Chapter 1 5.

the production of steam engine and the spinning

and weaving machinery - 1601 A.D. to 1799
A.D.; and
TilE FIELD OF E~<;L\EEIU:\(;
6. the manufacture of cars and household appli-
,\ L\ ~ , \<;E.\ I E:\T ances - modem times.
A listing of all useful tools, equipment, and projects
Engineers are expected to perform a variety of tasks developed and produced by engineers will be sufficient to
depending on their specialization and job level. It is produce volumes of books. These contributions indicate
important to the engineer that he knows what is expected that engineers have become an indispensable segment of
of him so that he may be able to perform his job effectively tb&world's professions. This expectation will continue for
and efficiently. His next concern will be to identify the a long time.
skills required but which he does not have. As engineers
are not trained to directly deal with people, it is expected Even as engineers are currently producing solutions
that their weakness will most often be on people-based to many of the difficulties faced by mankind, much is stiU
expected of them. Their outputs, new or improvements
skills. This difficulty will be more apparent once they are
of old ones, are very much needed in the following specific
assigned to occupy management positions. It follows that
problem concerns:•
if the engineer manager would want to do his job well,
some exposure to engineering management activities 1. the production of more food for a fast growing
becomes necessary. world population;
2. the elimination of air and water pollution;
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ENGINEER 3. solid waste disposal and materials recycling;
Since prehistoric times, mankind has benefited from 4. the reduction of noise in various forms;
the various tools, equipment, and projects developed by
engineers.' Among these are the following: 5. supplying the increasing demand for energy;
1. the stone bladed axe which was a very useful tool; 6. supplying the increasing demand for mobility;
and the irrigation system used to promote crop 7. preventing aml ~olving c:rime&; llnd
growing - 6000 to 3000 B.C.; 8. meeting the increasing demand for communi-
2. the pyramids of Egypt - 3000 to 600 B.C.; cation facilities.
3. roadbuilding by the IRomans - 600 B.C. to A.D. Specifically, the functions of engineering encompass
400; the following areas:3
4. the production of paper and gunpowder by the 1. Research - where the engineer is engaged i.n the
Chinese - 100 A.D. to 1600 A.D.;
'Op. <i~. pp. 29-53.
•Oeo~ C. Beckl~yand othtrt. Ett~• n«nltf. An lntrodud101t too Cntaliw: 'tJf>hn Ou.atl.n Kemper. lntt'Od&U:tuvt to tlut 61f6111Mnlfll ,..,.,~.,-. (New
l'ru(wil)(l. flllh Edition !New York MocMIIIan Publiahinc Co., 11186) pp. 3·21. York: Holl, llloclwt and WonaiOn, 19801 pp. 22-31.

2 3
 process of learning about nature and codifying 9. Teaching - where the engineer gete employ-
this knowledge into usable theories. ment in a school and is assigned as a teacher of
2. Design and development - where the engineer engineering courses. Some of them later become
undertakes the activity of turning a product deans, vice presidents, and presidente.
concept to a finished physical item.• Design for 10. Management - where the engineer is assigned
manufacturabili.ty and IXJlue engineering teatn8 to manage groups of people performing specific
(a feature of some companies) are charged with tasks.
improvement of designs and specificat ions at the
research, development, design, and production THE ENGINEER IN VARIOUS TYPES OF
stages of product development.•
ORGANIZATION
3. Thsting - where the engineer works in a unit
where new products or parts are tested for work- Fr om tl)e viewpoint of the engineer, organizations
ubility. may be classified according to the degree of engineering
jobs performed:
4. Manufacturing- where the engineer is directly
in charge of production personnel or assumes L Level One- those with minimal engineering jobs
responsibility for the product. like retailing firms.
5. Cons~ruction - this is where the construction 2. Level 'IWo - those with a moderate degree of
engineer (a civil engineer) is either directly in engineering jobs like transportation companies.
charge of the construction personnel or may have 3. Level Three - those with a high degree of
responsibility for the quality of the construction engineering jobs like con struction firms.
process.
6. Sales- where the engineer assists the company's Figure 1.1 Types of Organization and the Management Skills
customers to meet their needs, especially those Required of Engineers
that require technical expertise.
7. Consulting - where t he engineer works as general
consultant of any individual or organization
requiring his services.
management
8. Government- wher e the engineer may find em- skills
ployment in the government performing any of required
the various tasks in regulating, monitoring, and
cop trolling the activities of various institutions,
public or private.

