Management Divisions of Engineering Societies

ABSTRACT

Thirty-nine leading U.S. engineering societies were surveyed to determine the scope and nature of their engineering management activities. Information on 32 of these and on the Engineering Institute of Canada was compiled. Fourteen U.S. societies had (engineering) management divisions or other subsidiaries, and another three had active management committees. Four societies have established engineering management journals, and another two are launching quarterlies this year; about half have management newsletters. Societies with management units normally hold technical sessions on management at their annual meetings. Several have separate management conferences, and a number have seminars on management topics for their members. Engineering societies cooperated in the Joint Engineering Management Conference series from 1956 to 1978 and are now cooperating in the triennial International Conference on Engineering Management (1986 and 1989). Currently, societies are cooperating in developing academic engineering management program criteria for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).     

A Content Analysis of Data Collection and Analysis Techniques as Reported in the Engineering Management Literature

Abstract:

Engineering management involves an extremely diverse range of topics, problems, and questions, many of which involve both human and non-human elements. An analysis of the methods used in the field of engineering management is important in order to identify trends in the use of methods, to promote the training of future research practitioners, and to build overall knowledge for and about change. This article reviews the studies reported in journals relevant to engineering management and describes and categorizes the data collection and analysis methods, reporting relative frequencies and trends in the use of these methods.     

Project Development and Public Relations in Consulting Engineering

ABSTRACT

Engineering consulting firms have historically paid little attention to client and public relations strategies. Only in recent years have professional engineering journals carried articles on business and marketing plans or supported advertising and programs to manage client account potential.

But now, the critical role of public relations within the systematic development of client potential is being recognized as an essential ingredient in reaching and influencing targeted groups of clients in today's global economy. The marketing-selling of consulting engineering services is clearly a management process-analytical, rational, and thoughtful. Engineering managers may spend years developing an intuitive approach to the client development process yet be unable to specify its dimensions and characteristics.

This paper presents a conceptual framework for understanding how public and client relations program efforts contribute to clear and purposeful project development. The argument for crafting the public image of the firm is demonstrated by a case study that examines the client account management methods of a consulting engineering organization.     

Dissertation Review

Abstract:

This research article provides valuable insights for practicing engineering managers on improving a firm's performance by applying a knowledge management (KM) based approach to quality management (QM). Traditional quality management systems do not provide sufficient knowledge management and knowledge creation opportunities for manufacturing firms to stay competitive in today's fast paced, unpredictable, complex, and rapidly changing global business environment. The world's body of knowledge does not include a quality management strategy where KM is integrated in QM, and where the effectiveness of such a KM/QM strategy is determined through quantitative empirical research over a defined time frame, thus omitting important performance improvement opportunities for manufacturing firms. The objective in addressing this research topic is to present a KM/QM strategy and to demonstrate its effectiveness. Engineering management areas, such as knowledge management and quality management, are leveraged throughout this research. Systems engineering aspects, such as operational efficiency improvement and system performance, are leveraged by integrating knowledge management and quality management to form an enhanced quality management system. The research demonstrates that a company with a KM/QM strategy is more effective than a company which does not have a KM/QM strategy, that the implementation of a KM/QM strategy contributes to product quality improvements over KM/QM strategy application time, and presents a framework that can be applied by practicing engineering managers.     

Taking Stock: An Analysis of the Publishing Record as Represented by the Journal of Engineering Education

The Journal of Engineering Education emerged in the engineering education community in 1993 as a continuation of the American Society of Engineering Education's journal, Engineering Education. The Journal of Engineering Education was to play a role in the broadening of engineering education culture by helping to bring the scholarship of engineering education to the same level of respect and recognition in the faculty reward system as traditional scholarship in engineering sciences. In doing so, the journal hoped to keep pace with and encourage the significant changes in engineering education needed to prepare for the challenges of 21st century practice. This paper discusses the engineering education environment as reflected in six years of papers published in the Journal of Engineering Education from 1996 to 2001. Topics of papers are identified, along with changes and trends in these topics during the six‐year period. In addition, characteristics of particularly convincing papers are enumerated and discussed. This paper is offered as a summary and review of this six‐year body of work on engineering education and should aid the engineering education community in reflecting on the success of the Journal in promoting and encouraging the scholarship of teaching.     

