Chapter 1: The Field of Engineering Management

1. Why are engineers considered an important segment of the society?

Without engineers, the world remains in a primitive year where civilization is still
unknown. That’s why engineers are considered important because they created the world
where everything is easy, comfortable, and accessible. They made our paths such as bridges and
highways, built infrastructures and buildings, gave power to our appliances, invented machines
and engines, provide medicines to illness and manage the flow of water systems and the flow of
traffic. Engineers give our society a proper living.
2. What are expected of engineers in general?
In general, the engineers are expected to their duty and task according to their
specialization job level. Since they are graduated with a bachelor’s degree, engineers are also
expected to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering and to design and
conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data. Most importantly, they are
expected to be responsible in serving the public and creating a safe place for them to stay.
3. In what current concerns are engineering outputs needed?
No doubt that the engineering outputs help to solve the current concerns and problems
of the society. The engineering is needed in the production of more food for a fast growing of
world population, in the elimination of air and water pollution, in solid waste disposal and
materials recycling, in the reduction of noise in various forms, in supplying the increasing
demand for energy, in supplying the increasing demand for mobility, in preventing and solving
crimes, and meeting the increasing demand for communication facilities.
4. In what areas are engineers currently involved?
Engineers are needed in various disciplines for they provide solutions to the difficulties
faced by mankind. Now, engineers are involved in areas including research, design and
development, testing, manufacturing, construction, sales, consulting, government, teaching, and
management.
5. How may organizations be classified according to the engineering jobs performed?
Organizations may be classified according to the degree of engineering jobs performed
such as Level One which are those minimum engineering jobs like retailing firms, Level Two
which are those with moderate degree of engineering jobs like transportation companies, and
Level Three are those with high degree of engineering jobs like construction firm.
6. Which organization level requires the highest management skills for engineer managers?
The Level Three requires the highest management skills because the Level Three
organization includes those high engineering job like construction firms and the engineer
managers need to function effectively and efficiency as they provide the biggest opportunity to
become president or general manager.
7. What is engineering management?
Engineering management is an activity combining technical knowledge with the ability
to organize and coordinate worker’s power, materials, machinery, and money. It is a discipline
that associated with the planning and coordinating of people and technical resources to achieve
a technological objective.
 8. How may one define management?
Management is the process by which human efforts are coordinated and combined with
other resources to accomplished organizational goals and objectives. In engineering, it is where
an engineer is assigned to manage groups of people performing specific tasks.
9. What qualifications must an engineer manager have?
To be an engineer manager, there are some qualifications to consider such as bachelor’s
degree in engineering from a reputable school or others, few years of experience in pure
engineering job, training in supervision, and special training in engineering management.
10. How may one become a successful engineer manager?
According to Kreitner, one may become successful engineer manager if the general
preconditions for achieving lasting success are met which are ability, motivation to manage, and
opportunity to manage.

Chapter 2: Decision-making

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

1. Can the engineer manager avoid making management decision? Why or why not?
Basically, one of the natures of human-being is his cognitive and rational
thinking, hence, decision-making is part of our rational life. Besides, deciding not to decide is
already a decision-making. An engineer manager cannot avoid making management
decisions due to the reason that it is his duty to provide leadership and make judgments that
advance the objectives of the organization to which he belongs. Additionally, an engineer
manager may encounter numerous circumstances where he will need to make decisions from a
variety of possibilities.
2. When a problem becomes apparent and the engineer manager chooses to ignore it, is he
making a decision? Explain your answer.
Yes, knowing that the engineer manager is consciously aware of the apparent problem
and he chooses to ignore it, he is making a decision. Because, as the definition of decision-
making implies, it involves making a choice between two or more options, the engineer manager
has the option whether to solve the problem or not, and the decision to ignore it is his.
3. Why is proper diagnosis of the problem important?

4. What are the components of the environment from the point of view of the decision-maker?
What do they consist of?

In order to have precise and specific facts or knowledge regarding the problem at hand,
which is essential for planning the decision-making process, coming up with viable
alternatives, and ultimately coming up with an effective solution to the issue at hand

4. How may one develop viable alternatives in problem solving?

6. How may alternative solutions be evaluated?

7. Why is it important for those who will be involved in implementation to understand and accept the
solution to the problem?

8. What are the approaches in solving problems?

9. What quantitative techniques are useful in decision- making?

10. What is the purpose of Bayesian analysis?