An Office
An office is a room in an organisation set aside for clerical activities. The office is the centre of all the clerical activities in an organisation. The office is also a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it. A good example is the office of a school principal. In the Principal’s office, records of both staff and students are kept. There are two types of office;
i. Small Office
ii. Large Office.
A Small Office
A small office is usually found in a small organisation because the volume of clerical activities is small. A small trader’s shop is his office. The principal’s office is also a small office. A small office usually has one to ten clerical workers. In a small office, it is possible to have only one clerical worker since the activities of the organisation are few. This single clerical worker may perform all the work in the office For example, he may sweep the office, go to the post office to collect or dispatch letters, as well as run errands.
A Large Office
A large office can be found in big organisations with many clerical workers. An example of a large office is a bank. A factory could also be an example of a large office if it has more than ten people working in it. In a large office, work is divided among the many clerical workers. For example, a messenger may be responsible for carrying letters or running errands, while another individual may only clean the office.
Functions of an Office
1. To manage the administrative activities of a business
2. To receive or collect information
3. To prepare a record of such information
4. To process and arrange such information
5. To supply readymade information to the authorities when asked for.
Tests and Exercises
1. …….. is a room where clerical activities are being carried out? (a)An office (b) A building (c) A parlor (d) An organization. Answer: an office
2. ……… is not a function of an office. (a) Recording information (b) Giving information (c) Storing information (d) copying information. Answer: copying information
3. Small and ……… are the two types of office. (a) Large (b) smaller (c) largest (d) big. Answer: large
4. ………. is an example of a large office. (a) manager’s office (b)banking hall (c)security post (d)reception. Answer: Banking hall
5. ………… is an example of a small office. (a) Reception (b) banking hall (c) security post (d) manager’s office. Answer: security post
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