Management and the Engineering Career

A National Engineers Registry Survey conducted in 190 analyzed the extent to which engineers were employed in management. As illustrated in Fig. 1- 4, the survey revealed that about 18% of engineers had no regular supervisory responsibility and another 18% provided only indirect or staff supervision. The remainder (almost two-thirds) were acting as managers: 12% over a team or unit, 22% over a project or section, 20% over a major department, division, or program, and 10% in the general (top) management of an organization. Although this survey is now 20 years old, there is every reason to believe that it is skill reasonably accurate.

It seems clear that young engineering students can expect a transition to management responsibilities in the normal progression of their professional career, yet undergraduate engineering education offers very little preparation for such a possibility. To meet this need, many engineering schools now provide degree pregame in engineering management, which blends business and engineering as shown in Fig. 1-5.

Figure 1 -4 Supervisory responsibilities of engineers(From Engineering Manpower Bulletin 25, Engineers' Joint Council, New York, September 1973.)

The intent of this book is to provide some insight into the nature of management and the environments in which the engineer is most likely to encounter the need for am understanding of management as his or her career progresses. In the last three chapters we sum up the career implications for the engineer. In Chapter 16 we discuss some significant concerns in the professional development of the engineer as a technical professional; in Chapter 17, managerial and inn oppommities for the engineer, and in Chapter 18, several special topics of interest to engineering and management.