Engineering Management – Comprehensive Vocabulary Flashcards

A 250-card English vocabulary set covering key concepts, tools, theories, and practices from the Engineering Management lecture. Ideal for exam preparation and rapid concept review.

Engineering Management

The activity that combines technical knowledge with the ability to organize and coordinate people, materials, machinery, and money.

Engineer Manager

An engineer who supervises people or projects and increasingly performs management tasks rather than technical ones.

Management

The creative problem-solving process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling an organisation’s resources to achieve its goals.

Planning

Selecting the best course of action so that desired results may be achieved.

Organizing

Structuring resources and activities to accomplish objectives efficiently and effectively.

Leading

Influencing others to engage in the work behaviours necessary to reach organisational goals.

Controlling

Ascertaining whether objectives have been met, and correcting deviations from standards.

Technical Skill

The specialised knowledge needed to perform a specific engineering or operational task.

Human Skill

The ability to work with, motivate, and communicate effectively with people.

Conceptual Skill

The mental ability to see the organisation as a whole and understand how parts fit together.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A motivation theory proposing that human needs progress from physiological to safety, social, esteem, and self-actualisation.

Physiological Needs

Basic biological requirements such as food, water, rest and shelter.

Safety Needs

Desires for security, protection and stability in the physical and economic environment.

Social Needs

The human requirement for friendship, belonging and love.

Esteem Needs

A person’s desire for status, recognition, and self-respect.

Self-Actualisation Needs

A person’s need to realise full potential and self-fulfilment.

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Motivation theory distinguishing hygiene factors that prevent dissatisfaction from motivators that build satisfaction.

Hygiene Factors

Job context elements such as salary, policies and supervision that can cause dissatisfaction if inadequate.

Motivator Factors

Job content elements like achievement and recognition that lead to higher satisfaction and performance.

Expectancy Theory

Idea that effort is based on expected outcomes, their attractiveness and the belief effort leads to performance.

Valence

The value an individual places on a desired outcome or reward.

Goal-Setting Theory

Concept that specific, challenging goals improve performance when there is commitment and feedback.

Positive Leadership

Motivating followers primarily through rewards and constructive reinforcement.

Negative Leadership

Influencing followers mainly by threats, punishment and fear.

Autocratic Leader

A leader who makes decisions unilaterally and closely controls subordinates.

Participative Leader

A leader who consults followers and allows them to share in decision making.

Free-Rein Leader

A leader who sets goals and gives subordinates freedom to choose how to achieve them.

Fiedler’s Contingency Model

Theory stating that leader effectiveness depends on matching style with situational control.

Task-Oriented Leader

Leader primarily concerned with getting the job done and meeting schedules.

Relationship-Oriented Leader

Leader who focuses on people’s needs and building mutual trust.

Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership

Model matching leadership style to followers’ maturity and competence.

Directive Leadership

Style that gives clear instructions, schedules and performance standards.

Supportive Leadership

Style emphasising friendliness, concern and treating subordinates as equals.

Participative Leadership (Path-Goal)

Leader consults followers and uses their suggestions before making decisions.

Achievement-Oriented Leadership

Leader sets challenging goals, expects high performance and shows confidence in followers.

Vroom-Yetton Decision Model

Framework prescribing appropriate leader decision styles based on situational factors.

Feedforward Control

A control that anticipates problems and takes preventive action before operations begin.

Concurrent Control

Monitoring and adjusting activities while they are in progress.

Feedback Control

Action taken after an activity is completed to correct future performance.

Current Ratio

Liquidity measure: current assets divided by current liabilities.

Acid-Test Ratio

Quick ratio: (current assets − inventories) ÷ current liabilities.

Inventory Turnover

Efficiency ratio: cost of goods sold divided by average inventory.

Debt-to-Total-Assets Ratio

Leverage measure: total debt divided by total assets.

Return on Assets (ROA)

Profitability ratio: net income divided by total assets.

Return on Equity (ROE)

Profitability ratio: net income divided by shareholders’ equity.

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)

Inventory model determining optimal order size that minimises total ordering and holding costs.

