Engineering Management
Engineering management
refers to the activity combining “technical knowledge
with the ability to organize and coordinate worker
power, materials, machinery, and money.”
It is a specialized form of management and engineering
that is concerned with the application of engineering
principles to business practice.
Engineering management is the discipline where
engineers combine management skills with technical
expertise to coordinate work in various technical fields
such as product design, development, and
manufacturing.
How One May Become A
Successful Engineer Manager
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.
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.
According to Kreitner, there are at least three ability
general preconditions for achieving lasting motivation to manage, and
success as a manager. opportunity
Managerial ability
Effectiveness, according to
Higgins, refers to a description
of “whether objectives are
Managerial ability refers to the accomplished”,
capacity of an engineer while efficiency is a “description
manager to achieve of the relative amount of
organizational objectives resources used in obtaining
effectively and efficiently. 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.
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.
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
Functions of the Engineer in the
Organization
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT – where the
engineer undertakes the activity of turning a
product concept to a finished physical items.
Design for manufacturability and value
engineering teams are charged with
improvement of designs and specifications at
the research, development, and production
stages of product development.
RESEARCH - where the engineer is engaged in
the process of learning about nature and
codifying this knowledge into usable theories.
Functions of the Engineer in the
Organization
TESTING – where the engineer works in a unit MANUFACTURING – where the engineer is directly
where new products or parts are tested for in charge of production personnel or assumes
responsibility for the product
workability.
Functions of the Engineer in the
Organization
CONSTRUCTION – this is where the SALES – where the engineer assists the
construction engineer (civil engineer usually) is company’s customers to meet their
directly in charge of the construction personnel needs, especially those that require
or may have responsibility for the quality of the technical expertise.
construction process
Functions of the Engineer in the
Organization
CONSULTING – where the engineer works as
consultant of any individual or organization
requiring his services.
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.
Functions of the Engineer in the
Organization
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 president.
MANAGEMENT – where the engineer is
assigned to manage groups of people
performing specific tasks.
The Ten Roles Of
Management
According To
Henry MintzBerg
Henry Mintzberg is a Canadian
scientist. He is specialized at
organization structures and
organization design. According
to him, management is to be
divided in ten roles divided in
three categories.
In this model, a role is nothing
more than the expectations and
responsibility that one person
has by occupying this position.
Ten Roles Of Management
The Monitor: He actively searches and seeks for company
information and he maintains interpersonal contact.
The Disseminator: He does nothing more than forwarding the right
information to the right people. He also makes memos and calls
other personnel.
The Spokesperson: He represents the company or division to the
outside. This can be the media, other companies, clients, or even to
the supply chain.
Ten Roles Of Management
The Figurehead: He performs symbolic activities and receives
visitors. He also contacts successful job applicants, for example
The Leader: He motivates and leads a company’s unit or
operation. This might sound generic and more of a characteristic,
but he also designs and coordinates with the team and other
managers.
The liaison: He maintains the information links within the
company and with the supply chain.
Ten Roles Of Management
The entrepreneur: He invents new ideas and business opportunities. He also
initiates and starts new projects according to the company’s strategic goals.
The Disturbance Handler: He’s the one to contact when there are any
disruptions. For example, when a production line fails or when the supply
chains fail to deliver on time.
The Resource Allocator: He ensures that each process receives a fair and
good number of resources in order to use for their sub process of
transformation.
The negotiator: he does the same as the spokesperson, only he represents the
unit or organization to the supply chains side. He also works with sponsors and
distributors to make agreements.
“Talent wins games, but
teamwork and intelligence
wins championships.”
– MICHAEL JORDAN
What Are
Managerial Competencies?
Competency – a combination of knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that
contribute to personal effectiveness
Managerial Competencies – sets of knowledge, skill, behaviors, and attitudes that
a person needs to be effective in a wide range of positions and various types of
organizations
Why are Managerial Competencies
Important?
You need to use your strengths to do your best
You need to know your weaknesses
You need developmental experiences at work to become
successful leaders and address your weakness
You probably like to be challenged with new learning
opportunities
Organizations do not want to waste human resources
Globalization deregulation, restructuring, and new
competitors add to the complexity of running a business
A Model of Managerial
Competencies
Communication
Competency
Planning and
Teamwork
Competency Managerial Administration
Competency
Effectivene
ss
Global Strategic
Awareness Action
Competency Self-Management Competency
Competency
Communication Competency
Ability to effectively transfer and exchange information that leads
to understanding between yourself and others
Informal Communication
Used to build social networks and good interpersonal relations
Formal Communication
Used to announce major events/decisions/ activities and keep
individuals up to date
Negotiation
Used to settle disputes, obtain resources, and exercise influence
Planning and Administration
Competency
Deciding what tasks need to be done, determining how they can be done, allocating
resources to enable them to be done, and then monitoring progress to ensure that
they are done
Information gathering, analysis, and problem solving from employees and
customers
Planning and organizing projects with agreed
upon completion dates
Time management
Budgeting and financial management
Teamwork Competency
Accomplishing tasks through small groups of
people who are collectively responsible and
whose job requires coordination
Designing teams properly involves having
people participate in setting goals
Creating a supportive team environment gets
people committed to the team’s goals
Managing team dynamics involves settling
conflicts, sharing team success, and assign tasks
that use team members’ strengths
Strategic Action Competency
Overall
Integrate Strategies
Mission
Understanding the Understanding how Taking key strategic
overall mission and departments or actions to position
values of the divisions of the the firm for success,
organization and organization are especially in relation
ensuring that interrelated to concern of
employees’ actions stakeholders
match with them
Understanding, appreciating and responding to
diverse political, cultural, and economic issues
across and within nations
Multicultural Cultural knowledge and understanding of the
Competency events in at least a few other cultures
Cultural openness and sensitivity to how others
think, act, and feel
Respectful of social etiquette variations
Accepting of language differences
Self-Management Competency
Developing yourself and Integrity and ethical
taking responsibility conduct
Personal drive and resilience
Balancing work and life issues
Self-awareness and personal development
activities