ABET Program Criteria: Review and Assessment for a Civil Engineering Program

Recently, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) sponsored programs to recommend changes for the engineering curriculum. In addition, various other studies, such as that conducted by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), investigated methods to strengthen undergraduate education. The present investigation is based on a study of Lamar University civil engineering undergraduate and graduate students as well as practicing alumni. The findings suggest that all three groups, practicing engineers as well as undergraduate and graduate students, perceive that some subject areas are more important than others. For example, greater than 40% of each group identified four subject areas that presently receive or should receive a high level of coverage in the civil engineering curriculum. They include: mathematics through calculus and differential equations; structural and geotechnical engineering; and major design experience or course. In addition, more than 40% of the undergraduates and practicing engineers also perceive that hydraulics/hydrology/water resources presently receive or should receive a high level of coverage. In contrast, graduate students and practitioners also believe that construction management/surveying, and structural/materials and hydraulics laboratories receive or should receive a high level of coverage. These results suggest strong support for the traditional technical aspect of engineering. In addition, they may be interpreted as positive reinforcement for the Engineering Criteria 2000 program requirements. Nevertheless, all three groups rate professional practice issues at a relatively lower percentage. The foregoing are among the various subjects that have been included in the Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria that have been adopted by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as criteria that must be considered in order to satisfy the requirements of an accredited civil engineering degree.     

Ceramics in engines

Abstract

The following six papers were presented at a one-day meeting sponsored jointly by The Institute of Metals and The Institute of Ceramics and held at The Royal Society, London, on 19 November 1985 to discuss the various aspects involved in the application of ceramics in gas turbines and reciprocating engines.

The meeting provided a technical and scientific framework including a national overview and the requirements for research and development. The prediction of engineering performance and the challenges presented in the fabrication of these materials were also discussed.

The papers will be of interest not only to ceramicists, metallurgists, and engineers working in the field, but also to materials scientists and engineers requiring an introduction to a subject which is receiving much attention in both the UK and other countries.     

An Examination of Engineering Personnel Assignment Policies in the Multi-Project,Capacity Constrained Situation

Abstract:

Engineering management is often done in a multiproject setting where projects arrive dynamically, engineering human resources are overloaded, and preemption is allowed. In this simulation research, factors of that setting are varied to identify ideal resource assignment policies associated with personnel capacity loading and the use of personnel preemption. The experimental factors include resource overloading, learning rate, and the frequency and length of preemption. The performance measures are project set flow time, resource utilization, and mean project duration. The best situation is one where preemption is not allowed but where engineering resources are overloaded to 200% of capacity. The results of this research are important for engineering resource utilization and for the timely project completion, and have the additional benefit of recommending a best practice for project initiation and engineering project portfolio management.     

Cost of Quality

ABSTRACT

The Cost of Quality (COQ) is one of the fundamental tools in the Total Quality Management process. How a company calculates the COQ for research and development (R&D) and the role R&D plays in calculating COQ, in general, is the subject of this article. A method that uses the COQ and technical limits analysis (TLA) to choose among prevention alternatives is proposed. A cost/benefit classification is proposed, and technical limits are equated to the COQ for capital-intensive prevention projects. R&D could be involved in calculating the scientific limits, and engineering economics can be used to calculate “economic incentives.” These then should be used in the management of technology.     

