Explain the following terms/concepts:

1) Secretary
Ans:-
1) The term ‘Secretary’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Secretarius’ or the French word ‘Secretarie’, both meaning a confidential writer.
(2) A secretary is an individual appointed by another individual or an organisation to collect and record essential information and to assist the employer in carrying out his work smoothly.


2) Confidential officer
Ans:-
(1) The term ‘confidence’ implies trust in a person or thing. Accordingly, confidential officer means officer, with whom one (employer) shares secret or private matters, trusting them not to reveal it to others.
(2) The Secretary is trusted servant (officer) of his employer or organisation. He is a custodian of secret, confidential and important information of his employer or organisation.
(3) Being a confidential officer, a secretary is closely associated with the top management and also involved in execution of policy decisions, he is not expected to reveal secret information to others unless required or authorised to do so.


3) Compliance officer
Ans:- 
(1) Compliance officer means a specialist. He is an employee charged with the responsibility to ensure that a company follows external regulations and its own internal guidelines.
(2) Being a compliance officer, a secretary is responsible for compliance with legal requirements on behalf of his employer or organisation.
(3) So, a secretary has to perform a number of statutory functions such as to file annual returns, maintain the register of members, Books of accounts, minutes book and other registers, pay tax to the government, etc.
(4) He has also to comply with the requirements of other laws like Stamp Act, Registration Act, Labour Laws, MRTP Act, Factories Act, Minimum Wages Act and so on.


4) Tactfulness
Ans:- 
(1) The term ‘tact’ means skill in dealing with people or handling difficult situation. It is an ability of a person to handle a situation in a right manner.
(2) A secretary must be tactful because he has to face unexpected and difficult situations. He knows the secret of his employer or the organization and without disclosing them he has to keep others happy.
(3) The secretary should know the art of getting work done without offending others (i.e. diplomatically) Secretary has to present the unpleasant facts in a most acceptable form. This is possible with tact alone. He will be able to secure co-operation from others, only if he is tactful.


5) Loyalty
Ans:-
(1) Loyalty means faithfulness. This quality implies that the secretary must be true and faithful to his employer or organisation.
(2) Being a confident of his employer or organisation a secretary should not disclose matter of secrecy to anyone at any cost.
(3) Being a loyal person, a secretary must protect the interest of his employer or organisation in all possible ways and under all circumstances. He should give priority only to organizational goals.