Ill~; =-~~~""~)~~,_,, 'l'lw.l Editioo(H - .

•Jay Heizer and Barry Render. ProdiJdion o.nd O~I'Oli.Oit$ Mono,g~fMitt
<&c16•: Allyn a!ld &eon. 1993l p. 254. The fir01's Quantity of Engineering jobs

6
 Management Skills Require d at Various Levels Figure 1.2 A Typical Advertisement for a Pure l!nglneer lng
Job (without management responslbllltlea)
Among the types of organizations, the engineer will
have a slim chance of becoming the general manager or
president of level one, unless of course, he owns the firm. GE
The engineer manager may be assigned to head a small THE NMtE '11IE WORLD TRUSTS HAS PLACED ITS
engineering unit of the firm, but there will not be too many TRU8riN US
finns which will have this unit. FUJI-HAYA ELECTRIC
In level two firms, the engineer may be assigned to An offiliaw of Fuji Electric Co., Lt.d., of Japan
head the engineering division. The need for management For immediate hiring
skills will now be felt by the engineer manager.
LICENSED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
Level three firms provide the biggest opportunity for Technical Services Group
an engineer to become the president or general manager. (Canlubnng·boS<ld)
In this case, the engineer manager cannot function Design Englnee111 (2)
effectively without adequate management skills.
Tho suowssful candidate will handle project design and coordinotion
for awitchgtars manufacharing and substation inatoll&tion.
WHAT IS ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT?
Application Engineers (2)
Engineering management refel1! to the activity com- Tho • ....,...rut cnndulates will jmpare la,y-out dr$w1np ofowitchceero
bining "technical knowledge with the ability to organize diotnbutionlhghting panel boards, etc., and bill ofcomponenu. HI>'She
and coordinate worker power, materials, machinery, and wiU tt'antact with eu.stomera regarding nvi.siona and approvals.
money.""
Qualificnt•ona for Engineering Pos.ition.o:
When the engineer is assigned to supervise the work • Wath at Jnut one year work experience; ovettea• experience
of even a few people, he is already engaged in the first will be an advanto>ge
phase of engineering management. His main responsibil- • Wilh adequate underoto>nding of nnd acturu operating akills
ity ia to lead his group into producing a certain output in CAD and windows soft.wnre
consistent with the required specifications. • Wlth offootive English communication ek~lls ~nd in.ter-
The top position an epgin~oer manager may hope to J}()I'aonol skills to efficiently handle trruuu.\CtiOI\8 an vnnous
occup y is the general managership or presidency of lovols
any firm, large or small. As he scales the management • Prcf<-rnbly with .a driver's license
ladder, he finds that the higher be goes up, the less AppUcanU nro requ ..ted to apply in perMO with !heir comprehen.oive
technical activities he performs, and the more manage- rMUmee, 1 x 1 photo, and college tran.ocripta ot lhe 2nd Fir. Mat.rino
ment tasks he accepts. In this case, it is but proper that Bide. 2178 PMOng Tamo St., Makoti City. For inqwrt.., pleue caU
Odeti. Panpniban at 892$86. Interview• will be bold from 8:00
the managment functions taught in pure management A.M.-12:00 NN, Monday to Saturday. Deadline for application ia
courses be well understood by the engineer manager. Satunli\Y, 02 March 1996.

