Concept, Function and Importance of Office

Concept of Office

An office is the center point of organization. It is a place to perform different activities of a business organization. The office is the brain of a whole organization. The office performs a clerical function such as information collection, recording analyzing, distribution of information and executive function such as planning, policies formulation, organization, decision making etc.

There are two concepts of office. They are:

1. Traditional concept

Traditional concept defines office as the place to perform all managerial and clerical activities. It is the definite area in business. All business functions are regulated and directed from office. It collects and stores information of office.

J.C.Denyer- Office is a place where clerical operations are carried on.

M.C. Shukla- The point at which the greatest concentration of paperwork activity is found is popularly referred to as the office.

Therefore, Traditional concept explains office as a specified place. It is the particular place for handling whole business.

2. Modern concept

The modern concept of office explains office as an activity rather than the place. According to this concept, any place can be said as an office, if the official activities such as executive and clerical activities function are performed.

Jame Stephenson- The office is that part of business enterprises which is devoted to the direction and coordination of its various activities. It is the seat, not only of the administrative activities which determine the policy of the whole business but also of the principal executive activities whereby that policy is carried into effect.

Edward Roche- Office exists anywhere certain kinds of work are performed. It is a mistake to regard an office as a specific place. Just as a tree is known by its fruits, so also a business office is known by the functions it discharges.

Therefore, An office is an important part of the organization in which different administrative and clerical functions are performed to achieve the objective of the organization. It has given importance to a functional area of business rather than a specific place.

In conclusion, an office is a place to perform all business activities relating to clerical and executive. It acts as the central point of whole organization and all the information and resource come to an office and they are distributed from the office itself. The office is the brain of an organization.

Function of Office

Every organization is established with the objective to attend specified goals. To achieve this goal different function are to be performed. The office is the center point for all the business various activities. Therefore, an office has to perform various activities. For our simplicity, we have divided function of office into following two categories:

1. Basic Function
2. Administrative Function

Basic Function

The regular activities of collecting and distributing information are called the basic function. It involves the functions like collection, recording, analyzing, storing and distribution of information. Every type of business will perform basic activities from its office. The basic activities of office are explained as following:

1. Receiving and collection of information:

It is the primary function of office to collect information from the different source. Generally, there are two sources of information for office i.e internal and external. Internal information is provided from different units of the business. On the other hand, external sources are agencies and institution who collect and distribute information.

2. Recording information:

It iIt is the another activities of the office. The office will record the information available from a different source in ‘inward book’ and ‘dispatch book’. That information which is available from outside the organization like letters, bill, order etc is recorded in inward books. The information provided by the organization to outside people are recorded in dispatch book. This system of recording information helps to organize record and message of business.

3. Analysing:

It is concerned with detail study of collected information. The information collected from different sources are raw and unprocessed form. In this function, information is studied in detail to find the necessity of information for a future purpose.

4. Storing Information:

The recorded information should be protected for future purpose. The degree of necessity information will determine how long the information should be protected. According to the importance of information, an office will store information in a separate file.

5. Distribution of Information:

It is the basic function of every office to distribute information to related people and department. The collected information is distributed to different people and department in order to help them in decision making and other activities.

Administrative Function

The administrative function is related to management of a business organization. It is the high-level function and non-routine in nature. The administrative function of the office is related to human resource management, purchase, and control of resource protection of asset, public relation etc. Administrative function of office are explained as following:

1. Managerial function:

The activities related to management of business such as planning, leading, controlling, directing etc are called a managerial function. Top level people of the organization are involved in managerial activates from office. The managerial function is necessary to successfully accomplish the function.

2. Human resource function:

Human resource function is related with placing the right employee at a right place. It is the responsibility of office to determine the requirement of differently skilled people and place them at a right position after selecting an appropriate candidate. The office will make a record of employee performance provide prize and benefit in future.

3. Purchase and control function:

The office will involve identifying different assets and resource requirement for business. It is the basic function of office to purchase an appropriate asset at a reasonable price. The office develops the systematic mechanism to purchase an asset and other resource required for business at minimum possible cost.

4. Public relation:

The relationship with a mass of public like a shareholder, creditor, supplier, media person, social group, customer, community etc is called public relation. It is the responsibility of office to maintain a close relationship with the people who are directly or indirectly related to business. The office maintains a close relation with public by regular distributing information and organizing different activities.

5. Safe guarding properties:

The office should protect the properties and assets of an organization. It maintains a record of assets and provides updated information about this situation. It is the responsibility of office to protect the asset from theft and damage like fire, accident, flood, water and chemical lecage, etc. The office should provide regular maintenance of its resource.

6. Forms design and control:

The office should design forms to bring uniformity in office operation. It helps to simplify the operation and brings a system in performance. The office needs a different kind of forms such as bills, inquiry form, voucher, letter pad, purchase order etc. Therefore, an office should design separate form for each kind of activity.

7. Development of office system and procedure:

System and procedure are required to successfully accomplish different activities. Office uses to develop different procedure and systems required to complete a specific task. It helps to bring simplicity in office work. Therefore, an office must be developed system and procedure to carry out each job.

Importance of Office

An office is the center point of any business activities. It is like the brain in a human body. As human physical activities are regulated and control by the brain, the activities of department and people in an office as well regulated and control from office. The importance of office can be explained with the help of the following point:

1. Information center:

The office is very much important to collect and distribute information. Information is available from a different source such as invoice, letter, memos, agreement, voucher etc. Office collect information and protect them in safe mode on the basis of their importance.

2. Proof of existence:

The office is the evidence for existence and survival for business. We generalize the information about the existence of business with the help of office. If the office is regular then we can say business is running.

3. Channel of communication:

The office is the channel of communication between different peoples and department of business. There are a various level of staffs in business who are communicated with each other through means of office. Different department such as marketing and production are communicated with the help of office.

4. Co-ordination of work:

Business is divided into department and sub-units for bringing simplicity in the operation. The office will work as a coordinator to maintain the relationship between departments. It develops productivity relationship with different department to achieve co-operate objective.

5. Center for formulation of plan and policies:

A business is established with the objective of attaining the certain result. To achieve this result top level manager formulate plans and policies from office. These plan and policies are communicated to related person through the office. Therefore, the office is a center for the formulation of plans and policies.

6. Managerial control:

The process of developing performance standard and comparing with actual performance is called controlling. The office helps in controlling the activities of different people and department of business. Office ensures that activities performed in business are accurate.

7. Memory center:

Office protects important information of past in a safe manner. It provides information storage facilities in files and devices on the basic of their importance for future. The department and people who need information are available from the office. Therefore, the office is memory center.

8. Service center:

The office works as a service center for different units and department of business. It provides clerical services like mailing, filing, typing, printing, supplying resource etc. to concern department. It provides assistant facility to all people as well as units in business.

References:

Khanal, Soma Raj, Surendra Thapa Aslami and Sitaram Dhakal.Business Studies.Kathmandu: Taleju Prakashan, 2067.

Pant, Prem R., et al.Business Studies.Kathmandu: Buddha Academic Publishers and Distributors Pvt. Ltd., 2010.