Just-In-Time (JIT)

Inventory system aiming to receive materials exactly when needed, reducing stock levels.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Computer-based system calculating material needs and scheduling purchases and production.

Job Shop

Manufacturing process that produces small batches of custom products using general-purpose machines.

Batch Flow

Process making own-design products in specified lots, allowing flexibility for low or high volumes.

Worker-Paced Line Flow

Assembly line where pace is set by human operators moving products station to station.

Machine-Paced Line Flow

Assembly line paced by machines producing standardised products with minimal human pacing.

Continuous Flow

High-volume, highly standardised production process operating 24/7, e.g., petroleum refining.

Service Factory

Service process offering limited mix of services to a large market, emphasising speed and price.

Service Shop

Process delivering a diverse mix of customised services requiring skilled labour and equipment.

Mass Service

Service process serving a vast customer base simultaneously with limited customisation.

Professional Service

Highly customised, labour-intensive service delivered by specialists such as engineers or consultants.

Product Design

Creating a set of specifications that ensures a product will satisfy customer needs.

Production Planning

Translating sales forecasts into the demand they create for capacity and resources.

Scheduling

Developing timetables specifying when each operation in the production process should occur.

Purchasing

Process of acquiring materials, equipment and services needed for operations.

Materials Management

Coordinating acquisition, movement and storage of materials to optimise cost and availability.

Work-Flow Layout

Physical arrangement of equipment and activities to ensure smooth production flow.

Quality Control

Comparing products or services to standards and taking corrective action on deviations.

Marketing Mix

Combination of product, price, place and promotion strategies used to satisfy a target market.

Target Market

Specific group of customers toward which a company directs its marketing efforts.

Product (Marketing)

A bundle of tangible and intangible benefits that satisfies customer needs.

Price (Marketing)

Money or other consideration exchanged for ownership or use of a product or service.

Place (Distribution)

Activities making a product available to customers at the right time and location.

Promotion

Communication activities that inform, persuade and remind target audiences about products.

Advertising

Any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion through mass media.

Publicity

Non-paid communication about a firm or its products appearing in media as news.

Personal Selling

Oral, face-to-face communication with potential buyers with the aim of making sales.

Sales Promotion

Short-term incentives such as contests, coupons or premiums to stimulate product demand.

Trade Credit

Short-term financing extended by suppliers allowing the buyer to pay later.

Commercial Paper

Unsecured, short-term promissory note issued by large firms to raise working capital.

Term Loan

Bank loan with a maturity of 2–30 years often used for plant and equipment.

Bond

Long-term debt instrument through which a company promises to pay interest and principal.

Common Stock

Equity security representing ownership in a corporation with voting rights and residual claim.

Retained Earnings

Portion of net income reinvested in the business instead of being distributed as dividends.

Financial Leverage

Use of debt financing to increase the return on shareholders’ equity.

Liquidity

Ability of a firm to meet short-term obligations as they come due.

Budget

Single-use plan expressed in quantitative terms to allocate resources for a period.

Protocol

Formal set of procedures governing communication or operations.

Span of Control

Number of subordinates who report directly to a manager.

Delegation

Process of assigning authority and responsibility to subordinates.

Line Authority

Manager’s formal power to direct subordinates and make decisions.

Staff Authority

Right of staff specialists to advise, recommend and counsel line managers.

Functional Authority

Specialist’s right to direct processes in other departments related to their expertise.

Standing Plan

Plan used repeatedly to handle frequently occurring situations, such as policies or rules.

Single-Use Plan

Plan developed for a one-time project or event and not likely to be repeated.

Policy

Broad guideline for decision-making that links strategy with day-to-day actions.

Procedure

Series of interrelated steps that must be performed to accomplish a task.

Rule

Explicit statement that either requires or forbids a specific action.

Program (Single-Use)

Comprehensive plan that coordinates a large set of activities for a major goal.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Network technique using single time estimates to schedule and monitor projects.

PERT

Program Evaluation Review Technique using three time estimates for each activity.

Simulation

Imitating real-life processes with models to evaluate alternative decisions.

Regression Analysis

Statistical method examining relationships between variables to predict future events.

Queuing Theory

Mathematical study of waiting lines used to balance service cost and customer delay.