•From on advertisement, Philippine Daily lnquirw, February 26,

1996, p . 8 •I.
6 7
Ftgure 1.3 A Typical Advertisement for an Enginftr Manager Figure 1.4 A Typical Advertl14t1T141r11 fonn Ertg"- Managu
as a Lower Level Executive (Supervisor) as a Middle Level Exec~ttlve

ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LEADING STRUCTURE A PROGRESSIVE INDUSTRIAL COMPANY IS LOOK·

SPECIALISTS NEEDS THE FOLLOWING FOR ITS lNG FOR TALENTED AND DYNAMIC INDMDUALS
EXPANSION • WHO ARE WlLLING TO FILL UP THE FOLLOWING
FABRICATION SUPERVISOR (1) POSITIONS:
Male, BSCEIBSME graduate, not more than 35 years old PRODUCTION MANAGER
At lenot 5 years experience in st~l fabrication Malo, 35-45 years of age
Willing to work on shifting schedule
Mechanical Elll(inoering/Industrial Elll(ineering graduate
STRUCTURAL DETAILERS (6) or any related course
M/F, 8 S. in Engineering, below 35 years old With 4 to 6 yMr& working experience in handling
production preferably in a steel industry
Knowledge in st(o•l connection• standard and stool fab·
rication (shop drawings) Extensive experience in maintenance program

PROJECT ENGINEERS eoswutt:ing oriented penon.

Male, licensed Civil Engineer, with at least 5 years
cxpcrl•nce on ott-el erection and willing to be nssigoed Interested parties, please apply in person with bio-dats and
outside Metro Manila z
resume, x 2 picture and other tredcntials at:
8/F GEDISCO TOWER
WELDING FOREMAN 534 Asuncion St., Binondo, Manila
Male, at least high school graduate and with at least 5 Tel. 241-92-51
years experience os Welding Foreman
•From an advertisement, Manila Bulletin, February 25,
Apply at: 1900, p. F-18.
STEEL CENTRE PHILS., INC.
Amnng Rodriguez Ave., Bo. Manggahan, Pasig City
Or send comprehensive resume to:
P.O. BOX 3702, MAN1LA

•From on advertisement, Manila Bulletin, February 25.

1900, p. ~··24.

8 9
 Figure 1.6 An Actvet11Mment for an Englnurlug Manege~'

FOR IMMEDIATE lURING

ENGINEERING MANAGER
II IIIII This person wiU be responsible for the effective management
I ttl I~ t Mtt•'luul• tlf ltuha~:ttrful or M~-Lan·e·l., • . of the engineering ,and mainwnnnce department.
c-..u I " '>0glOCOnnc
Ill t•IW' ft6.llf, .t Ju tlu~ liultl of general management We are looking for a licensed Meeh~ieal Engineer, preferably
1l 1 nrl•nt, ..l with an MBA or graduate wchool degree.
plu hi In ~'l"•k• n und written English
He must carry with him at least five years experience in the
llw '•""lifu•4l l1f.Jpht:ltnt will ~ive an tUtrac:tiv .
u, It..... hi ecompensationJ)Rckage operation, trouble shooting and preventive maintenance
eystem of all mechanical, refrigeration and air-conditioning
•~•h '' tNt npplieaots mEcy 8t'nd the' . equipment pTeferably gained frcm a food business industry or
lo I ho I'ERSONNEL OEPARnUl~·~~~ With a ln.....,~ photo
193 in a mru>ufacturing finn in a managerial capacity.
C/0 MANILA BULLET!N - MAIN '96
We offer a very competitive compensation package and a ur
' ~'rom nn advertisclneot, Moniln Oullatin April 28 199,
1 I OJ p, E•5, plan to the qualified candidaw.

GENERAL MANAGER
Interested parties, may send their comprehensive resume,
Avery progresseve
· chemicol rnanufncturin com application letter and ll passport sized m to:
and bichly qualified candida•· to g pany -u a moture
- atJ.aume the above poet. SOX NO. 153 CUBAO '96
Diroc:t.ly reporting to the Viee Preaident, the ideal candida~ must be· cto MANILA BULLETIN
- Male, 35-45 year$ old ·
Grndua~ of ChenJiea.l En"' . . *From an advertisement, Manila J3ulletin,Augus~ 25, 1996,
\miveri$ity e·noonng •n a prestdgious college or
p. 0·3.
1\ggrcsaive nlld msult oriontOO
With lendership and management skills
Excellent communication skiiJa
We offer aacompetitive aalo ry an d. ezceII ent be.uefit.s. lntere•ted
appUcenta
re requested to oend ~., ffilume with a recent photo to:
THE HAD DEPARTMENT
BOX 192 - ~WN ' 96
do MANILA BULLETIN

