Introduction to

engineering

Engineering and Society

1.
1. What
What itit means
meansto
tobe
bean
an engineer?
engineer?
2.
2. What
Whatis
is Engineering?
Engineering?
3.
3. Rules
Rulesof
of conduct
conduct
4.
4. Functions
Functionsof
of Engineers
Engineers
5.
5. Profession
Professionand
andProfessionalism
Professionalism
6.
6. Good
GoodLeaders
Leaders
7.
7. Freedom
Freedomwithin
withinFramework
Framework

What is your understanding of

engineer as a profession?
What is the engineer duty?
What type of knowledge involved?
What is the difference of engineer compared to
scientist?

What it means to be an
engineer?
An

engineer is a person professionally

engaged in a field of engineering

vocation (profession) whose principal duty

is to serve mankind

Applying

knowledge to create

practical devices,
structures and
Processes

In

contrast: Scientist aims to seek

knowledge

What is engineering?
Origins of the word?
IEM (Institution of Engineers Malaysia)

Engineering-origins of
the word
Practical

form of art and a profession,

evolved from the work of builders
thousands of years ago

Originated

probably in the Middle

Ages around 1000-1200 AD(Anno Domino
or Current Era)

There

were mainly builders of civil and

mechanical structures such as buildings,
bridges, roads, mills and war machines

What is Engineering?

Engineering is the discipline and

profession of applying technical and
scientific knowledge and utilizing natural
laws and physical resources in order to design
and implement materials, structures,
machines, devices, systems, and
processes that safely realize a desired
objective and meet specified criteria

What is Engineering?
The

profession in which a
knowledge of the mathematical
and natural sciences gained by
study, experience, applied
practices with judgement ,to
develop ways to utilize
economically the materials and
forces of nature for the benefit of
mankind

Science and Technology

Definition

Science:
Business of seeking knowledge

Technology
Intelligent organization and
Manipulation of materials for
useful purposes

IEM
Definition of Engineering
Share

a common heritage of knowledge, skill and

art
Renders

(give) a specialized services

Involves

a confidential relationship between

practitioner-client and/or employer

Is

charged with a substantial degree of public

obligation (duty)

Is

bound by a distinctive Ethical Code

Has

learned organizations or societies

Summary of
Engineering is

A profession: it has standards of conduct,

responsibilities, is based on specialized knowledge and
members can attain professional status in well-defined
ways.

An art as well as science: experience and practice is

required.

The application of professional judgement in seeking

optimum solutions.

The utilization of resources: nature, forces, energy,

material, knowledge.

An exercise in optimizing economic cost.

with rules of conduct

pertaining
Who

is permitted to practice?

What

are an engineers obligations to his/her

client or employer and his/her colleagues?

What

further obligations does an engineer owe to

society?

By

what standards shall an engineer be

compensated (rewarded)?

How

and by whom shall an engineers

professional conduct be judged?

What is the role

of ENGINEER ???

Functions of Engineers

Engineers act as a leader to technicians,

craftsmen and workers

Engineers should be
familiar with the skills of his/her
subordinates, and in addition to that,
innovate,
design,
make decisions,
and foresee,
identify,
assess, and
solve problems

 in the following areas:

Design
R&D
In various fields
of engineering

Management

Construction

Engineering skills
use in the
following areas
Production

Operation

Sales

Public Perception
Parents
Parents

Public
Public

High esteem

Poor

Good job
opportunities

communications
Square/ Rigid

Well paid

Male

Responsible
positions

Socially inept
(hard to adapt)
etc

Objectives of
Engineering
and Society Subject?

Objectives of Engineering and

Society Subject
Learn
social
side of
engineering

Include
issues like:
national
development
Environment
Social
Professionalism

Understand
importance

Understand
equal
Importance
of social
knowledge
to technical
knowledge

Analyse
problems

In reality
Engineers
are expected
to analyse
situations
and problems

Propose
solution

Propose
rational
solutions or
recommendations

What is the different

between profession and
professionalism?

Profession
Involve

the application of
specialised knowledge of a subject,
field, or science to fee-paying clientele

Claim

authority on specific
professional knowledge and skill

Possess

criteria for membership

privilege, obligation and rights

Characteristics of
Profession
Having

a specialized knowledge and skill

Have

undergone a recognized educational

process successfully

Having

acquired a standard of specialized

qualification based on a specific discipline of
education and proven competence

Action

guided by a standard of conduct based

upon ethical code

Status

recognition

Involved

actively in an organization devoted to

common advancement

Professionalism
Professional

status, methods,
character, or standards.

Refer

to members common way of

thinking and living

Sense

of moral and vocational

(profession) satisfaction

Professional

attitudes and motivation

based on community recognition and
level of reward

Professionalism
A

self imposed standards of excellence

in its performance

Sharing

advances in professional
knowledge by rendering gratuitous services
to society

Professional

activity carrying high level

responsibility

Motivation

for service

Professionalism
Engineers

practise as members of teams, led and

managed by senior engineers.

Senior

engineers -tended and managed large

resources of man, materials and finance

Junior

engineers -involved in detailed technical

practice

Technical
Generally

direction came from -middle level engineers

in the client-practitioner characteristic, the

individual role is taken over by the engineering
management

What is the criteria

of good leader?

Good Leaders
Tend

to treat people as colleagues, companies or

partners

To

gain respect, relying upon authority of

knowledge and personality

Require

considerable inner confidence to lead the

people on their journey and to show them the way
forward

Able

to motivate, making people understand the

importance by stressing on the significance of the job

good listener

Ask

question to create a climate of participation

Trust

the team

Good Leaders
Accept

responsibility

Courteous,

pressure

positive outlook and cool under

Full

of humility but has no doubt of his own

power or hesitation in speaking his opinion

Understand

what he can do or say depending on

the situation and condition

Be

right in the business but not just for himself

Spot

any crisis before it happens

Lead

by example

Engineer as Leader
Willingness

to practise the qualities of

good leader

Acquire

intense professional will and

display workmanlike diligence

Committed

to produce sustained
results with continuous improvement

Took

full responsibility

Engineers who are potential

leaders

A significance
life experience

Self-reflection Conscious
Personal
development
Being a mentor

A loving parent

A great teacher

What are possible challenges

when working in an
organization?

Bureaucracy and
Hierarchy
Endure

culture of discipline and

avoid hierarchy and bureaucracy

Bureaucracy

compensate
incompetence and lack of
discipline

Problem

is minimized if the right

people is chosen in the right
place

Bureaucracy and
Hierarchy
Bureaucracy
inhibit (hold back) creativity,
innovative people leave,
organization will suffer

culture of discipline together with

entrepreneurship driving spirit
would achieve superior
performance and sustained
results

Suggestion for organization

structure and mechanism?

Freedom within a Framework

Invent

mechanism that drive culture

change and enhancement

Enabling

manager to be responsible for

the return on investment

No

cover-up on ineffective management

Uses

rigour (strictness) and discipline

to enable creativity and entreprenourship

Given

the freedom to determine the

best path to achieve objectives

Freedom within a
Framework
Discipline

by itself would not produce great

result
Tremendous

discipline can produce disaster

Ideally,

require self-disciplined people who

are also engaged in thorough thinking

Disciplined

action within the framework

of a consistent system around the area
they can be best

Freedom within a
Framework
Discipline

people do not need a hierarchy

Disciplined

thought do not need

bureaucracy

Disciplined

action requires no excessive

controls
Great

performance achieved through the

combination of culture of discipline
with cultural entrepreneurship