DIGITAL OFFICE PRACTICES AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study empirically examined the relationship between digital office practices and information management effectiveness in tertiary institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria. Digital office practices were operationalised through two dimensions: electronic records management and digital communication systems. Information management effectiveness was assessed through information accessibility and information security. Anchored on Information Systems Theory and guided by a correlational survey design, data were obtained from 248 administrative officers and office management staff drawn from Rivers State University, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, using a structured questionnaire. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients ranged from 0.78 to 0.84 for all subscales. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was employed to test four null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed significant positive relationships between electronic records management and information accessibility (r = 0.614, p < 0.05), electronic records management and information security (r = 0.573, p < 0.05), digital communication systems and information accessibility (r = 0.589, p < 0.05), and digital communication systems and information security (r = 0.541, p < 0.05). The study concluded that digital office practices significantly determine information management effectiveness in tertiary institutions in Rivers State. It was recommended, among others, that institutions invest in upgraded digital office infrastructure and staff capacity development programmes to sustain improvements in information accessibility and security.