Engineering Management: Decision-Making, Planning, Organizing, and Staffing

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapters 2 through 5 of Engineering Management lecture notes.

Decision-making

The process of identifying and choosing alternative courses of action in a manner appropriate to the demands of the situation.

Qualitative evaluation

The evaluation of alternatives using intuition and subjective judgement, typically used when problems are simple, familiar, low cost, or require immediate decisions.

Quantitative evaluation

The evaluation of alternatives using any technique in a group classified as rational and analytical.

Plan

The output of planning that provides a methodical way of achieving desired results and serves as a useful guide in implementation.

Planning (Nickels et al.)

The management function that involves anticipating future trends and determining the best strategies and tactics to achieve organizational objectives.

Planning (Aldag and Stearns)

The selection and sequential ordering of tasks required to achieve an organizational goal.

Planning (Cole and Hamilton)

Deciding what will be done, who will do it, where and how it will be done, and the standards to which it will be done.

Strategic planning

The process of determining the major goals of the organization and the policies and strategies for obtaining and using resources to achieve those goals, performed by top management over a horizon of one to ten years.

Intermediate planning

The process of determining the contributions that subunits can make with the allocated resources, performed by middle management over a horizon of six months to two years.

Operational planning

The process of determining how specific tasks can best be accomplished on time with available resources, performed by lower management over a horizon of one week to one year.

Standing plans

Plans used repeatedly that focus on recurring managerial situations, consisting of policies, procedures, and rules.

Single-use plans

Plans specifically developed to implement courses of action that are relatively unique and unlikely to be repeated, consisting of budgets, programs, and projects.

Organizing

A management function referring to the structuring of resources and activities to accomplish objectives in an efficient and effective manner.

Structure

An arrangement or relationship of positions within an organization resulting from the organizing process.

Ad hoc committee

A committee created for a short-term purpose with a limited life.

Standing committee

A relatively permanent committee that deals with issues on an ongoing basis.

Human resource planning

A component of the staffing procedure involving three activities: forecasting, programming, and evaluation and control.