Developing a Competency Framework for Modern Executive Secretaries in Organizational Management

Thesis Abstract

The evolving demands of organizational management require executive secretaries to possess a diverse set of competencies that go beyond traditional administrative skills. Despite the critical role played by modern executive secretaries in facilitating organizational efficiency, there is a notable gap in comprehensive competency frameworks tailored specifically for their emerging roles in contemporary workplaces. This study seeks to develop a structured and validated competency framework that captures the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for executive secretaries to perform effectively in dynamic organizational environments. The primary aim is to contribute to both the academic literature and practical management by identifying core competencies and proposing a model that can guide training, professional development, and policy formulation. The specific objectives include to examine existing competency models relevant to secretarial duties, to explore the perceived competency gaps among executive secretaries in organizational management, to identify contextual factors influencing competency development, and tovalidate the proposed framework using empirical data. The research adopts a mixed-methods design, integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the competencies needed by modern executive secretaries. The qualitative phase involves conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 senior managers and 30 executive secretaries across various sectors to explore their perceptions of core skills and emerging competencies. This data will be analyzed thematically using NVivo to identify recurrent themes and competency categories. The quantitative phase involves administering a structured survey to a target population of 200 executive secretaries selected through stratified random sampling from medium and large-sized organizations in the financial, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. The survey instrument, developed based on the qualitative findings and existing literature, will utilize a Likert scale to measure competency importance, proficiency levels, and perceived gaps. Reliability analysis will be conducted using Cronbach’s alpha, while validity will be ensured through expert review and pilot testing. Data analysis will involve descriptive statistics to profile the respondents, followed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS and AMOS software to identify and validate the core competency domains. Regression analysis will be employed to examine the relationships between organizational factors and competency levels, while ANOVA tests will determine differences across sectors and organizational sizes. The theoretical underpinning of the study draws on the Competency Theory and the Skills-Based View, as elucidated in the works of Boyatzis and Katz. These frameworks facilitate understanding of the multidimensional nature of competencies and the contextual factors shaping their development. It is anticipated that the findings will reveal a set of core competencies encompassing communication, technological proficiency, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptability, along with sector-specific skills. The study expects to identify significant gaps between current competency levels and those required by evolving organizational demands, emphasizing the need for targeted professional development initiatives. The resulting competency framework will serve as a practical tool for human resource practitioners, training institutions, and policymakers aiming to enhance the role and effectiveness of executive secretaries. This research significantly advances the body of knowledge by providing a validated, context-sensitive competency framework explicitly tailored for modern executive secretaries in organizational management. It contributes theoretically by integrating current skills-based models with contextual factors affecting competency development. Practically, it offers a basis for designing tailored training programs, recruitment standards, and career development pathways. It concludes with recommendations for organizational policy adjustments to support continuous competency upgrading and future research directions, including longitudinal studies to assess the dynamic evolution of secretarial competencies amidst technological advancements. Ultimately, the study reinforces the strategic importance of empowering secretaries in line with organizational goals, thereby enhancing overall organizational performance.