Courseware: Cebu Institute of Technology University
Courseware: Cebu Institute of Technology University
Courseware: Cebu Institute of Technology University
University
N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Philippines
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
Department of Industrial Engineering
COURSEWARE
ES034 | ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
WEEK 1: August 23 to 27, 2021
Adapted by:
Engr. Antoniette M. Almaden
Engr. Aries M. Rivero
For this week, we will discover the world of management, including organization and its
components. This will also provide you an overview of the four functions of management:
planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. These functions are what the work of
management is about.
You can use this study guide in the completion of this module.
Introduction
Management Process and Functions
Management Ethics & Social Responsibility
Watch this video before starting the module and answer the discussion questions:
“Engineering Manager job description” by ExpediaGroup
INTRODUCTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ09zx7nTSo
VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are the roles of Engineering Managers, according to Muthu? Give at least 3.
2. What do Engineering Managers actually do according to Muthu and Janaki. Give at least 3.
INTRODUCTION
Engineering is a profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural science gained by study,
experience, and practice is applied with judgement to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials
and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind (1979, US. Engineering societies).
Management is the process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives in a
changing environment. Central to this process is the effective and efficient use of limited resources.1
ENGINEER MANAGER
• Build, test, and oversee the production of • Develop plans and schedules for reaching
structures, machines, and devices technical goals, such as new product
development.
• Technology centered • People-centered
• Depends solely on his technical skills • Depends on the skills of his team of people
• Concentrates on the task at hand • Looks at a task from the point of view of the
value it adds and the interest of
stakeholders.
Functions of the Engineer
1. Research – where the engineer is engaged in the process of learning about nature and codifying
this knowledge into usable theories.
2. Design and development — where the engineer undertakes the activity of turning a product concept
into a finished physical item. Design for manufacturability and value engineering teams (a feature
of some companies) are charged with the improvement of designs and specifications at the
research, development, design, and production stages of product development.
3. Testing — where the engineer works in a unit where new products or parts are tested for workability.
4. Manufacturing — where the engineer is directly in charge of production personnel or assumes
responsibility for the product.
5. Construction — this is where the construction engineer (a civil engineer) is either directly in charge
of the construction personnel or may have responsibility for the quality of the construction
Engineering management refers to the activity combining "technical knowledge with the ability to organize
and coordinate worker power, materials, machinery, and money."' When the engineer is assigned to
supervise the work of even a few people, he is already engaged in the first phase of engineering
management. His main responsibility is to lead his group into producing a certain output consistent with the
required specifications. The top position an engineer manager may hope to occupy is the general
presidency of any firm, large or small. As he scales the management ladder, he finds that the higher he
goes up, the fewer technical activities he performs, and the more management tasks he accepts. In this
case, it is proper that the management functions taught in pure management courses be well understood
by the engineer manager.
Select one function of an engineer that you want to venture on in the future and why? What specific
level? What do you think are your responsibilities?
Before knowing more about management and all its aspect, it is important to start with understanding what
organizations are and how they create value to understand how essential is management to the
organization.
What is an Organization?
All organizations are open systems that interact with their environments. They do so in a continual process
of obtaining resource inputs—people, information, resources, and capital—and transforming them into
outputs in the form of finished goods and services for customers. Organizations create value when they
use resources well to produce good products and take care of their customers. When operations add value
to the original cost of resource inputs, then (1) a business organization can earn a profit—that is, sell a
product for more than the costs of making it—or (2) a nonprofit organization can add wealth to society—
that is, provide a public service like fire protection that is worth more than its cost.
In an article entitled “Putting People First for Organizational Success,” Jeffrey Pfeffer and John F. Veiga
argue forcefully that organizations perform better when they treat their members better.39 Managers in
these high-performing organizations don’t treat people as costs to be controlled; they treat them as valuable
strategic assets to be carefully nurtured and developed. So, who are today’s managers, and just what do
they do?
You find them in all organizations and with a wide variety of job titles—team leader, department head,
supervisor, project manager, president, administrator, and more. We call them managers, people in
organizations who directly support, supervise, and help activate the work efforts and performance
accomplishments of others.
Levels of Managers
Management Defined
As mentioned previously, management is the process of working with and through others to achieve
organizational objectives in a changing environment. Central to this process is the effective and efficient
use of limited resources.1
Five components of this definition require closer examination: (1) working with and through others, (2)
achieving organizational objectives, (3) balancing effectiveness and efficiency, (4) making the most of
limited resources, and (5) coping with a changing environment.
ORGANIZING. Structural considerations such as the chain of command, division of labor, and assignment
of responsibility are part of the organizing function. Careful organizing helps ensure the efficient use of
human resources.
LEADING. Managers become inspiring leaders by serving as role models and adapting their management
style to the demands of the situation. The idea of visionary leadership is popular today.
CONTROLLING. When managers compare desired results with actual results and take the necessary
corrective action, they are keeping things on track through the control function. Deviations from past
plans should be considered when formulating new plans.
• Technical Skills is the ability to use a special proficiency or expertise to perform particular tasks.
Accountants, engineers, market researchers, financial planners, and systems analysts, for
example, possess technical skills within their areas of expertise. Figure 1.4 shows that technical
skills are very important at job entry and early career levels.
• Human and Interpersonal Skills is the ability to work well in cooperation with other people.
Recruiters today put a lot of weight on a job candidate’s “soft” skills—things like ability to
communicate, collaborate, and network, and to engage others with a spirit of trust, enthusiasm,
and positive impact. As pointed out in Figure 1.4, the interpersonal nature of managerial work
makes human skills consistently important across all levels of managerial responsibility.
• Conceptual and Analytical Skills ability to think critically and analytically. It involves the capacity
to break problems into smaller parts, see the relations between the parts, and recognize the
implications of any one problem for others. Figure 1.4 shows that conceptual skills gain in
importance as one moves from lower to higher levels of management.
Ethical Dilemmas
An ethical dilemma is a situation that requires a choice regarding a possible course of action that, although
offering the potential for personal or organizational benefit, or both, may be considered unethical. It is often
a situation in which action must be taken but for which there is no clear consensus on what is “right” and
“wrong.” Here are some common examples of situations that present managers with ethical dilemmas.
✓ Discrimination—Your boss suggests that it would be a mistake to hire a qualified job candidate because
she wears a headscarf for religious purposes. The boss believes your traditional customers might be
uncomfortable with her appearance.
✓ Sexual harassment—A female subordinate asks you to discipline a coworker that she claims is making
her feel uncomfortable with inappropriate sexual remarks. The coworker, your friend, says that he was
just kidding around and asks you not to take any action that would harm his career.
✓ Conflicts of interest—You are working in another country and are offered an expensive gift in return for
making a decision favorable to the gift giver. You know that such exchanges are common practice in
this culture and that several of your colleagues have accepted similar gifts in the past.
✓ Product safety—Your company is struggling financially and can make one of its major products more
cheaply by purchasing lower-quality materials, although doing so would slightly increase the risk of
consumer injury.
✓ Use of organizational resources—You bring an office laptop computer home so that you can work after
hours. Your wife likes this computer better than hers, and asks if she can use it for her online business
during the weekends.
Ethics Training
Ethics training is one way to try to instill ethical behavior in an organization. It takes the form of structured
programs to help participants understand the ethical aspects of decision making and better integrate high
ethical standards into their daily behaviors. Ethics training seeks to help people understand the ethical
aspects of decision making and to incorporate high ethical standards into their daily behavior.
Whistleblower Protection
Picture this: (1) Dave, a student, reports to that their teacher is not attending the class on time; and (2)
Anna, a teacher, complained to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that they are underpaid.
These two people come from different organization settings and are linked to different issues. But, they
share two important things in common. First, each was a whistleblower who exposed misdeeds in their
organizations in order to preserve ethical standards and protect against further wasteful, harmful, or illegal
acts. Second, each was punished for such action – the teacher failed Dave in their class and Ann was fired
from her job, respectively.
Research by the Ethics Resource Center has found that some 44% of workers in the United States fail to
blow the whistle to report wrongdoings they observe at work. The top reasons are “(1) the belief that no
corrective action would be taken and (2) the fear that reports would not be kept confidential.”
✓ Trish Karter co-founded the Dancing Deer Bakery in Boston with a winning recipe for social
responsibility. She hires people who lack skills, trains them, and provides them with a financial stake in
the company. She also donates 35% of company proceeds to fund action programs to end family
homelessness.
✓ Deborah Sardone owns a housekeeping service in Texas. Noticing that clients with cancer really
struggled with chores, she started Cleaning for a Reason. The nonprofit organization networks with
cleaning firms around the country to provide free home cleaning to cancer patients.
Corporate Governance
Corporate governance refers to the active oversight of management decisions and company actions by
boards of directors. Businesses are required by law to have boards of directors that are elected by
stockholders to represent their interests. The governance exercised by these boards most typically involves
hiring, firing, and compensating the CEO and top management; assessing strategy, and verifying financial
records. The expectation is that board members will hold management accountable for ethical and socially
responsible leadership.
When corporate failures and controversies occur, weak governance often gets blamed. And when it does,
you will sometimes see the government stepping in to try to correct things for the future. Even as one talks
about corporate governance and top management accountability, it is important to remember that all
managers must accept personal responsibility for doing the “right” things. It is not enough to fulfill one’s
performance accountabilities; it must be fulfilled in an ethical and socially responsible manner which is
referred as the ethics self-governance.
COURSEWARE
ES034 | ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Week 2
Adapted by:
Engr. Antoniette M. Almaden
Engr. Aries M. Rivero
For Week 2, we will delve into the environment of organizations (including the global
environment) - Organizational Culture & Environment, Global Dimension of Management, and
Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship.
Sharing to you an ideal study guide that will guide you through the week.
Again, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me!
I hope you will enjoy and learn so much for this week!
Watch this video before starting the module and answer the discussion questions:
INTRODUCTORY Our People, Our Culture of Equality
VIDEO https://youtu.be/iUY8Lv96Scw
Organizational culture is a system of shared values, assumptions, beliefs, and norms that unite the
members of an organization. Organizational culture reflects employees’ views about “the way things are
done around here.” Culture gives meaning to actions and procedures within an organization and may be
considered to be the personality of the organization. The culture specific to each firm affects how employees
feel and act as well as the type of employee hired and retained by the company.
There are three aspects of an organization’s culture, as shown in Figure 2.1. The most obvious is the visible
culture that an observer can hear, feel, or see. Aspects of visible culture include how people dress, how
fast people walk and talk, whether there is an open floor plan
without office doors or managers have private offices, and the
extent to which status and power symbols are conspicuous.
Assigned parking spots based on rank, differing cafeteria or
eating arrangements based on organizational level, and the
degree to which furnishings are plush and conservative
versus simple and modern indicate the nature of power and
status differentials.
At a deeper level, espoused values are not readily observed but instead are the ways managers and
employees explain and justify actions and decisions. For example, managers may justify layoffs primarily
on the basis of a need to cut costs or to expedite decision making and improve response time by
streamlining organizational levels. Other managers may say they tolerate mistakes because employees
need to be encouraged to take risks or because it is better to treat workers with respect and provide them
with second chances when necessary. Espoused values are those values that are expressed on behalf of
an organization or that are expressed as explanations for policies or actions.
Espoused values may vary substantially across organizations and this variability in expressed values can
reflect real and important differences in these organizations. For organizations that have merged or been
acquired it has been found that organizational performance after the merger is better for firms that had
more closely matched espoused values to begin with. This effect on postmerger financial performance
illustrates the importance of espoused values.
Espoused values are generally consciously and explicitly communicated. At the center of organizational
culture are core values that are widely shared, operate unconsciously, and are considered nonnegotiable.
In some organizations, a basic assumption may be that stability and commitment of the workforce are
critical for success. Consequently, employees are well treated and receive liberal fringe benefits. At the
other extreme, a basic assumption may be that employees are commodities and an expense that should
be minimized in the business process, rather than an investment. Thus employees are tightly controlled,
exceptions to established policy are kept to a minimum, there are detailed rules and procedures about what
employees can and cannot do, and managers believe it is their duty to prevent deviations from the norms.
Employees may be watching one another to ensure that no one breaks the rules, and people are trained to
check with their superiors before making most decisions.
The basic underlying cultural assumptions create the lenses through which people perceive and interpret
events. Someone sitting motionless may be seen as loafing in some firms, while at others, the employee
would be perceived as pondering an important problem. When employees are absent from work, the
organization’s culture may lead managers to conclude they are shirking, and if an employee requests
permission to perform some tasks at home, the request will probably be denied because the supervisor
expects the employee will “goof off” rather than work.
Why is having a strong culture important? For one thing, in organizations with strong cultures, employees
are more loyal than are employees in organizations with weak cultures. Research also suggests that strong
cultures are associated with high organizational performance. And it’s easy to understand why. After all,
if values are clear and widely accepted, employees know what they’re supposed to do and what’s
expected of them, so they can act quickly to take care of problems. However, the drawback is that a strong
culture also might prevent employees from trying new approaches especially when conditions are
changing rapidly.
1. From the video Coolest Office Ever? (Google Office Tour) - Hype Hunt: EP18, give at least 3 visible
cultures of Google.
https://www.google.com/about/philosophy.html
Comparing the Working at Google video and the Google’s Core Values, how did Google concretely apply
their Core Values to the actual working environment? Give at least 3.
Example:
Core Value: There’s always more information out there.
Application to Work Environment: There is already an answer to a lot of questions and are answered
by all of the resources and the other teams at Google.
The decade from 2000 to 2009 was a challenging one for organizations. For instance, some well-known
stand-alone businesses at the beginning of the decade were acquired by other companies during this time,
including Compaq (now a part of Hewlett-Packard), Gillette (now a part of Procter & Gamble) and Merrill
Lynch (now a part of Bank of America); others disappeared altogether, including Lehman Brothers, Circuit
City, and Steve & Barry’s (all now bankrupt). Anyone who doubts the impact the external environment has
on managing just needs to look at what’s happened during the last decade.
1. Identify at least 2 external factors and 2 internal factors that the companies need to reimagine given
the changes than the pandemic created. Include a brief explanation/description of the factor.
This is the age of the global economy in which resource supplies, product markets, and business
competition are worldwide rather than local or national in scope. It is also a time heavily influenced by the
forces of globalization, defined as the growing interdependence among the components in the global
economy.
There is no better way to illustrate the global economy than with the clothes we wear. Where did you buy
your favorite t-shirt? Where was it made? Where will it end up? In a fascinating book called The Travels of
a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, economist Pietra Rivoli tracks the origins and disposition of a t-shirt that
she bought while on vacation in Florida.
As shown here, Rivoli’s t-shirt lived a complicated and very global life. That life began with cotton grown in
Texas. It moved to China where the cotton was processed and white t-shirts were manufactured. The t-
shirts were then sold to a firm in the United States that silk-screened and sold them to retail shops for resale
to American customers. These customers eventually donated the used t-shirts to a charity that sold them
to a recycler. The recycler sold them to a vendor in Africa who distributed them to local markets to be sold
yet again to local customers.
It’s quite a story, this t-shirt that travels the commercial highways and byways of the world. Thus;
globalization can be described as “one of the most powerful and pervasive influences on nations,
businesses, workplaces, communities, and lives.”
Global Management
The term used to describe management in businesses and organizations with interests in more than one
country is global management. Procter & Gamble, for example, pursues a global strategy with customers
in over 180 countries. Toyota has 14 plants in North America and employs over 35,000 locals. The success
of firms like these depends on being able to attract and hire truly global managers who have strong global
perspectives, are culturally aware, and always stay informed about international developments.
The two firms follow somewhat different strategies, but each is actively pursuing these common reasons
for doing international business.
Today you can add another reason to this list, economic development—where a global firm does business
in foreign countries with direct intent to help the local economy. Coffee giants Green Mountain Coffee
Roasters, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and Starbucks, for example, are helping Rwandan farmers improve
production and marketing methods. They send advisers to teach coffee growers how to meet high
standards so that their products can be sold worldwide. It’s a win–win: The global coffee firm gets a quality
product at a good price, the local coffee growers gain skills and market opportunities, and the domestic
economy improves.
In this example, the Australian parent company uses natives of India to manage operations at the Indian
subsidiary. Natives of Australia manage the home office.
“The collective strength of experiences, skills, talents, perspectives, and cultures that each agent and
employee brings to the workplace”
- State Farm, the number one provider of auto insurance in the United States
“Diversity is often used to refer to differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, national
origin and sexual orientation,” but it also encompasses an “infinite range of unique characteristics and
experiences, including communication styles, physical characteristics such as height and weight, and
speed of learning and comprehension.”
- The Society for Human Resource Management
One important thing to note about these diversity definitions is that they focus on all the ways in which
people can differ. And that’s significant because diversity is no longer viewed as simply specific categories
like race, gender, age, or disability but has broadened to a more inclusive recognition of the spectrum of
differences.
On the other hand, workforce diversity is the ways in which people in an organization are different from
and similar to one another. The demographic characteristics that we tend to think of when we think of
diversity—age, race, gender, ethnicity, etc.—are just the tip of the iceberg. These demographic differences
reflect surface-level diversity, which are easily perceived differences that may trigger certain stereotypes,
but that do not necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel. Such surface-level differences in
characteristics can affect the way people perceive others, especially when it comes to assumptions or
stereotyping. However, as people get to know one another, these surface-level differences become less
important and deep-level diversity—differences in values, personality, and work preferences—becomes
more important. These deep-level differences can affect the way people view organizational work rewards,
communicate, react to leaders, negotiate, and generally behave at work.
2. Promote Innovation
Age
The aging population is a major critical shift taking place in the workforce. With many of the nearly 85 million
baby boomers still employed and active in the workforce, managers must ensure that those employees are
not discriminated against because of age. One issue
with older workers is the perception that people have
of those workers. Perceptions such as they’re sick
more often and they can’t work as hard or as fast as
younger employees—perceptions that are inaccurate.
Employers have mixed feelings about older workers.
On the positive side, they believe that older workers
bring a number of good qualities to the job including
experience, judgment, a strong work ethic, and a
commitment to doing quality work. However, they also
view older workers as not being flexible or adaptable
and being more resistant to new technology. The
challenge for managers is overcoming those
misperceptions of older workers and the widespread
belief that work performance and work quality decline
with age. Managers need to ensure that these
Exhibit 2.5 Types of Diversity Found in Workplaces workers, regardless of age, also are treated fairly and
as valuable assets. Effectively managing an
organization’s diverse age groups can lead to their working well with each other, learning from each other,
and taking advantage of the different perspectives and experiences that each has to offer. It can be a win-
win situation for all.
Gender
Women (49.8%) and men (50.2 %) now each make up almost half of the workforce. Yet, gender diversity
issues are still quite prevalent in organizations. So what do we know about differences between men and
women in the workplace?
Another area where we also see differences between genders is in preference for work schedules,
especially when the employee has preschool-age children. To accommodate their family responsibilities,
working mothers are more likely to prefer part-time work, flexible work schedules, and telecommuting. They
also prefer jobs that encourage work–life balance.
Not that either women or men are the superior employees, but a better appreciation for why it’s important
for organizations to explore the strengths that both women and men bring to an organization and the barriers
they face in contributing fully to organizational efforts.
FEAR REALITY
Hiring people with disabilities leads to higher Absentee rates for sick time are virtually equal between employees
employment costs and lower profit margins with and without disabilities; workers’ disabilities are not a factor in
formulas calculating insurance costs for workers’ compensation
Workers with disabilities lack job skills and Commonplace technologies such as the Internet and voice-
experience necessary to perform as well as recognition software have eliminated many of the obstacles for
their abled counterparts workers with disabilities; many individuals with disabilities have
great problem-solving skills from finding creative ways to perform
tasks that others may take for granted
Uncertainty over how to take potential A person with a disability for whom workplace accommodations
disciplinary action with a worker with have been provided has the same obligations and rights as far as
disabilities job performance
High costs associated with accommodating Most workers with disabilities require no accommodation but for
disabled employees those who do, more than half of the workplace modifications cost
$500 or less
In effectively managing a workforce with disabled employees, managers need to create and maintain an
environment in which employees feel comfortable disclosing their need for accommodation. Those
accommodations, by law, need to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their jobs but they also need
to be perceived as equitable by those not disabled. That’s the balancing act that managers face.
Religion
An increasing number of large companies are implementing policies and practices to protect the rights of
GLBT employees in the workplace. For instance, Ernst & Young, S. C. Johnson & Sons, Inc., and Kodak,
among others, all provide training to managers on ways to prevent sexual orientation discrimination. A
diversity manager at IBM says, “We believe that having strong transgender and gender identification
policies is a natural extension of IBM’s corporate culture.” Managers need to look at how best to meet the
needs of their GLBT employees. They need to respond to employees’ concerns while also creating a safe
and productive work environment for all.
As said earlier, diversity refers to any dissimilarities or differences that might be present in a workplace.
Other types of workplace diversity that managers might confront and have to deal with include
socioeconomic background (social class and income-related factors), team members from different
functional areas or organizational units, physical attractiveness, obesity/thinness, job seniority, or
intellectual abilities. Each of these types of diversity also can affect how employees are treated in the
workplace. Again, managers need to ensure that all employees—no matter the similarities or
dissimilarities—are treated fairly and given the opportunity and support to do their jobs to the best of their
abilities.
Federal laws have contributed to some of the social change over the last 50-plus years and have evolved
to the level of diversity that currently exists. Failure to do so can be costly and damaging to an
organization’s bottom line and reputation. It’s important that managers know what they can and cannot
do legally and ensure that all employees understand as well. However, effectively managing workplace
diversity needs to be more than understanding and complying with federal laws.
Today’s increasingly competitive marketplace underscores the reality that creating a diverse workplace has
never been more important. It’s equally important to make diversity and inclusion an integral part of the
organization’s culture. “A sustainable diversity and inclusion strategy must play a central role in decision
making at the highest leadership level and filter down to every level of the company.”
1. Make sure that diversity and inclusion are part of the organization’s purpose, goals, and
strategies. Even during economically challenging times, an organization needs a strong
commitment to diversity and inclusion programs.
2. Diversity needs to be integrated into every aspect of the business—from the workforce,
customers, and suppliers to products, services, and the communities served.
3. Policies and procedures must be in place to ensure that grievances and concerns are
addressed immediately.
4. Finally, the organizational culture needs to be one where diversity and inclusion are valued,
even to the point where, like Marriott International, individual performance is measured and
rewarded on diversity accomplishments.
Mentoring
Nature of Entrepreneurship
The term entrepreneurship describes strategic thinking and risk-taking behavior that results in the creation
of new opportunities.
Who are Entrepreneurs?
A classic entrepreneur is a risk-taking individual who takes action to pursue
opportunities others fail to recognize, or even view as problems or threats.
Some people become serial entrepreneurs that start and run new ventures
over and over again, moving from one interest and opportunity to the next.
We find such entrepreneurs both in business and nonprofit settings.
A common pattern among successful entrepreneurs is first-mover
advantage. They move quickly to spot, exploit, and deliver a product or
service to a new market or an unrecognized niche in an existing one.
Characteristics of Entrepreneurs
Attitudes and Personal Interests
● Internal locus of control: Entrepreneurs believe that they are in control of their own destiny; they
are self-directing and like autonomy.
● High energy level: Entrepreneurs are persistent, hardworking, and willing to exert extraordinary eff
orts to succeed.
● High need for achievement: Entrepreneurs are motivated to accomplish challenging goals; they
thrive on performance feedback.
● Tolerance for ambiguity: Entrepreneurs are risk takers; they tolerate situations with high degrees
of uncertainty.
● Self-confidence: Entrepreneurs feel competent, believe in themselves, and are willing to make
decisions.
● Passion and action orientation: Entrepreneurs try to act ahead of problems; they want to get things
done and not waste valuable time.
● Self-reliance and desire for independence: Entrepreneurs want independence; they are self-reliant;
they want to be their own bosses, not work for others.
● Flexibility: Entrepreneurs are willing to admit problems and errors, and are willing to change a
course of action when plans aren’t working.
● Childhood experiences and family environment – some entrepreneurs are with parents who were
entrepreneurial and self-employed. And entrepreneurs are often raised in families that encourage
responsibility, initiative, and independence
● Career or work history - entrepreneurs who try one venture often go on to others. Prior work
experience in the business area or industry being entered is helpful.
● Deeply embedded life interest - entrepreneurs as having strong interests in starting things. They
enjoy creative production—things like project initiation, working with the unknown, and finding
unconventional solutions. Entrepreneurs also have strong interests in running things. They enjoy
enterprise control—being in charge, being held accountable, and making decisions while moving
others toward a goal.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a small business as one that has 500 or fewer
employees, is independently owned and operated, and does not dominate its industry. The most common
small business areas are restaurants, skilled professions such as craftspeople and doctors, general
services such as hairdressers and repair shops, and independent retailers. The vast majority of small
businesses employ fewer than 20 persons and over half are home based.
Any business—large or small, franchise or startup, needs a solid underlying business model. Think of this
as a plan for making a profit by generating revenues that are greater than the costs of doing business.
Serial entrepreneur Steven Blank calls business startups temporary organizations that are trying “to
discover a profitable, scalable business model.” In other words, a startup is just that—a “start”; it’s a new
venture that the entrepreneur is hoping will take shape and prove successful as things move forward.
END OF WEEK 2
COURSEWARE 3 & 4
ES034 | ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Week 3 (September 6 to 18, 2021)
Adapted by:
Engr. Antoniette M. Almaden
Engr. Aries M. Rivero
Even when the information is good, we don’t always make the right decisions based upon it. The term
analytics, sometimes called business analytics or management analytics, describes the systematic
evaluation and analysis of information to make decisions. Think of it as putting data to work for informed
decision making. Analytics is critically important to all aspects of the management process—planning,
organizing, leading, and controlling.
People perform best when they have available to them the right information at the right time and in the right
place. This is the function served by management information systems that use the latest technologies
to collect, organize, and distribute data. Silicon Valley pioneer and Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers
once pointed out that he always has the information he needs to be in control—be it information on earnings,
expenses, profitability, gross margins, and more. “Because I have my data in that format,” he said, “every
one of my employees can make decisions that might have had to come all the way to the president. . ..
Quicker decision making at lower levels will translate into higher profit margins. . .. Companies that don’t
do that will be noncompetitive.” Given the great power of technology today, information systems are
indispensable executive tools.
Information is the anchor point for all three—information helps a leader sense the need for a decision, frame
an approach to the decision, and communicate about the decision with others.
Managers as Information Processors - Managers are information processors who are continually gathering,
giving, and receiving information. This information processing is now as much electronic as it is face to
face. Managers use technology at work the way we use it in our personal lives—always on, always
connected.
ACTION LEARNING EXERCISE FOR DECISION MAKERS 3.1: You are the Mayor
Base on the trend of the positive cases of the novel coronavirus, COVID 19, in Cebu, what would you
implement to lessen the number of the positive cases as the Cebu City Mayor and why? Give at least 3.
How can electronic communications such as the Internet and news be used to improve the decision-
making process?
Managers as Problem Solvers – In all company situations, the manager’s skill in problem solving - the
process of identifying a discrepancy between an actual and a desired state of affairs, and then taking action
to resolve – is very essential. Success in problem solving comes from using information to make good
decisions—choices among alternative possible courses of action.
The decision-making process can be understood in the context of the following short case.
The Ajax Case. On December 31, the Ajax Company decided to close down its Murphysboro plant. Market
conditions were forcing layoffs, and the company could not find a buyer for the plant. Some of the 172
employees had been with the company as long as 18 years; others as little as 6 months. All were to be
terminated. Under company policy, they would be given severance pay equal to one week’s pay per year
of service.
This case reflects how competition, changing times, and the forces of globalization can take their toll on
organizations, the people who work for them, and the communities in which they operate. Think about how
you would feel as one of the affected employees. Think about how you would feel as the mayor of this small
town. Think about how you would feel as a corporate executive having to make the difficult business
decisions.
The first step in decision making is to find and define the problem. Information gathering and deliberation
are critical in this stage. The way a problem is defined can have a major impact on how it is resolved, and
it is important to clarify exactly what a decision should accomplish. The more specific the goals, the easier
it is to evaluate results after the decision is actually implemented.
Once a problem is defined, it is time to assemble the facts and information that will solve it. This is where
we clarify exactly what is known and what needs to be known. Extensive information gathering should
identify alternative courses of action, as well as their anticipated consequences. Key stakeholders in the
problem should be identified, and the effects of possible courses of action on each of them should be
considered. A cost-benefit analysis is a useful approach for evaluating alternatives. It compares what an
alternative will cost in relation to the expected benefits. The benefits of an alternative should be greater
than its costs, and it should also be ethically sound.
Back to the Ajax Case. The Ajax plant is going to be closed. Given that, the possible alternative
approaches that can be considered are (1) close the plant on schedule and be done with it; (2) delay the
plant closing until all efforts have been made to sell it to another firm; (3) offer to sell the plant to the
employees and/or local interests; (4) close the plant and offer transfers to other Ajax plant locations; or (5)
close the plant, offer transfers, and help the employees find new jobs in and around Murphysboro.
This is the point where an actual decision is made to select a preferred course of action.
Back to the Ajax Case. Ajax executives decided to close the plant, offer transfers to company plants in
another state, and offer to help displaced employees find new jobs in and around Murphysboro.
Once a decision is made, actions must be taken to fully implement it. Nothing new can or will happen unless
action is taken to actually solve the problem. Managers not only need the determination and creativity to
arrive at a decision, they also need the ability and willingness to implement it.
Back to the Ajax Case. Ajax ran ads in the local and regional newspapers. The ad called attention to an
“Ajax skill bank” composed of “qualified, dedicated, and well-motivated employees with a variety of skills
and experiences.” Interested employers were urged to contact Ajax for further information.
The decision-making process is not complete until results are evaluated. If the desired outcomes are not
achieved or if undesired side effects occur, corrective action should be taken. Evaluation is a form of
managerial control. It involves gathering data to measure performance results and compare them against
goals. If results are less than what was desired, it is time to reassess and return to earlier steps. In this way,
problem solving becomes a dynamic and ongoing activity within the management process. Evaluation is
always easier when clear goals, measurable targets, and timetables were established to begin with.
Base on your possible solutions to lessen the case of COVID-19 in Cebu (Activity 3.1: You are the
Mayor), applying the decision-making process and define your actions on each of the steps in decision
making.
Framing Error
Which one of these products would you pick: ‘80% fat-free’ frozen
yogurt or ‘20% fat’ frozen yogurt; ‘90% lean’ ground beef or ‘10%’ fat
ground beef? Most people would be more likely to choose the first
option in both cases, even though the two choices are identical.
Availability Bias
From that price point, you can now make adjustments as needed based on the brand, model, and additional
features. The higher your starting point, the more likely you are to settle on a higher final purchase price.
The lower your starting point, the more likely you are to settle on a lower purchase price.
Confirmation Error
State any personal experience on each of the decision traps and bias.
In decision-making, the engineer manager is faced with problems which may either be simple or complex.
To provide him with some guide, he must be familiar with the following approaches:
Qualitative Approach. This term refers to evaluation of alternatives using intuition and subjective
judgment. Stevenson states that managers tend to use the qualitative approach when (1) the problem is
fairly simple, (2) the problem is familiar, (3) the costs involved are not great / low cost and (4) immediate
decisions are needed. An example of an evaluation using the qualitative approach is as follows:
A factory operates on three shifts with the following schedule: (1) First shift — 6:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. (2)
Second shift — 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M and (3) Third shift — 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. Each shift consists of
200 workers manning 200 machines. On September 16, 1996, the operations went smoothly until the
factory manager, an engineer, was notified at 1:00 P.M. that five of the workers assigned to the second
shift could not report for work because of injuries sustained in a traffic accident while they were on their
way to the factory. Because of time constraints, the manager made an instant decision on who among the
first shift workers would work overtime to man the five machines.
Quantitative Approach. It concentrates on the quantitative facts or data associated with the problem and
develop mathematical expression that describes the objectives, constraints, and other relationships that
exist in the problem. Used when: (1) The problem is complex, and the manager cannot develop a good
solution without the aid of quantitative analysis, (2) The problem is very important (e.g. great deal of money
is involved), (3) The problem is new and the manager has no previous experience from which to draw, (4)
The problem involves many variables, (5) There are data which describe the decision environment, (6)
There are data which describe the value or utility of the different possible alternatives, (7) The goals of the
1. Inventory Models – consist of several types all designed to help the engineering manager make
decision regarding inventory. They are as follows:
a. Economic order quantity model - calculate the number of items that should be ordered at one
time to minimize yearly cost of placing orders and carrying items in inventory
b. Production Order Quantity Model – economic order quantity technique applied to production
orders
c. Back Order Inventory Model – used for planned shortages
d. Quantity Discount Inventory Model – minimize the total cost when quantity discounts are
offered by suppliers
2. Queuing Theory – describes how to determine the number of service units that will minimize both
customer waiting time and cost of service. This is applicable to companies where waiting lines are
a common situation. Examples are cars waiting for service at the car wash center, ships and barges
waiting at the harbor for loading and unloading by dockworkers, etc.
3. Network Models – models where the large tasks are broken into smaller segments that can be
managed independently. Two most prominent network models are:
a. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)– enables managers to schedule, monitor and
control large and complex projects with three time estimates for each activity
b. Critical Path Method (CPM) – network technique using only one-time factor per activity
4. Forecasting - the collection of past and current information to make predictions about the future
5. Regression Analysis - a forecasting method that examines the association between two or more
variables. It uses data from previous periods to predict future events.
a. Simple Regression – one independent variable is involved
b. Multiple Regression – two or more independent variables are involved
6. Simulation - a model constructed to represent reality on which conclusions about real-life problems
can be used
7. Linear Programming - quantitative technique that is used to produce an optimum solution within
the bounds by constraints upon the decision
8. Sampling Theory - quantitative technique where samples of populations are statistically determined
to be used for a number of processes such as quality control and marketing research.
9. Statistical Decision Theory / Decision Analysis - rational way to conceptualize, analyze and solve
problems in situations involving limited or partial information about the decision environment.
In inventory management, economic order quantity is the order quantity that minimizes the total holding
costs and ordering costs. It is one of the oldest classical production scheduling models.
Inventory Cost
● Holding costs - the costs of holding or “carrying” inventory over time; e.g. obsolescence, insurance,
extra staffing, interest, pilferage, damage, warehousing, etc.
● Ordering costs - the costs of placing an order and receiving goods; eg. Supplies, forms, order
processing, clerical support, etc.
● Setup costs - cost to prepare a machine or process for manufacturing an order; e.g. clean-up costs,
re-tooling costs, adjustment costs, etc.
Basic Assumptions
● Demand is known, constant, and independent
● Lead time is known and constant
● Receipt of inventory is instantaneous and complete
● Quantity discounts are not possible
● Only variable costs are setup and holding
● Stock outs can be completely avoided
Optimal Order Quantity, Q* Expected Number of Orders, N Expected Time Between Order, T
2𝐷𝑆 𝐷 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 / 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
𝑄∗ = √ 𝑁= 𝑇=
𝐻 𝑄∗ 𝑁
𝐷 𝑄
𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑝 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = (𝑆) 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = (𝐻)
𝑄 2
Example 1: Forever 25, a famous clothing manufacturer company, wanted to determine the number of
units of needles that they should order to minimize the yearly cost of placing orders. They also want to know
how many times do they need to order in a year, the optimal time between order/replenishment and the
total annual cost for ordering the needles in a year. Following data was provided by the procurement
department.
D = 1,000 units Q*= 200 units
2𝐷𝑆 2(1,000)(10)
𝑄∗ = √ = √ = 200 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠
𝐻 (0.50)
𝐷 1,000
𝑁= = = 5 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
𝑄∗ 200
𝐷 𝑄 1000 200
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = (𝑆) + (𝐻) = (10) + (0.50) = $100 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
𝑄 2 200 2
The Alladin’s Carpet Discount Store in Paknaan, Mandaue stocks carpet in its warehouse and sells it
through an adjoining showroom. The store keeps several brands and styles of carpet in stock; however,
its biggest seller is Super Fly carpet. The store wants to determine the optimal order size and total
inventory cost for this brand of carpet given an estimated annual demand of 10,000 yards of carpet, an
annual carrying cost of 37.50 per yard, and an ordering cost of 7500. The store would also like to know
the number of orders that will be made annually and the time between orders (i.e., the order cycle) given
that the store is open every day except Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (which is not on
a Sunday) (311 days/yr). Determine the following:
A rational way to conceptualize, analyze and solve problems in situations involving limited or partial
information about the decision environment. Three classifications of decision environment are the following:
(1) Decision Making Under Conditions of Certainty, (2) Decision Making Under Conditions of Uncertainty
and (3) Decision Making Under Conditions of Risk.
Definition of terms:
● Decision Alternative – the workable options that must be considered in the decision
● States of Nature – the probable future events that can occur, not under the control of the decision
maker
● Payoff Table – a table which shows the payoffs (profit or loss) which would result from each possible
combination of decision alternative and state of nature
There are four types of criteria that we will look at (1) Maximax Criterion (Optimist), (2) Maximin Criterion
(Pessimist), (3) Minimax Regret Criterion (Opportunist) and (4) Criterion of Realism (Realist).
Example: Consider the following problem of ABC Company. The company has to choose whether they will
have to expand, build or subcontract a building for company expansion. Come up with a decision using the
different criteria under conditions of uncertainty. The table shows the profit or loss – for example, if they
choose to expand but the demand (states of nature) of their product is low then they will make a loss of
Php250,000. (Amount in Php)
The pessimistic decision-maker locates the minimum payoff for each decision alternatives. The
maximum of these minimum payoffs is identified and the corresponding alternative is selected.
Since –Php100,000 is maximum out of the minimum payoffs, the optimal decision alternative is to
Subcontract.
Using the same example, if the demand is high, they will make a maximum profit of 700,000 if they
build. If they had decided to expand, they will only make a profit of 500,000. The difference or regret
between the 500,000 profit and the maximum of 700,000 achievable profit for that state of nature
(high) is 200,000. This means that they had an opportunity loss of 200,000 for choosing to expand
than to build. The regrets can be tabulated as follows:
4. Criterion of Realism
It is considering both optimism and pessimism. Alpha is used as an index of optimism. Determine
the maximum and the minimum payoff for each decision alternative and use the formula. Then a
weighted average/measure of realism of the maximum and minimum payoffs of an action, with α
and 1 - α as respective weights, is computed. The decision alternative with highest average is
regarded as optimal.
Using the same example, come up with a decision using criterion of realism with an index of
optimism at α = 60%.
Decision Alternatives
States of Nature
Expand Build Subcontract
High 500,000 700,000 300,000
Moderate 250,000 300,000 150,000
Low - 250,000 - 400,000 - 10,000
Failure - 450,000 - 800,000 - 100,000
Maximum Payoff 500,000 700,000 300,000
Minimum Payoff - 450,000 - 800,000 - 100,000
500,000*0.6 + -450,000*0.4 500,000*0.6 + -450,000*0.4 500,000*0.6 + -450,000*0.4
Measure of Realism 120,000 100,000 140,000
Since the average for Subcontract is the maximum, it is the optimal alternative.
END OF WEEK 3
Queuing System
Key elements of the queuing system are the (1) customer which refers to anything that arrives at a facility
and requires service, e.g., people, machines, trucks, emails. And (2) server refers to any resource that
provides the requested service, eg. repairpersons, retrieval machines, runways at airport.
Queue Structure is the crucial element of a queuing system, as it shows the queue discipline, which means
the order in which the customers are picked from the queue for the service. It depends on the arrival of
customers and the nature of service being offered. The customers can be chosen from the queue in one of
the following ways:
1. First-come-first-served. When the services are rendered to the customers in order of their arrival,
the queue discipline is the first-come-first-served type. Simply, serving the customer first, who
comes first to the service facility. Example: At the movie ticket counter, a person who came first will
get the tickets first.
2. Last-come-first served. It simply means, the person who comes last will be served first.
Sometimes the customers are serviced in the order reverse of the order in which they enter the
service facility. Example: A pile of files, the file that comes in the last will be read first.
3. Service-in-random-order (SIRO). Under this type of queue structure, the customer is chosen for
service randomly and hence all the customers are equally likely to be selected. Therefore, the time
of arrival of the customer has no consequence on the selection of the customer.
4. Priority Service. Under this rule, customers are grouped in priority classes on the basis of some
attributes such as service time or urgency or according to some identifiable characteristic, and
FCFS rule is used within each class to provide service. Treatment of VIPs in preference to other
patients in a hospital is an example of priority service.
Parallel channels means, a number of channels providing identical service facilities so that several
customers may be served simultaneously. Series channel means a customer go through successive
ordered channels before service is completed. A queuing system is called a one-server model, i.e., when
the system has only one server, and a multi-server model i.e., when the system has a number of parallel
channels, each with one server.
a. Arrangement of service facilities in series
1. Single Queue Single Server
Customer Characteristics/Attitude
1. Balking: “I’m not going to wait in that line”. Customer decides not to join the queue by seeing the
number of customers already in service system.
2. Reneging: “I’m outta here”. Customer after joining the queue, waits for some time and leaves the
service system due to delay in service.
3. Jockeying: “Hey, that line looks like it’s moving faster”. Customer moves from one queue to
another thinking that he will get served faster by doing so.
Average number of units waiting in the queue, Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the
Lq service unit is idle), ρ0
2
𝐿𝑞 = 𝜌0 = 1 −
µ (µ− ) µ
Example: You are an owner of a single server carwash. The customers arrive at a mean rate of 2 cars per
hour with a service rate/mean number of units served per time period of 3 cars serviced per hour. Compute
for the six parameters of single channel model and conclude whether there is a need to add a carwash boy.
Average number of units (customers) in the system Average time a unit spends waiting in the queue, Wq
(waiting and being served), Ls 2
𝑊𝑞 = = = 40 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
2 µ (µ− ) 3 (3 − 2)
𝐿𝑠 = = = 2 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒
µ− 3− 2
Average time a unit spends in the system (waiting time Utilization factor for the system, ρ
plus service time), Ws 2
𝜌= = = 66.6% 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑠ℎ 𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑦
1 1 µ 3
𝑊𝑠 = = = 1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚
µ− 3− 2
Average number of units waiting in the queue, Lq Probability of 0 units in the system (that is, the service unit
2
22 is idle), ρ0
𝐿𝑞 = = = 1.33 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 2
µ (µ− ) 3 (3 − 2) 𝜌0 = 1−
µ
= 1−
3
= 0.33 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 0 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚
Conclusion: Base on the computed parameters, there is a need to add a server/carwash boy. The system
has a low probability of having zero units and with an average of 2 cars waiting and being served. The
customers also have to wait for 40 minutes for a 20-minute service.
Pareto Chart
● A Pareto Chart is a series of bars whose height reflect the frequency or impact of problems
● The bars are arranged in descending order of height from left to right
● Bars on left are relatively more important (vital few) than that the bars on the right (trivial many)
Example: The business was investigating the delay associated with processing credit card applications, the
data could be grouped into the ff categories: no signature, residential address not valid, non-legible
handwriting, already a customer and other.
END OF WEEK 4