Field of Engineering Management

Technological Institute of the Philippines
363 P Casal, Quiapo, Manila, 1001 Metro Manila
Fields of Engineering Management
Submitted by:
Pescador, Ophalyn Hope A.
Submitted to:
Engr. Maria Jessica Ebio
November 5, 2018
THE FIELD OF ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Engineers are expected to perform a variety of tasks depending on their
specialization and job level. It is important to the engineer that he knows what is
expected of him to perform his job effectively and efficiently. The next concern will
be to identify the skills required which the engineer did not possess. As engineers,
they are not directly trained to deal with people, it is expected that their weakness
will most often be on people-based skills. This difficulty will be moiré apparent once
they are assigned to occupy management positions. It follows that if the engineer
manager would want to do his job well, some exposure to engineering management
activities will be necessary.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ENGINEER
Even as engineers are currently producing solutions to many of the difficulties
faced by mankind, much is still expected of them. Their outputs, new or
improvements of old ones are very much needed in the following specific problem
concerns:
1. the production of more food for a fast-growing world population;
2. the elimination of air and water pollution
3. solid waste disposal and materials recycling;
4. the reduction of noise in various forms;
5. supplying the increasing demand for energy;
6. supplying the increasing demand for mobility;
7. preventing and solving crimes; and
8. meeting the increasing demand for communication facilities.
Specifically, the functions of engineering encompass the following areas:
1. Research – where the engineer is engaged in the process of learning about
nature and codifying this knowledge into usable theories.
2. Design and development – where the engineer undertake the activity of
turning a product concept to a finished physical item. Design for
manufacturability and value engineering teams (a feature of some companies)
are charged with improvement of designs and specifications at the research,
development, design, and production stages of product development.
3. Testing – where the engineer works in a unit where new products or parts are
tested for workability.
4. Manufacturing – where the engineer is directly in charge of production
personnel or assumes responsibility for the product.
5. Construction – this is where the construction engineer (civil engineer
usually) is directly in charge of the construction personnel or may have
responsibility for the quality of the construction process.
6. Sales – where the engineer assists the company’s customers to meet their
needs, especially those that require technical expertise.
7. Consulting – where the engineer works as consultant of any individual or
organization requiring his services.
8. Government – where the engineer may find employment in the government
performing any of the various tasks in regulating, monitoring, and controlling
the activities of various institutions, public or private.
9. Teaching – where the engineer gets employment in a school and is assigned
as a teacher of engineering courses. Some of them become deans, vice
presidents, and presidents.
10. Management – where the engineer is assigned to manage groups of people
performing specific tasks.
THE ENGINEER IN VARIOUS TYPES OF ORGANIZATION
From the viewpoint of the engineer, organizations may be classified according
to the degree of engineering jobs performed:
1. Level One – those with minimal engineering jobs like retailing firms.
2. Level Two – those with a moderate degree of engineering jobs like
transportation companies.
3. Level Three – those with a high degree of engineering jobs like
construction firms.
Figure 1.1 Types of Organization and the Management Skills Required of Engineers
Management Skills Required at Various Levels

Among the types of organizations, the engineer will have a slim chance of
becoming the general manager or president of level one, unless of course, he owns
the firm. The engineer manger may be assigned to head a small engineering unit of
the firm, but there will not be too many firms which will have this unit.
In level two firms, the engineer may be assigned to head the engineering
division. The need for management skills will now be felt by the engineer manager.
Level three firms provide the biggest opportunity for an engineer to become
the president or general manager. In this case, the engineer manager cannot
function effectively without adequate management skills.
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT DEFINED
Engineering management refers to the activity combining “technical
knowledge with the ability to organize and coordinate worker power, materials,
machinery, and money.”
When the engineer is assigned to supervise the work of even a few people,
he is already engaged in the first phase of engineering management. His main
responsibility is to lead his group into producing a certain output consistent with the
required specifications.
The top position an engineer manager may hope to occupy is the general
managership or presidency of any firm, large or small. As he scales the
management ladder, he finds that the higher he goes up, the less technical activities
he performs, and the more management tasks he accepts. In this case, it is but
proper that the management functions taught in pure management courses be well
understood by the engineer manager.
MANAGEMENT DEFINED
Management may be defined as the “creative problem-solving process of
planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization’s resources to achieve
its mission and objectives.”
THE PROCESS OF MANAGEMENT
Management is a process consisting of planning, organizing, directing (or
leading), and controlling. Management must seek to find out the objectives of the
organization, think of ways how to achieve them, decide on the ways to be adapted
and the material resources to be used, determine the human requirements of the
total job, assign specific tasks to specific persons, motivate them, and provide
means to make sure that the activities are in the right direction.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENGINEER MANAGERS JOB
Depending on the type of products or services a firm produces, the engineer
manager must have the following qualifications:
1. a bachelor’s degree in engineering from a reputable school; In some cases,
a master’s degree in engineering or business management is required;
2. a few years’ experience in pure engineering job;
3. training in supervision;
4. special training in engineering management.
HOW ONE MAY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEER MANAGER
Successful engineer managers do not happen as a matter of chance,
although luck is contributory factor. It is very important for the engineer manager to
know the various factors leading to successful management.
Kreitner indicates at least three general preconditions for achieving lasting
success as a manager.
1. ability
2. motivation to manage, and
3. opportunity
Ability - Managerial ability refers to the capacity of an engineer manager to achieve
organizational objectives effectively and efficiently. Effectiveness, according to
Higgins, refers to a description of “whether objectives are accomplished”, while
efficiency is a description of the relative amount of resources used in obtaining
effectiveness.”
Motivation - To manage many people, have the desire to work and finish specific
tasks assigned by superiors, but not many are motivated to manage other people so
that they may contribute to the realization of the organization’s objectives.
John B. Miner, developed a psychometric instrument to measure objectively an
individual’s motivation to manage. The test is anchored to the following dimensions:
1. Favorable attitude toward those in positions of authority, such as superiors;
2. Desire to engage in games or sports competition with peers.
3. Desire to engage in occupational or work-related competition with peers.
4. Desire to assert oneself and take charge.
5. Desire to exercise power and authority over others.
6. Desire to behave in a distinctive way, which includes standing out from the
crowd.
7. Sense of responsibility in carrying out the routine duties associated with
managerial work.
Opportunity - Successful managers become possible only if those having the ability
and motivation are given the opportunity to manage. The opportunity for successful
management has two requirements namely obtaining a suitable managerial job, and
finding a supportive climate once on the job.

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Technological Institute of the Philippines

363 P Casal, Quiapo, Manila, 1001 Metro Manila

Fields of Engineering Management

Management Skills Required at Various Levels

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