Engineering Management 102

b. Vestibule school - where the trainee is placed in a situation almost

exactly the same as the workplace where machines, materials, and time
constraints are present. As the trainer works full time, the trainee is
assured of sufficient attention from him.
c. Apprenticeship program - where a combination of on-the-job training and
experiences with classroom instruction in particular subjects are
provided to trainees.
d. Special courses - are those taken which provide more emphasis on
education rarther than training. Examples are those which concern
specific uses of computer like computer-aided design and building
procedures.

Training programs for Managers

The training needs of managers may be classified into four areas:
decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, job knowledge, and
organizational knowledge.
The decision-making skills of the manager ma be enhanced through any
of the following methods of training:
1. In-basket - where the trainee is provided with a set of notes, messages,
 Engineering Management 102

telephone calls, letters, and reports, all pertaining to a certain company

situation. He is expected to handle the situation within a given period of 1
or 2 hours.
2. Management games - is a training method where trainees are faced with a
simulated situation and are required to make an ongoing series of
decisions about that situation.
3. Case studies - this method presents actual situations in organizations and
enable one to examine successful and unsuccessful operations. It
emphasizes the manager's world, improves communication skills, offer
rewards of solving a mystery, possesses the quality of illustration, and
establishes concrete reference points for connecting theory with practice.
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The interpersonal competence of the manager may be developed through any of the
following methods:
1. Role playing - is a method by which the trainees are assigned roles to play in a
given case incident. They are provided with a script or a description of a given
problem and of the key persons they are to play. The purpose of this method is to
improve the skill of the trainees in human relations, supervision, and leadership.
2. Behavior modeling - this method attempts to influence the trainee by showing
model persons behaving effectively in a problem situation. The trainee is
expected to adapt the behavior of the model and use it effectively in some
instances later on.
3. Sensitivity training - under this method, awareness and sensitivity to behavioral
patterns of oneself and others are developed.
4. Transactional analysis - is a training method intended to help individuals not only
understand themselves and others but also improve their interpersonal
communication skills.

In acquiring knowledge about the actual job the manager is currently holding, the
following methods is useful:

1. On-the-job experience - this method provides valuable oppurtunities for the

trainee to learn various skills while actually engaged in the performance of a job.
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2. Coaching - this method requires a senior manager to assist a lower-level manager

by teaching him the needed skills and generally providing directions, advice, and
helpful criticism. The senior manager must be skilled himseld and have the ability
to educate, otherwise the method will be ineffective.
3. Understudy - under this method, a manager works as assistant to a higher-level-
manager and participates in planning and other managerial functions until he is
ready to assume such position himself. Once in a while, the assistant is allowed
to take over.

In the attempt to increase the trainee's knowledge of the total organization,

exposure to information and events outside of his immediate job is made. In this
regard, the following methods are useful:

1. Position rotation - under this method, the manager is given assignments in a

variety of departments. The purpose is to expose him to different functions of the
organization.
2. Multiple management - this method is premised on the idea that junior executives
must be provided with means to prepare them for higher management positions.
To achieve this, a junior board of directors is created consisting of junior
executives as memmbers. The board is given the authority to discuss problems
that the senior board could discuss. The members are encouraged to take a
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broad business outlook rather than concentrating on their specialized lines of

work.

Performance appraisal

Performance appraisal is the measurement of employee perfomance. The purposes

for which performance appraisal is made are as follows:
1. To influence, in a positive manner, employee performance and development;
2. To determine merit pay increases;
3. To plan for future perfomance goals;
4. To determine training and development needs; and
5. To assess the promotional potential of employees

Ways of appraising performance

An employee's performance may be measured using any of the following methods:
1. Rating scale method - where each trait or characteristic to be rated is
represented by a line or scale on which the rater indicates the degree to which
the individual possesses the trait or characteristic.
2. Essay method - where the evaluator composes statement that best describe the
person evaluated.
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3. Management by objectives method - where specific goals are set collaboratively

for the organization as a whole, for various sub-units, and for each individual
member. Individuals are, then, evaluated on the basis of how well they have
achieved the results specified by the goals.
4. Assessment center method - where one is evaluated by persons other than the
immediate superior. This method is used for evaluating managers.
5. Checklist method - where the evaluator checks statements on a list that are
deemed to characterize an employee's behavior or performance.
6. Work standards method - where standards are set for the realisticworker output
and later on used in evaluating the performance of non-managerial employees.
7. Ranking method - where each evaluator arranges employees in rank order rom
the best to the poorest.
8. Critical-incident method - where the evaluator recalls and writes down specific
(but critical) incidents that indicate the employee's performance. A critical
incident occurs when employee's behavior results in an unusual success or
failure on some parts of the job.
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Employment decisions

After evaluating the performance of employees (managerial or otherwise), the

management will now be ready to make employment decisions. These may consist
of the following:
1. Monetary rewards - these are given to employees whose performance is at par or
above standard requirements.
2. Promotion - this refers to a movement by a person into a position of higher pay
and greater responsibilities and which is given as a reward for competence and
ambition.
3. Transfer - this is the movement of a person to a different job at the same or
similar level of responsibility in the organization. Transfers are made to provide
growth oppurtunities for the persons involved or to get rid of a poor performing
employee.
4. Demotion - this is a movement from one position to another which has less pay or
responsibility attached to it. Demotion is used as a form of punishment or as a
temporary measure to keep an employee until he is offered a higher position.

