Office manual | Meaning | Definition | Importance

What is an office manual?

The office system is called office manual when it takes the shape of a book or booklet. Generally, the office manual contains the details of the work to be performed in an office and other important particulars of the organization. Office manual and organization manual are not one and the same. An office manual is an authoritative guide to office organization. But an organization manual is an authoritative guide to the company’s organization.

Office manual is useful to the employees, especially new entrants, to understand the work without any difficulty. The office manual contains all the details of the whole office work such as standard practices, current practices, instructions and organizational policies in such a form that they are easily and readily available to the office personnel for reference and guidance. Hence office manual is a source of information essential to the office personnel for the effective performance of their jobs. If office employees are supplied with copies of the office manual, there may not be need to approach superiors for each and every decisions. Therefore, they do not interrupt the work of their superiors and there is no wastage of time to office employees (New entrants) as well as to executives (Superiors).

Meaning of Office Manual

An office manual means a handy form of book or booklet containing information relating to the policy, organization system, routines and procedures methods and standards and the rules and regulations regarding employment.

An office manual is prepared to help the employees know all relevant information regarding the organization, its set up i.e. structure and how he fits into it.

Definition of Office Manual

According to George R. Terry,

“An office manual is a written record of information and instructions which concern and can be used to guide the employee’s efforts in an enterprise”.

An office manual has been defined as a document disclosing the information about an organization, its set up, conditions of employment, and the established system, routine, procedures, methods, standards, rules and regulations of an office operation.

Importance of Office Manual

A large size organization has a number of branches and/or departments or sections or divisions. Thousands of employees are employed in large size organization. Hence it is very difficult to control the employees by the management. If instructions or guidelines are given in writing to the employees, the management can control the employees very easily and avoid misunderstanding of employees. Besides, frictions among employees are also eliminated. In this way, office manuals help the management and the employees in various ways.

1. Employees understand their position, duties and responsibilities in an Organization.

2. Employees understand their role in the achievement of office Objectives.

3. There is a possibility of maintaining good relations among the employees by themselves.

4. Both existing and new employees freed the management in getting the same information, explanations and instructions repeatedly.

5. The concerned employees are held responsible if the duties are not performed by them in a specified manner.

6. Delegation of authority can be enhanced throughout the organization set up without much difficulty.

7. Each employee can understand the extent of authority delegated to him.

8. New employees are getting training with the help of office manual by knowing policies, practices, systems, routines and procedures.

9. Office manual is imparting refresher training to existing employees.