Organization of administrative and office work

Despite the differences that exist between the administrative and office work and the production work, organizational study of these kinds of work is almost identical. The main stages of the study coincide with the cycle of the basic organizational methods.

Purpose of administrative and office work study

Among the many problems of administrative-office work the question of the optimal organization of working time and space is most often asked. Nature of office work can be reduced to the analysis of team actions of diverse nature and structure. In doing so, the participants affect the common object of work (usually it is a document or set of documents) and execute in sequence various tasks (e.g., development of planning documents) which leads to achieving of common goal.

Office administrative work involves acquiring, processing and transmitting information, the activities and operations that make up the process are often referred to as office procedures. These procedures can be classified into two groups:

• Procedures for an internal administrative services,
• Procedures for an external administrative services,

thus diversifying purposes they serve.

Proper organization of office procedures does not solve all problems of organizational office work. Managers should choose methods of the study, standardization of office operations and spatial layout of office space, etc.

General methodology for organization

General methodology of conduct in the organization of administrative and office work involves the following steps:

• Determine the purpose of the study.
• The classification of administrative functions.
• Analysis of the distribution of administrative tasks,
• Analysis of the functional and operational relations
• Selection and implementation of administrative structure.
• Control of the implementation results.

Procedure for organization of administrative work

In most cases, organizing of the office work deals with an existing organization of the division of labour and, therefore, the procedure for conduct of research in this matter should proceed according to the following steps:

• Selection of study object.
• The collection of internal and external information.
• Registration of the phases of the procedure
• Describing current procedure schedule
• Analysis of the procedure.
• Developing normative schedule
• Implementation and monitoring of the implementation of the procedure.

Techniques used in office work organization

The family of methods for organizing office work in time:

• Techniques for organizing the work in time based on the principles of mathematical programming (various methods of network programming)
• Graphical method of organizing work in time (Adamiecki schedules, Gantt charts, Esograms by Rytel).

One of the most effective methods of organizing administrative and office work is the theory of queues. Especially used in the so-called. administrative services to external entities such as banks, travel agencies, where there are problems of mass service. The problem of queuing appears in three basic cases:

• in case of irregular arrival of customers
• in case of uneven service.
• in case of both irregular arrivals of customers and uneven service.

Examples of Organization of administrative and office work

• Administrative and office work typically involves organizing and managing data, scheduling meetings and events, developing and following procedures and protocols, and handling financial or accounting tasks. For example, a company may employ an administrative assistant to manage their daily operations, coordinate meetings and events, and manage the company's finances.
• Another example of administrative work is human resources management. This type of work involves recruiting, interviewing, and hiring employees, developing and implementing policies, and training new hires. It also involves overseeing employee relations, benefits, and payroll.

Advantages of Organization of administrative and office work

• Organizing administrative and office work can be beneficial to both employers and employees as it can provide structure, efficiency, and clarity.
• Organizing office and administrative work through the use of organizational methods can help to streamline processes, reduce waste and save time. It can also help to ensure that tasks are completed according to deadlines and that all necessary steps are taken in order to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Organizing administrative and office work can also help to improve communication between different departments within the organization. It can provide clarity on the roles and responsibilities of each team member and ensure that tasks are allocated in a fair and efficient manner.
• Organizing administrative and office work can also help to increase productivity as it can facilitate faster decision-making and help to eliminate redundancy. It can also help to reduce costs as tasks can be completed in a more efficient manner.
• Organizing administrative and office work also has a positive impact on employee morale as it can provide a sense of purpose and direction. It can also help to create a culture of collaboration and accountability within the organization.

Limitations of Organization of administrative and office work

The limitations of the organization of administrative and office work include:

• Limited flexibility: Administrative and office work is often highly structured and rigid. This limits the ability of workers to be creative and adapt to changing conditions.
• Limited autonomy: Unlike production work, administrative and office work is often highly regulated and monitored. This can limit the autonomy of workers to make decisions and take initiative.
• Limited resources: Administrative and office work often requires expensive resources, such as office equipment and specialized software, that may not be available to all workers.
• Limited mobility: Because administrative and office work is often conducted in a single location, workers may have limited ability to work remotely or travel for work-related purposes.
• Limited job security: Administrative and office work can be more susceptible to layoffs and other job losses due to changes in technology or organizational restructuring.

Other approaches related to Organization of administrative and office work

• Introduction: In addition to the cycle of the basic organizational methods, there are various other approaches related to the organization of administrative and office work.
• Process Analysis: Process analysis involves analyzing and improving the processes used in the organization. It can be used to identify the root causes of inefficiencies and develop solutions to improve them.
• Activity-Based Costing: Activity-based costing is a method of allocating costs to activities and processes within an organization. It can be used to identify the cost of each activity and process, and then determine ways to reduce the costs.
• Job Design: Job design involves designing jobs that are efficient, effective and meaningful for the employee. It can be used to identify the tasks and responsibilities of each job, and then create a job description that is tailored to each individual employee.
• Quality Management: Quality management involves ensuring that the products and services of an organization meet the expectations of customers. It can be used to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to improve quality.
• Human Resource Management: Human resource management involves managing the workforce of an organization. It can be used to identify the skills and qualifications needed for each job, and then develop strategies to recruit and retain employees.

Summary: There are various other approaches related to the organization of administrative and office work, such as process analysis, activity-based costing, job design, quality management, and human resource management. These approaches can be used to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to increase efficiency and improve quality.

Organization of administrative and office work — recommended articles

Personnel controlling — Grouping of posts — Resource plan — Management functions — Organizational progress — Importance of teamwork — Organizational techniques — Functional strategy — Administrative management

References

• Agarwal, R. D. (1982). Organization and management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
• Barnard, C. I., & Thompson, K. (2003). Organization and management: Selected papers (Vol. 7). Psychology Press.
• Garvin, D. A. (1998). The processes of organization and management. MIT Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 33.
• Kast, R. E., & Rosenzweig, J. E. (1974). Organization and management. New York.
• Newman, W. H. (1950). Administrative action: The techniques of organization and management. Prentice-Hall.
• Sloan School of Management | MIT OpenCourseWare website.