MODULE 1

The Office Origin

The word Office came from the Latin word Officium, derived from ―opus‖ which refers
to ―work‖ or ―service‖ and ―facere‖ meaning to do or to make. Officium initially meant duty or
service, and gradually shifted to denote the place or post where the tasks were carried out.
Office is a place, building, or series of rooms in which some particular thing, or that which
anything is fitted to perform, function, and service.

The origins of the modern office lie with large-scale organizations such as governments,
trading companies and religious orders that required written records or documentation. Medieval
monks, for example, worked in quiet spaces designed specifically for sedentary activities such as
copying and studying manuscripts. As depicted in Botticelli’s St Augustine in His Cell, these
early ―workstations‖ comprised a desk, chair and storage shelves.

Another of Botticelli’s paintings of St Augustine at work is now in Florence’s Uffizi

Gallery. This building was originally constructed as the central administrative building of the
Medici mercantile empire in 1560.

It was an early version of the modern corporate office. It was both a workplace and a
visible statement of prestige and power.

But such spaces were rare in medieval times, as most people worked from home.
In Home: The Short History of an Idea, Witold Rybczynski argues that the seventeenth century
represented a turning point.

Lawyers, civil servants and other new professionals began to work from offices in
Amsterdam, London and Paris. This led to a cultural distinction between the office, associated
with work, and the home, associated with comfort, privacy and intimacy.

Despite these early offices, working from home continued. In the nineteenth century,
banking dynasties such as the Rothschild’s and Barings operated from luxurious homes so as to
make clients feel at ease. And, even after the office was well established in the 1960s, Hugh
Hefner famously ran his Playboy Empire from a giant circular bed in a bedroom of his Chicago
apartment.

But these were exceptions to the general rule. Over the course of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, increasingly specialized office designs – from the office towers of Chicago
and New York to the post-war suburban corporate campuses – reinforced a distinction between
work and home.

Significance of Office
Office is the center of an organization. The office provides the necessary information on
the basis of which plans and policies may be formulated and results assessed. It is the function
of the office to coordinate the activities of the functional departments through the sectional
offices. The relationship between the office and other departments is reflected in the
organizational set-up of the business. A well-organized office makes it possible for management
to plan its operations intelligently, to put its plan into effect surely, to follow their programs
currently, to determine their effectiveness promptly, to appraise the results without delay, and to
coordinate all the activities of the business.

Office Management Defined

Office management is concerned with the efficient performance of office work—

whenever and wherever that work is carried out. It involves the direction and supervision of all
office activities. These activities include recording transactions and their outcomes, receiving
and distributing information, writing and responding to correspondence, filing documents, data
entry, telephone communication, messenger services, duplication of documents, computation,
and maintaining office systems. In any department—whether sales, stores, purchasing,
personnel, or finance—it becomes evident that such tasks occupy the majority of daily work.

Office management can be defined as the task of planning, coordinating, and supervising office
activities to achieve organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Administrative Office Management

It is the function within the organization with responsibility for the overall operations of
an enterprise. Administrative Management is not one position, one office, one department. It
comprises those functions that support line management, yet certain line managers may consider
a large portion of their time committed to administrative management duties.

OFFICE FUNCTIONS

1. Receiving Information. Information relevant to the office may be obtained from both
internal and external sources. Internal sources include various departments or sections
within the organization, while external sources may include government agencies,
suppliers, other companies, clients, and more. This information can be received through
letters, orders, invoices, telephone calls, faxes, emails, and similar channels.

2. Recording Information. All information received from internal and external sources
must be properly recorded and maintained. Some records are legally required (statutory
records), while others are necessary for internal use to assist the Office Manager in
planning, organizing, and controlling the business's operations.

3. Arranging Information. The collected information must be organized and presented in

prescribed formats such as invoices, payroll reports, accounting statements, and statistical
reports. Proper arrangement ensures clarity and efficient use of data.
 4. Providing Information. Based on the records maintained in the office, the necessary
information—such as instructions, orders, statistical data, financial statements, and
estimates—is provided to management by the Office Manager to support decision-
making and operational control.

