Republic of the Philippines

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

Goa, Camarines Sur

College of Engineering and Technology

Module 1.0
INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

Name of Student: ___________________ Week Number: Week 2

Course Code: E-9
Course Title: Engineering Management

I. Objectives
 Explain engineering management
 Explain the need for engineers in management
 Determine the different functions of Engineering Management
 Understand the principles and objectives of engineering management
 Relevance of engineering management to project management
II. Lessons
A. Engineering Management?

Engineering
“Originally, the art of managing engines;

“the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of the matter and the sources of energy
are made useful to man in structures, machines, products, systems and processes .( Webster’s Ninth new
Collegiate Dictionary, 1989)
“

 Engineering Technology
Engineering technology is the practical application of science and engineering to a wide range of real-
world problems. (https://engineering.wayne.edu/et/about/what-is-et.php)
 Key Difference between Engineering and Engineering Technology

Engineering Engineering Technology

Academics  Theoretical and conceptual Application and implementation

design learning style learning style
 Emphasis on developing new  Emphasis on applying and
methods and designs for implementing current practices
complex problems to solve specific technical
problems

 Coursework includes multiple  Coursework includes multiple

semesters of calculus, statistics, semesters of calculus, statistics,
linear algebra, and calculus- and algebra-based physics
based physics courses courses

Careers  Innovators  Implementers

Research, development, and  Testing, construction, or

design manufacturing

Management or entrepreneurs Management or entrepreneurs

Management
Defined as the creative problem solving-process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling an
organization’s resources to achieve its mission and objectives (Higgins, James M., The Management
Challenge, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co.,1991, p. G-10)

Engineering Management

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

- The art and science of planning, organizing, allocating resources and directing and
controlling activities that have a technological component. (American Society for
Engineering Management)
- An specialist who knows both the knowledge of applying engineering principles and
knows how to direct and organize people and projects to achieve desired goals of the
organization

B. Engineers in Management
- Business managers with technical knowledge
- Managers that base their plans on their technical expertise to resolve issues and manage solutions to achieve the
desired outcomes/goal

C. Roles of Engineer in an Organization

Figure 1.1 Engineering Activities within a division of a large corporation. Blanchard, Benjamin S.,
Engineering Organization and Management, 1976, Prentice-Hall Inc.,

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

The Engineer in various types of Organization

1. Level 1- those with minimal engineering jobs like retailing firms
2. Level 2- those with moderate degree of engineering jobs like transportation companies
3. Level 3- those with a high degree of engineering jobs like construction firms.

Figure 1.2 types of Organization and the Management Skills required of Engineers

3 classifications of Management:
Ensign or admiral, college president or department chair, foreman, plant manager or company
president are all managers.

First Line manager - directly supervise non managers

- they hold titles like foreman, supervisor or section chief
- they are responsible for carrying out the plans and objectives of higher
management, using the personnel and other resources assigned to them.
- They make short operating plans governing what will be done tomorrow or next
week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise the work that is done, and evaluate
the performance of individual workers.
- they provide the linking pin between upper management and the working
level

Middle managers - make plans for intermediate range to achieve the long-rang goals set by
the top management, establish departmental policies, and evaluate the
performance of subordinate work units and their managers.
- they carry titles such as plant manager, division head, chief engineer, or
operations manager.
- in 1990s a major management movement drastically reduced the numbers of
middle managers.

Top Managers - bears title such as chairman of the board, president, executive vice
president, Chief executive officer
-in government, top manager may be the administrator (of school), secretary (of
state or department), governor, mayor.
- the top managers report to some policymaking groups such as the board of
directors, legislature or council but they have no full-time manager above them.
- they are responsible for defining the character, mission and objectives of the
enterprise.

Engineering Management Page 3 of 7

 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

First Line manager - directly supervise nonmanagers

- they hold titles like foreman, supervisor or section chief
- they are responsible for carrying out the plans and objectives of higher
management, using the personnel and other resources assigned to them.
- They make short operating plans governing what will be done tomorrow or next
week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise the work that is done, and evaluate
the performance of individual workers.
- they provide the linking pin between upper management and the working
level

Middle managers - make plans for intermediate range to achieve the long-rang goals set by
the top management, establish departmental policies, and evaluate the
performance of subordinate work units and their managers.
- they carry titles such as plant manager, division head, chief engineer, or
operations manager.
- in 1990s a major management movement drastically reduced the numbers of
middle managers.
Top Managers - bears title such as chairman of the board, president, executive vice
president, Chief executive officer
-in government, top manager may be the administrator (of school), secretary (of
state or department), governor, mayor.
- the top managers report to some policymaking groups such as the board of
directors, legislature or council but they have no full-time manager above them.
- they are responsible for defining the character, mission and objectives of the
enterprise.

