Editorial: An Argument for having Office-Support Studies in the University System

Abstract

The authors argue that, rather than abandoning education in secretarial/office administration disciplines, universities should be leading the educational trans- formation required to prepare personnel to exploit the potential of computer- based technologies. Four points support the argument. First, computer-based office technologies capture data and make it available to creative users who can use itfor innovative purposes. This "informating" process requires intellective skill development for all knowledge workers including office-support personnel. Second, the rapid changes being forced on organizations require flexible, intellectually developed personnel to support manager-leaders in the tasks of maintaining competitiveness in the 1990s and beyond. Third, as the stereotypical authoritarian, boss-secretary relationship changes toward a partnership relation- ship, office-support personnel will need the intellectual foundation provided by a university education. Finally, as a key contributor to the knowledge-intensive information management team, office-support personnel require a university education to ensure career mobility as they mature in their skills.