•From an advertiaemon~. llloniln Hullctin J April 28I 19961 P• E•j,~,

•

10 11
 MANAGEMENT DEFINED in engineering or busi n ess management is
Since the engineer manager is pr esumed to be required;
technically competent in hie specialization, one m&.Y now 2. a few years experience in a pure engineering job;
p roceed to describe more t h oroughly the r emaining
portion of hie job, which is management. 3. training in supervision;
4. special training in engineering management.
Man8fement m&.Y be defined as the •creative problem
sol ving·procees of planning, organi:ting, leading, and These qualifications will be of great help to. the
controlling an organization's resources to achieve ita engineer manager in the performance of the var1ous
mi88ion and objectives.07 management functions.

THE PROCESS OF MANAGEMENT HOW ONE MAY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL

Management is a process consisting of planning,
ENGINEER MANAGER
organizing, directing (or leading), and controlling. Successful engineer managers do not happen as a
matter of chance, although luck is a contributory factor.
Explained in a simple manner, management must It is very important for the engineer manager to know
seek to fmd out the objectives of the organization, think the various factors leading to successful management.
of W&.Y& on how to achieve them, decide on the ways to
be adapted and the material ~sources to be used, deter- Kreitner indicates at least three general preconditions
mine the human requirements of the total job, assign for achieving lasting success as a manager. They are as
specific tasks to specific persons, motivate them, and follows:•
provide means to make sure that the activities are in Jhe 1. ability
right d~tion.
2. motivation to manage, and
The specific activities in th e management process are 3. opportunity.
discussed more thoroughly in the succeeding chapters.
Ability
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENGINEER Managerial ability refers to the capacity of an
MANAGER'S JOB engineer manager to achieve organizational objectives
Depending on the type of products or services a fum effectively and efficiently.
produces, the engineer manager must have the following Effectiveness, according to Higgins, refers to a
Qualifications: description of "whether objectives are accomplished",
1. a bachelor's de~ in engineering from a ~pu­ while efficiency is a description of the relative amount of
table school; In some eases, a master's degree resources used in obtaining effectiveness...

'Jam. AI. Hia~J>s. T11o M~ Cloa/kJvlc (N- York: II~<MlD*D ----;-Robttl Kn1t.net. MOIIOlftMtnt. Fifth Bdition (&.ton. HOIJChtoo Mamm
PubiUhf-. Co., 1991)"' G-10. eo.. 1m1 p. 20.
"HiQlM. p 0 ·5.
12 13
 To illustrate: 7. Sense of responsibility in carrying out the rou-
tine duties associated with managerial work.
If a civil engineer was asked by his superiors
to finish a 100-kilometer road cementing project High scores in the foregoing dimensions are asso-
within eight months, he is said to be effective if he ciated with high motivation to manage.
finished the job within the required period. On the
other hand, his efficiency is measured by the inputs Opportunity
(labor and materials) he poured into the project in Successful managers become possible only if those
relation to the actual output(the 100 kilometer road). having the ability a~d motivation are given the opportunity
If the same output is made with less inputs, the more to manage. The opportunity for successful management
efficient the civil engineer becomes. has two requirements:
Motivation to Manage 1. Obtaining a suitable managerial job, and
Many people have the desire to work and finish 2. Finding a supportive climate once on the job.
specific tasks assigned by superiors, but not many are Newspaper advertisements abound with neede for
motivated to manage other people so that they may con- engineer managers. It is a little difficult to detennine i(
ffibute to the realization of the organization's objectives. the firms requiring their services provide a supportive
A management researcher, John B. Miner, developed climate for effective and efficient management. A sup-
a psychometric instrument to measure objectively an portive climate is characterized by the recognition of
individual's motivation to manage. The test is anchored managerial talent through financial and nonfinancial
to the following dimensions: 10 rewarda. ·
1. Favorable attitude toward those in positions of SUMMARY
authority, such as superiors.
Engineers are known for tbei.r great contributions
2. Desire to engage in games or sporta competition to the development of the world'• civilization. There are
with peers. many areas where their -presence is necessary like
3. Desire to engage in occupational or work-related research, design and development, testing, manufac·
competition with peers. turing, construction, sales, consulting, government,
teaching, and management.
4. Desire to assert oneself and take charge.
Engineers may be found contributing their share in
5. Desire to exercise power and authority over the various levels of organization.
others.
Engineering activities need to be managed and
6. Desire to behave in a distinctive way, which engineers are sometimes placed in positions where they
includes standing out from the crowd.
have to learn management skills.
•John 8 .Miner, dltid in Krtimer, MOJ14gtfiiVIt, pp. 21-22. Management is concerned with planning, organizing,

