W. Edwards Deming - the first management engineer

This paper discusses the contributions of W. Edwards Deming in the field of engineering management. Deming believed that successful managers need to have adequate knowledge in the fields of theory of variation, appreciation for a system, theory of knowledge, and psychology. Deming found that many organizations have barriers that prevent people from doing a good job. He identified a few of these barriers as the focus on short-term profits, the demoralization of workers through policies that rank and rate people, inconsistent instructions, inadequate training, poor tools, setting arbitrary numerical goals instead of developing methods for improvement, creating fear to speak up, fear to take risks, fear to ask questions, fear of ridicule and humiliation, and fear of change.