Management:

Ref. book:
1. Engineering Management
By

Fraidoon Mazda

Definitions of Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What is management?
The history of management
Types of manager
Management responsibilities
Management tasks
The engineering manager

What is Management?
No single answer
Management is the use of techniques,
based on measures, artfully applied.
Saying:
there are those who do things (workers) and
those who talk about things (managers)
(Incorrect statement)

What is management?

Scientific ideas usually come from

individuals, but it needs a large multi
disciplined team to develop it into a
product and to take it to market .The
activities of this team need to be
coordinated and managed.
Much greater leverage can be obtained
from a well-organized team than by its
members working as individuals.

What is management?

To young engineers
management may be something they do,
a world full of time wasting effort spent mainly on
covering up ones mistakes and stabbing peers in the
back, thus attempting to reach the top of the
corporate ladder . (Fig 2.1)
This is obviously incorrect impression. Then what is
management and how does one become a good
manager?

One Golden Rule

The one golden rule about management is
that there are no golden rules
It is not an exact science, like Engineering
Tasks are predictable and People are not,
and everything in management
eventually leads to people
2+2=?

As there are no fixed rules

all that one can hope to do is to learn the
basic techniques
the language of management
and then to be guided by experience,
bearing in mind that management requires
a constant reappraisal of all that has been
learnt, since it is almost certain that
changes will occur over time

Example
How to play football?
You cannot learn just reading a book.
However this is an essential first step:
learning the basic principles and rules.
Reality of management does not fully match
the text

Remember
Managers are not the bosses
They are simple employees, doing a job
for which they have acquired certain skills
The engineer who goes into management
expecting to be a leader, to issue
commands and have subordinates follow
without question, will be disappointed

History of management
The practices of engineering and of
management may be considered to have
grown hand in hand.
An Example:
Pyramids of Egypt

History of management
However, as a profession, management is
relatively new, if one applies the definition of a
professional.
In the UK the IEE set up a professional group on
Engineering Management in 1970, almost 100
yrs after its birth.
The growth of large corporations in the 1950s,
particularly multinationals, provided a boost to
the professional management
Good working conditions compared with the
public sector

 Definition of a Professional is
One having a minimum standard of
educational or work achievement,
administered by an independent body to
which members belong
A person with a high degree of knowledge or
skill in a particular field

 Management theory was first popularized in the

USA and spread slowly to Europe. The first
business school was founded at the University of
Philadelphia in 1881 and a hundred years later
there were over 500 business schools in the
USA.

How such a growth was in Pakistan?

 Management techniques have also changed

over the years, emphasis on different techniques
being largely dictated by the industrial scene at
the time.
The post war period saw a steady expansion in
the developed countries, and the emphasis was
on corporate planning for growth
The oil crisis of 1973 . Short term
payback became the key consideration, not
long-term growth.
Recent Yrs.X-tics those of both the periods.

Types of Manager
Managers come in every shape and size, with
very different personalities not surprising,
since managers are, after all, human.
It should also be remembered that all employees
within an organization, are in reality managers,
being responsible for their own tasks if nothing
else.

Management levels
Organization chart
Interaction between the various levels of
management (fig 2.2)
Managers manager
Subordinates subordinates
Numerous peers, both within the same
function and within different functions
Usually managers progress up the
corporate ladder, in a zigzag fashion

Organization's size
there is debate as to the optimum size for
maximum efficiency
Figure 2.3
Material considerations favor large sizes
People considerations favors much
smaller units, critical mass being reached
much sooner

People considerations
In large teams there can be many
communication problems and time wasted in
ensuring that communication occurs smoothly.
Staff working on large projects are less able to
see the contribution that their individual efforts
make towards the organizations goals,
The larger the team the greater the amount of
overheads it needs, such as supervision and
coordination.
Organizations may be structured into divisions or
profit centers.

Management styles
The style used is often determined by the
personality of the manager concerned.
Seven styles to be described here
A manager often displays many of the
attributes of these styles.
Experienced managers may also vary
their style to suite the situation

Administrators
Very formal in their approach
Looks to company rules and regulations for
solving all problems
Often limited to one level upwards and
downwards
They are not good at resolving conflict ?
In spite of their rather mechanistic approach they
are generally respected by their staff, and by
peers, for their organizational loyalty and
knowledge

Time Servers
These are generally older managers who
have lost interest in their job and
environment
They take all necessary actions to avoid
stress, and maintain a low profile within
the company
If motivated, they can become a very
valuable asset to the organization. They
can build an effective team if they try.

Climbers
driven by extreme personal ambition and
will sacrifice everything, including self and
family to get to the top
pursue personal advancement by fair
means or foul
However, they become demodulated if this
does not show quick results, and this can
eventually lead to stress

Generals
Generals work extremely hard, driving
themselves and those under them
Usually a younger person who likes to rule
and manipulate power but is achievement
oriented
Usually they are optimistic about the
future, sometimes wrongly

Supporters
usually experienced managers who are
knowledgeable in management techniques and
apply them where they can
They delegate responsibilities
The people working under them are highly
motivated
They get support from the specialists within their
department
Supporters tend to be loners and do not mix well
with peers
?