Figure 1.4 Skills versus management

3 types of skills for managers according to Katz;

1. Technical Skills - such as engineering, accounting, machining or word processing
practiced by group supervised.
- the lowest level managers have the greatest need for technical skills,
since the directly supervise the people who re doing the technical work

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

2. Interpersonal Skills- important at every management level since every manager achieves
results through the efforts of other people.

3. Conceptual Skills- represents the ability to discern the critical factors that will determine an
organization’s success or failure.
- this ability is essential to the top manager’s responsibility for setting
long-term objectives for the enterprise, although it is necessary at every
level.

3 types of roles managers play in the enterprise according to Henry Mintzberg:

1. Interpersonal -
Figurehead role - outward relationship
Leader role - downward relation
Liaison role - horizontal relation
2. Informational
Monitor role - collects information about operations and external events
Disseminator role- Transforms information internally to everybody in organization (like a
telephone switchboard)
Spokesman Role – public relation
3. Decisional
Entrepreneurial Role: Initiates changes, assumes risks, transforms ideas into useful
products.

Disturbance Handler Role: Deals with unforeseen problems and crisis.

Resource Allocator Role: Distributing resources
Negotiator Role: Bargains with suppliers, customers etc. in favor of enterprise

Figure 1.5 Roles of manager [modified and enlarged in scope from: Henry Mintzber, 1973, The
Nature of Managerial Work, Harper & Row Pub NY, pp 93-94]

Functions of Manager
- there are different functions of managers depending on the favored function, today the accepted
functions of managements are the following;
Planning - Selecting missions and objectives. Requires decision making
Organizing - Establishing the structure for the objective.
Leading - Influencing people to achieve the objective
Controlling - Measuring and correcting the activities
Staffing - Keeping filled the organization structure
- Engineering Manager also needs to understand the particular problems involved in managing
Research
Development

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

Design
Production/operations
Projects
Related technical environments

D. Relevance of Engineering manager to project

They determine the level of complexity, the ease of project execution and the cost associated
with the scope and quality/standards required. Thus, engineers play a crucial role towards the
eventual business success of the project. (Freek van Heerden The Importance of engineering
Management)

E. Objectives of Engineering Management

Competition is global and companies need corporate leaders who can do the following:

• Really understanding the business

• Understanding technology driving the business today and technology that will change the business in
future

• Treating Research and Development as investment not an expense to be minimized

• Spending more time on strategic thinking

• Dedicating a customer’s problem (true marketing via customer relations)

• Place a premium on innovation

Management and Engineering Career

Engineering Management

Production
and operations
management
Marketing project
Accounting Engineering
Advance design
Finance
And research
Economics
Administration

Business Engineering
F. Functions of Engineer Manager
Team Alignment Visualize the business intent and contextualize the business requirements so
that the team understands it fully;
Scope of Facility Synthesis the integrated facility scope within the boundaries of cost and
schedule;
Engineering Execution Plan Develop and implement an engineering execution plan as part of the overall
project execution plan;
Technical Management risk Identify, assess, rank, and manage technical risks holistically; and

Philosophies, standards and specifications: Contract and ensure appropriate design philosophies,
standards and specifications are set, and met.

III. ACTIVITY
a. Discuss how knowledge on engineering management can help in your chosen profession
b. List down 3 engineering technology that are graduate from this University that are middle or top
management of their organization.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

IV. REFERENCES

Webster’s Ninth new Collegiate Dictionary, 1989

Morse Lucy C., Babcock, Daniel L., Managing Engineering and Technology, 6th Edition, Pearson Education Limited 2014
Medina, R.G., 1999, Engineering Management, 1st edition
Higgins, James M., The Management Challenge, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co.,1991, p. G-10
Parker, Sybil P., Encyclopedia of Engineering 2nd Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993, p. 164
Parker, Sybil P., Encyclopedia of Engineering 2nd Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993, p. 164
https://engineering.wayne.edu/et/about/what-is-et.php
https://www.ownerteamconsult.com/the-importance-of-engineering-management/

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