTRAL PHILIPPINE ADVENTIST COLLEGE School of Business and Accountancy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental P.O Box 420, Bacolod City, Philippines, 6100 33 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY In this chapter, this will consist of six (6) different parts that will discuss how the research will be conducted. First part is the research design which talks about what type of research was conducted. Second is the research instruments which will be used in gathering and analyzing the data. Next is the research participants or respondents which will be the source of data. Next is the procedure in gathering the data needed in this study. After that is the method used in analyzing the gathered data to create conclusions. Lastly, the ethical considerations that will be followed by the researchers. This part of the paper reveals the approach, plan and strategy of investigation to meet the goals and aims of the paper. It will show the appropriateness of the utilization of instruments, its validity and the eligibility of the participants. Also, the details of the steps and procedures to be taken to complete this study. Research Design In conducting this study, the researchers will use the phenomenological type of research design specifically qualitative in nature. This design’s area of inquiry is centered on the experiences of individuals within their life-world. It describes the meaning of lived experiences of respondents willing to participate. Also, it describes what the participants have in common with a phenomenon to a description of a universal essence, thus deemed appropriate for such academic endeavor (Sarrosa, 2017). However, descriptive analysis is employed to secretaries of the different organizations in Murcia,.