Separation
Separation is either a voluntary or involuntary termination of an employee. When
made voluntarily, the organization's management must find out the real reason.
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If the presence of a defect in the organization is determined, corrective action is

necessary.

Involuntar y separation (or termination) is the last option that the management
exercises when an employee's performance is poor or when he or she committed an
act violating the company rules and regulations. This is usually made after training
efforts fail to produce positive results.
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MOTIVATING

Productivity has always been a serious concern of the management of firms. If it

improves, it means greater chances for the company to grow and be more stable.
One reason why the Philippine economy cannot move steadily forward is our record
of low productivity for so many years.

Higher productivity, however, is not a result of chance. It happens because of harder,

more efficient, and more intelligent work made by the employees. To be willing
par tners, however, the requirement is for them to be properly motivated. An
example is the management of a construction firm wanting its employees to finish
projects on time, with the quality required at the least cost. To achieve this, various
methods of motivation may be applied.

When the cost of the other factors of production is seriously affecting the viability
of the firm, the remaining factor (i.e., labor) may save the company from financial
difficulties. However, this will depend on whether or not labor will be motivated to
perform their assigned task.
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IN SUMMARY

Engineering or ganizations are not immune to the dif ficulties of filling with
qualified persons the various positions identified in the organizing stage. As the
outputs of the engineering fir ms are produced by people under the
supervision of engineer managers, errors in the performance of the jobs may not
be easily discernible. As such, staffing must be treated with serious concern.

Staffing deals with the deter mination of human resource needs, recruitment,
selection, trainig, and development.

The staffing process consists of the following series of steps: human resource
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planning, r ecr uitm ent, selection, induction a n d o r i e n t at i o n , t r a i n i n g a n d

development, performance appraisal, employment decisions, and separations.

The sources of applicants consist of the organization's cur rent employees,

newspaper advertising, schools, referrals from employees, recruitment firms, and
competitors.

The ways of determining the qualifications of job candidates consist of applicants

blanks, references, interviews, and testing.

Training programs consist of one type for non-managers and another type for
executives.

The various methods of performance appraisal are classified into the rating scale
method, the essay method, management by objectives method, assessment center
method, checklist method, work standards method, ranking method, and critical-
incident method.

Employment decisions are classified as: monetary rewards, promotion, transfer, and
demotion. Separation may be classified as voluntary or involuntary.
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What is motivation?

Motivation refers to the act of giving employees reasons or incentives... to work to

achieve organizational objectives. Motivation, on the otherhand, refers to the
process of activating behavior, sustaining it, and directing it toward a particular
goal. This definition is useful because it specifies three stages: activating,
sustaining, and directing actions towards the achievement of objectives.

Factors contributing to motivation

There are certain factors influencing a person's desire to do his job well. They are
the following:
1. Willingness to do a job. People who like what they are doing are highly motivated
to produce the expected output.
2. Self-confidence in carrying out a task. when employees feel that they have the
required skill and training to perform a task, the more motivated they become
3. Needs satisfaction. People will do their jobs well if they feel that by doing so their
needs will be satisfied.
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Theories of motivation

There are various theories of motivation, but only the four most influential ones will
be discussed consist of the following:

1. Maslow's needs hierarchy theory

2. Hezberg's two-factor theory
3. Expectancy theory
4. Goal setting theory

Maslow's needs hierarchy theory

Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, theorized that human beings have five basic
needs: physiological/biological, security/safety, social, esteem, and self-
actualization. The relevance of Maslow's theory to Engineering Management. Even if
Maslow's theor y has been largely questioned, one basic premise cannot be
discarded; a fulfilled need no longer motivates an individual. If this is the situation
the subordinate is in, the Engineer manager must identify an unfullfilled need and
work out a scheme so that the subordinate will be motivated to work in order to
satisfy the unfulfilled need.
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plus
Needs Motivation

which leads
to readiness

to
leads
for the next
need

Action or
Need Goal-
Satisfaction Directed
which Behavior
results to
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Herzberg's two-factor theory

The two-factor theory is one developed by Frederick Herzberg indicating that a

satisfied employees is motivated from within to work harder and that a dissatisfied
employee is not self motivated.
Herzberg identified two classes of factors associated with employee satisfaction
and dissatisfaction. In his research, Herzberg found out that satisfied employees
mentioned the following factors (called satisfiers or motivation factors) responsible
for job satisfaction: achievement, r ecognition, wor k itself, r esponsibility,
advancement, and growth.
Dissatisfied employees mentioned the following factors (called dissatisfiers or
hygiene factors) as responsible for job dissatisfaction: company policy and
administration, supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary,
relationship with peers, personal life, relationship with subordinates, status and
security.
If Herzberg's theory will be considered by the engineering manager in motivating
employees, he must do something to eliminate the dissatisfiers and install satisfiers.