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My Engg Management Chapter 1 PDF
My Engg Management Chapter 1 PDF
PART ONE
Chapter 1 Introduction to Management
Challenges for Engineers
Spring 2015
Introduction to Management
Challenges for Engineers
1.1 INTRODUCTION
• In our modern-day economy, customers' needs are changing rapidly,
competition is becoming global, and technology is advancing at an
ever-increasing speed. To maintain competitiveness in such a
challenging environment, companies need effective leaders who
understand technology and business. Engineers with proper
management training have great opportunities to make valuable and
lasting contributions (Babcock 1996; Badawy 1995).
• In all companies, managers are select employees who are entrusted
with the responsibilities of putting communications means to use,
taking decisive actions, utilizing resources, and guiding the behavior of
internal teams and external business partners to achieve company
objectives (Compton 1997; Shainis, Dekom, and McVinney 1995).
F. Managing large, complex, and interdisciplinary or interorganizational projects, programs, and systems
• Other companies adopt a technology-driven approach. They first invent and develop
new technology, and then they incorporate the resulting inventions and innovations
in products that they hope to sell to the marketplace. Each of these approaches has
advantages and disadvantages. Surveys show that both approaches have yielded
successes and failures. Managers decide which approach is the best choice for a
company to take. Another example is the potential difference in opinion between
departments when deciding on "buy versus build" options and on setting task
priorities. Still another area of potential disagreement is the choice about the level of
standardization in product design that reduces cost while allowing a sufficient level
of innovation to enhance competitiveness.