Advancement of the Engineering Management Body of Knowledge

Trade around the world has become globally interconnected. Engineers play an integral role in designing products, managing supply chains, providing services, and increasing the quality of life for people and promoting sustainable development around the globe. Engineering managers make decisions every day that will have profound impacts on international suppliers, customers, partners, consumers, and the environment. Traditional education for engineering students focuses on the technical aspects and scientific principles. Education in some countries may focus exclusively on mathematics, science, and engineering topics. The North American model incorporates a general education component into the undergraduate program of study to give students a broad appreciation of ideas ranging from art to literature to the social sciences. This paper will investigate how undergraduate engineering management programs educate their students to be able to work in international settings or in the global workplace. This initial study will concentrate on the engineering management programs that are accredited by ABET, an international organization that accredits technical programs in higher education. ABET has accredited over 3,400 programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology in 28 countries. This study will access publicly available information to determine the breadth and depth of education related to helping prepare engineering management students to work in a global marketplace. These data will be collected from the programs accredited by ABET using the “Engineering Management” program criteria, due to the public availability of this information. Initial findings will be presented, and may serve to identify opportunities for cooperation and further work.     

Recent Advances and Future Directions for Quality Engineering

The origins of quality engineering are in manufacturing, where quality engineers apply basic statistical methodologies to improve the quality and productivity of products and processes. In the past decade, people have discovered that these methodologies are effective for improving almost any type of system or process, such as financial, health care, and supply chains. This paper begins with a review of key advances and trends within quality engineering over the past decade. The second part uses the first part as a foundation to outline new application areas for the field. It also discusses how quality engineering needs to evolve in order to make significant contributions to these new areas. © 2015 The Authors Quality and Reliability Engineering International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

A Recent View of Engineering Education in Pakistan

Engineering education in Pakistan receives less attention from governmental quarters than its importance to the country would justify. Evidence of the fact is that of the 24 universities established in Pakistan since the nation was founded, only six offer engineering. Thus the country has been unable to produce the needed manpower for its development. Furthermore, the meager national investment in engineering education offers little hope of improvement. Similarly, the total human resource output from the universities is unimpressive. In the four‐year study period reported in this paper, less than eight percent of the enrolled candidates were successful in earning post‐graduate degrees.¹ Only one percent of these had begun doctorate level research, with none receiving degrees by the end of the period. This paper reviews academic trends affecting engineering students and their priorities. Graduation rates and governmental financial support for the study period have been statistically analyzed.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Multi-Dimensional Top Management Support and Project Success: An International Study

Abstract

The role of top management support in achieving project success has gained much attention in research and practice. A number of studies on single dimensional top management support have been conducted. In the engineering management literature, top management support has rarely been studied as a multi-dimensional construct. This research examines the relationship between multiple dimensions of top management support and project success. Different data analysis methods were employed to test the research hypotheses and to validate the multi-dimensionality of top management support. Findings indicate a significant and positive relationship between multi-dimensional top management support and project success.     

An Analysis of the Articles in the Journal of Engineering Education

Twenty issues of the Journal of Engineering Education from 1993 through 1997 were analyzed. The most common keywords used were teaching, design, and computers. An average of 10.4 percent of the articles require discipline specific knowledge for complete understanding. Approximately 60 percent of the articles included a teaching component, and most of these articles included an assessment. Only 13.4 percent of the articles used an educational theory. Women comprised 22 percent of all authors, but only 15.3 percent of authors who had a degree in engineering, computer science or engineering technology were women. The average number of usable references per article was 15.2. The mean number of times a source was cited is one. Only 20 sources were cited five or more times. Twenty-four authors or organizations were cited 10 or more times. Of the most-cited authors 48 percent do not have a degree in engineering, computer science or engineering technology. The keyword and citation analyses showed that the Journal has great breadth of both content and sources for references. The mean number of times articles published in the Journal during 1993 and 1994 were later cited in the Journal was zero. The content of the Journal has become more professional and the quality has improved in the five years studied.     