Nice guys
These managers are usually weak- willed
and are more interested in being liked, by
peers and subordinates, than in achieving
targets
The productivity of the group is low and
conflicts waiting to burst out
Ready to yield to pressure from almost
any source

Bosses
These managers are bullies! Using power is like
a drug
They drive the people under them but not
themselves
They expect recognition from peers, but often do
not get it
Extremely inflexible, only strong talkers, and
hide behind abusive language
They can show result for a short-term only
They advance by pointing out the mistakes of
others, and not by their own achievements

A comparison
two main factors when comparing the
strengths of the various styles:
People and Tasks

Each style has its strengths and

weaknesses
and
each style has its place in various
circumstances
Compartmentalization in Fig 2.4 does not
give true picture

Management responsibilities
The functions that a manager performs are
complex, which is partly why it is so difficult to
define and record them accurately
Managers main task is to deal with other
people, and human behavior is complex and
difficult to predict
Generally, managers operate in an environment
in which they voluntarily accept certain
responsibilities as part of their jobs, while being
constrained by other factors
Fig 2.5

Management responsibilities

The shareholders expect to receive a

return for their investments, measured in
terms of dividends and growth
Reward to employees
Customer satisfaction:
External & Internal Customers

Marketing
Relationship between the organization and
its suppliers

Management responsibilities

Responsibility to the community

Competitors
Governments acts: Direct and Indirect
the natural environment
The labour market, especially in case of
skilled labour
Pressure groups

 Describe the responsibilities of:

A teacher
A student
Chairman of the Department
Assignment

Management Tasks
4 interrelated groups
Planning
Organizing
Integrating
Measuring

Planning Phase
Define goals, objectives and policies
Strategic plan:
the line of action, to reach the goals
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats) analysis
must be related back to the set of goals
establishes processes and sets performance
standards, which are used later in the measuring
phase.
includes budgets, covering expenses, capital and
human resources.
Training plans and costs have to be included
These plans also have to be communicated to all
involved in the project

Two of the key items

to be covered during the planning phase
Need for change (easy or difficult)
a change in the political scene
a change in the companys policies

Process for change

the manager should be proactive, foreseeing
change and taking early action, rather than
reacting to change

Organizing Phase
splitting of the work into manageable tasks and
allocation to groups or individuals
ensure that tasks are coordinated and
duplication is avoided
Jobs and responsibilities need to be clearly
defined (may be difficult due to flexible
boundaries and overlaps)
teams established and team leaders appointed
understand the needs of their customers and
ensure that these are communicated to all

Integrating Phase
see the whole picture
obtain accurate information on which decision is
based
Risks must be taken, not avoided (risk management)
set the direction, but be flexible enough to
change if their decision proves to be wrong, or if
circumstances change
team members are in communication where
their work affects each other
eventual goals are kept continually in front of the
team and they are motivated to achieve them

Measuring Phase
taking stock of achievements and putting in
corrective actions, including process changes if
necessary

must be taken continually throughout the

implementation phase, not only at the end
Items that need to be measured and controlled
during the project, include:

The costs, which include salaries and expenses

The use of skills and specialized equipments
Progress on the project, measured on a time-scale
The quality of the product

The methods for taking measures

formal weekly measures chart
the informal measures, a manger is continually
making throughout the day: MWA, (Management
by Walking About),
The prime purpose of a measure is to record
and provide feed back, resulting in corrective
action and process improvement
Measurable targets for individuals may be used
for growing staff and rewarding them, and not for
finding defects and determining punishment

Three Common Mistakes

Measures are put in place because they
are required by the company
Managers feel that a poorly performing
team reflects badly on them (as a
backward class reflects on the quality of
the teaching)
Managers do not fully trust their staff and
apply very tight measures and controls

The Engineering Manager

Saying: Management is management;
it does not matter whether it is an Engineering
department or a grocery shop
Feeling: Management requires common sense
and nothing more
Unfortunately, many engineers have no planning
to take management as a career, (just by
promotion) and then a good engineer may not
be a good manager
Managers must learn to work through other
people
Dual career ladder ?

Engineers vs Engg Managers

Technical Considerations:
Management is creative and complex, as
rules are not fixed and environment
continually changing
Engineers working on technical projects want
to be managed by someone who can
understand their technical problems and
..
Engg managers have to get resources
approved for their projects

Engineers vs Engg Managers

The Time factor

Engineering tasks require thought and time,
e.g. a design spread over months
Engineering management requires the ability
to shift rapidly from one task to the next, from
one person to another, often in the space of a
few minutes
Managers are called upon to maintain an
open door policy
They cannot shut
themselves away for any length of time
Time management
Chapter 20

Engineers vs Engg Managers

The people factor

An engineer is primarily concerned with tasks while
an engineering manager is concerned with people,
whether they are within ones direct control or not
Engineers find this wasteful of time and would rather
do things themselves, something which the
engineering manager must never do
Managers must delegate technical tasks.
Reviews and discussions with staff should not be
limited to tasks, but should cover personnel issues as
well, such as development
A manager cannot poach staff from another
department
Engineering managers must plan for product failure
and be able to reorganize their team when it occurs

Assignments
1. Show the management behaviour in
the form of flow chart, As you see it in
university.
2. History of growth in Engg Management in
Pakistan?
3. Describe the responsibilities of:

A teacher
A student
Chairman of the Department

4. Case studies: