Introduction to Management

What is management?

• Some Definitions
• Management is the process of getting activities completed efficiently and
effectively with and through other people. (Gulick & Urwick 1937)

• Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting

people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available
resources efficiently and effectively. (en.wikipedia.org)

• "Management is the art of getting things done through people.”

---- Mary Parker Follet

• “Management is the use of techniques based on measures artfully applied to

handle people (unpredictable) and to accomplish tasks (predictable).
-----Fraidoon Mazda
 A manager is likened to an
Orchestra Conductor
• Who coordinates and manages the team’s
activities like an orchestra

• Able to analyze minute details, their

interrelationship and put them together
into one whole; (i.e,. specific trees vs. the
entire forest)
 Management

• Both an art and a science

• No golden rules (No “rights” or “wrongs”) –

• Not an exact science, like engineering

• Learning the basic principles and techniques of
management in ES 92 – ‘language’ or ‘tools’ of
management and to be able to apply them to real life
situations later

• Being guided by experience which is the best teacher,

bearing in mind that management requires a constant
reappraisal of all that has been learned, since it is
almost certain that changes will occur over time

• Not to be a leader who issues commands and have

subordinates follow without question
 Brief History
Engineering management Earlier organizations were
of pyramids of Egypt primarily family businesses.

First business school was Management theory was first

founded at the University popularized in the USA and
of Philadelphia (1881). spread slowly to Europe.

The growth of large

corporations in the 1950’s,
Management associations like
particularly multinationals,
AMA (American Management
provided a boost to the
Association) in 1923 and
British Institute of Management professional manager.
in 1948 were founded.
 Engineering Manager

• Interfaces with a wide variety of functions

(finance, manufacturing, marketing, etc.)
• Needs to manage people (subordinates
reporting to him, peers, suppliers,
customers)
• Complex work tasks (includes preparation
of project plans and budgets)
 .
Technical Background
• Cannot be filled by non-technical people (i.e.,
accounting and marketing people)

• Promotion from engineer to manager often a

reward for good engineering work;

• But a good engineer does not always make a

good manager; To be a good manager, one
must have good interpersonal skills and
common sense;
• Must learn to work through people rather than
doing the tasks themselves

• Often a middle manager who receives goals

from above and translates them to strategy and
plan of action
- the higher up the organization, the more the
awareness for other issues (i.e., financial,
people, etc.) and less with detailed technical
matters
- the lower in the organization, the emphasis is
technical details
 Time Factor
• Job requires time for reflection and thought for
strategy and plan formulation

• But in practice, an open door policy which invite

interruptions; thus, must have the ability to shift
from one task to the next and from one person to
another

• Does not have the luxury of time (rarely a job

continuously worked)
 People Factor
• People problems most difficult to tackle;
note that technical staff are highly
educated (independent individuals who do
not like to be told what to do all the time)

• To command and lead by negotiation at all

levels; this requires good interpersonal
skills
• Delegate technical tasks even if they feel they
can do it better; only by delegation that staff can
develop

• Reviews and discussions not limited to tasks;

includes personal issues and development of
subordinates

• Sensitive to peers – should not bypass other

managers (an an engineer, can talk directly to
an engineer in another department but cannot
do that as a manager without knowledge of the
manager in that department
 Types of Manager
Managers vary in:
• Age
• Physical aspects
• Skills, experience and credentials
• Behavior

In looking for types of manager, managements styles are

considered.