14 16
leading, and controlling a~ or~anitation'a resources to
achieve its mission and objectives. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
There are certain qualifications required of the 1. Why are engineers considered an important segment
engineer manager. of the society?

One may become a successful engineer manager if 2. What are expected of engineers in general?
the preconditions of ability, motivation to manage, and 3. In what current concerns are engineering outputs
opportunity to manage are met. needed?

4. In what areas are engineers currently involved?

5. How may organizations be classified according to the
engineering jobs performed?
6. Which organization level requires the highest man-
agement skills for engineer managers?
7. What is engineering management?
8. How may one define management?
9 What qualifications must an engineer manager have?
10. How may one become a successful engineer manager?

S UGGESTED ITEM FOR RESEARCH

1. Prepare a list often engineers who became president
or general manager of a large company.

16
17
 Case 1. ALMA ELECTRONICS: I'll Dream of You Chan•s business picked up until he was able to establish
Mr. Andy Mallari opened a small shop selling tran· his own factory.
sis tor radios in 1979. His store was located at one corner Mr. Mallari thinks that he can follow the footsteps
(General Luna St.) of the entire stretch of Burgos Avenue, of his friend. As he is already 47 years old and his oldest
the main thoroughfare of Cabanatuan City. child is about ready to enter college, he thinka this is the
The demand for electronic parts made him carry a best time for him to consider sending his son to an
wide a33ortment of parts that are used in the assembly engineering school. His decision will center on w~ch ~chool
and maintenance of radios, !ape recorders, amplifiers, and and which engineering course. He feels that his children
various related appliances. are keenly interested in whatever career he will ask them
to take.
By 1990, Mr. Mallari was able to save enough money
for the purchnse of a 300 square meter lot along Del Pilar Mr. Mnllari has three sons, all belonging to the top
Street. He constructed a 10 meters x 15 meters two-storey ten in their respective classes. He thinks nil three have
building on the lot. The ground floor is used as his store the potential to help him realize his dream of establishing
where sales are made to customers which grew in number his own assembly plant. His immediate concern now is
month after month. The second floor is used as hie to identify the right college courses for his children.
residence.
Mr. Mallari thinks that he can duplicate his feat in
the other big towns of San Jose City, Gapan, and GUimba.
He has already started operating his stores in those towns
and sales are already picking up. His current operations
cover sales and repair. There are five salesladies in
Cabanatuan nttending to the various needs of the
customers. Those who bring their appliances for repair
are served by one of the six technicians. The parts used
come from the stocks maintained at the store.
Those who purchase parts from the store consist of
technicians from the various towns of Nueva Ecija.
Sometimes, the technicians send $Omebody to do the
purchasing of parts.
Mr. Mallari's perspective has changed drastically
atl.er he met his former classmate Estelito Chan in a
class reunion at Araullo University. Mr. Chan has a
well-established appliance assembly plant in Manila.
He indicated that he did net start big but rather as a
subcontractor for a large assembly plant. Slowly, Mr.

18
19