Management Issues in Engineer Supply

ABSTRACT

This article presents the authors' research on quantifying trends in the future supply of professional engineers in Australia. Predictions are made concerning the effects of demographic change in the Australian population and within the Australian professional engineering work force. Similar trends are identified in other countries, which lead to further predictions of future drastic reductions in immigration of engineers to Australia. The overall conclusion is a rapidly developing scarcity of professional engineers in Australia and a very significant reduction in the growth rate of the professional engineering labor force. Similar trends are indicated in other countries including the United States. Some remedial human resource management strategies for Australia are identified.     

A K‐12/University Partnership: Creating Tomorrow's Engineers*

Supported by the National Science Foundation, the GK‐12 Fellows program at the University of Colorado at Boulder explores innovative ways for engineering graduate students to use engineering as the vehicle to provide K‐12 classroom instruction and hands‐on experiences that integrate physical sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology. Engineering “Fellows” fill a crucial gap in the two‐way exchange of content and pedagogy between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the K‐12 community of learners. The active presence of real world, engineering role models in K‐12 classrooms improves the quality of math and science content, and introduces engineering to teachers and young students as a potential career path. Working through the University's graduate program legitimizes K‐12 outreach as a valid, and satisfying, academic endeavor for graduate students.     

Enabling Engineering Performance Skills: A Program to Teach Communication,Leadership, and Teamwork*

A minor in Engineering Communication and Performance is being created at the University of Tennessee in conjunction with the engage Freshman Engineering Program. This minor provides engineering undergraduate students with formal training and a credential in complementary performance skills necessary for success in today's workplace. This interdisciplinary program is designed to improve the ability of engineering graduates to work on teams, to be effective communicators, to be socially adept, and to be prepared for leadership roles . Five courses compose the minor. Three of these courses are new and custom‐prepared for engineering students, while the other two may be selected from a limited list of courses that provide in‐depth training on supervision, cultural diversity, and interpersonal interaction. This multi‐disciplinary program takes a novel approach in the subject matter presentation and in the method of coaching students to use these skills. In the custom courses, students receive instruction and are placed in mini‐practicums. To complete the minor, students participate in a full practicum in a social service setting. This paper discusses assessment; course development; program basis and development; strategies for implementation of this new program; integration between engineering, counseling psychology, and human services; and student, faculty, and industry response to the program. The collaboration makes this program transportable to other institutions as it is dependent on having institution expertise in the disciplines of counseling and human services rather than having engineering educators with expertise in these fields. Our experience with establishing this collaboration will also be discussed.     

ABET Accreditation for Engineering Management Programs

ABSTRACT

Accreditation guidelines for all engineering management programs have been proposed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). These guidelines have been published by ABET for the purpose of receiving comments from interested parties. Comments will be addressed by ABET at its November 10, 1989, meeting. Suggestions for changes have been submitted by the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) and by the Engineering Management Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). These changes have not yet been in corporated into the guidelines. This article describes the process by which ABET develops guidelines. It also contains the proposed guidelines and the suggested changes.     

Dynamizing Knowledge Processes Through Actional Intelligence in an Engineering Context

Abstract

Knowledge management and engineering management are closely related. However, the latter has focused primarily in the codification and systemization of knowledge. This article proposes a schema based on organizational learning and cultural values that enhance the latter and aims at explaining how knowledge can be actioned and deployed successfully in an organization. The construct was field tested among the technical staff of a large perfumes firm. This article parts from the influential concept of actionable knowledge introduced by Chris Argyris and his school and follows with subsequently-developed paradigms, such as the knowledge maturity model, organizational competencies, and Actional Intelligence. From a practical point of view, it proposes concrete recommendations for the utilization of knowledge management by engineering managers and fills the cultural and organizational gap of traditional knowledge engineering approaches. Additionally, it aims at contributing to a better understanding of knowledge management systemization and practice. It fills a particular research gap in the state of the art of knowledge management practice, while it suggests a more reasonable and comprehensible focus of knowledge management and a more precise and dynamic perspective to engineering management and knowledge engineering.