Key Office Activities

1. Creating/Analyzing Information
a. Composing memorandums, letters, and reports
b. Organizing, summarizing, and Interpreting data
c. Creating presentations
d. Making decisions and recommendations based on analyzed information

2. Searching for Information

a. Accessing databases, the Internet, and company intranets
b. Requesting information from persons internal personnel
c. Gathering information from external contacts
d. Using reference manuals and books

3. Processing Information
a. Editing and proofreading
b. Keyboarding and data entry
c. Opening and reviewing incoming communications
d. Entering, updating, or managing data in databases
e. Photocopying documents
f. Preparing outgoing communications
g. Preparing checks, orders, and invoices
h. Creating and updating spreadsheets

4. Communicating Information
a. Answering telephones calls
b. Greeting callers
c. Responding to persons inside and outside the organization
d. Preparing and responding to email
e. Providing instruction to coworkers
f. Preparing and delivering presentations

5. Managing Information
a. Maintaining calendars
b. Maintaining databases and files
c. Maintaining financial records
TRENDS IN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
Modern Computer Technology

The use of technology is common in today’s offices. Both technology and procedures
used in offices are constantly evolving. Organizations strive to adopt the latest equipment and
software related to their operations as quickly as possible. These organizations recognize the
value of updating their systems and processes. Using current technology can help employees
more productive. Today, technological innovations have made video conferencing,
audio conferencing and computer-based collaboration possible. However, using modern
technology does not guarantee productivity. It is important to remember that technology is a
tool, just like any other. How we use it - or how we allow it to influence us – plays a significant
role in achieving success.

Globalization

More and more businesses in the country are becoming multinational. This means that
many companies operate not only within the Philippines but also in other countries. They tap
resources available abroad so that as goods and services are produced, the global market
becomes their marketplace.

Total Quality Management

TQM or total quality management is an approach to organizational improvement that

places strong emphasis on the quality of goods and services produced. This concept requires
office professionals to understand the importance of meeting and exceeding client or customer
expectations. It also demands recognition that exceptionally high performance standards are
essential to organizational success.

Compressed Work Week, Flextime, and Job Sharing

Most offices traditionally operate on a five-day workweek, with standard office hours
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, this practice is evolving to accommodate changing family
dynamics and personal needs.

One alternative is the compressed workweek, where employees complete a standard 40-hour
workweek over four days, working 10 hours per day.

Flextime, allows for staggered work hours, meaning employees are not required to start or end
their shifts at the same time. This provides flexibility while still ensuring full coverage during
business hours.
 Job sharing is another flexible work arrangement in which two part-time employees share the
responsibilities of one full-time position. This set up is ideal for individuals seeking shorter
workdays or better work-life balance.

Corporate Restructuring and Downsizing

There is a noticeable trend among business organizations to reduce their workforce to a

select core group of employees who receive regular company benefits. For specific company
projects, outsourcing is commonly practice by hiring temporary project-based workers.

This arrangement does necessarily mean that career opportunities in today's office professions
are becoming limited. On the contrary, it presents new challenges for individual to demonstrate
excellent skills and professional attitudes in order to earn and maintain a valued position within
the organization.

Flexiplace

Flexplace refers to various work arrangements in which employees perform their duties off-site,
either from home or a satellite office. This set up is commonly known as telecommuting or
operating from a virtual office. In ―virtual office", communication with the main office is
maintained through computers, telephone lines, fax machines, mobile phones or other
technological tools.

This arrangement offers office professionals greater flexibility in managing their work
schedules. It eliminates the time lost in commuting and allows professionals to balance their
home responsibilities – such as child care – while still fulfilling their office duties. However, this
step up requires strong time management skills - the ability to set clear priorities, and the
capability to work independently with minimal supervision.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN OFFICE

PROFESSIONAL
Personality is the expression of what you are or what you do. It refers to the total
person. Personality is the interpretation of your inner self to other people. Your personality is
projected in many different ways.

Personality Traits

 Being Cooperative
 Having a Good Attitude
 Loyalty
 Being Dependable
 Using Good Judgment
 Continued Learning
  Maintaining Poise
 Having Initiative
 Confidentiality

Other Desirable Attitudes and Traits

 Punctuality
 Tactfulness
 Dependability
 Emotional Stability
 Cooperation
 Humility
 Sensitivity
 Flexibility and Adaptability
 Diplomacy and Observant of Etiquette
 Pleasantness.