BES4-M ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

WRITTEN REPORT

TITLE:
LEADING THE ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION

SUBMITTED BY:
ADRANEDA, JOHN MARS
NIMO, DAREEN
SALLAO, DONNA KAYE, L.
SUMILANG, MARYANN
TANO-AN, MARY CLAIRE

COURSE/YEAR/SECTION:
BSCE 3H

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. MARJUN B. MACASILHIG
INSTRUCTOR
Leading the Engineering Organization
There are times when in spite of great difficulties, jobs are needed to be done,
projects are needed to be finished on time, and services are needed to be provided.
This is a great challenge for leaders because in the engineering world there are a lot of
deadlines that need to be met. It is a crucial thing because if one deadline is not met on
time, there is a high probability that the productivity of the workplace will be affected.
That’s why for example employees in the production lines tend to be irritated by
delays in 'the arrival of necessary production materials and supplies because they
cannot start their work due to the delay on this part of the flow of production that’s why
as much as possible organization leaders are on top of everything to ensure that delays
such as this one can be avoided.
Workers complain when difficult jobs are assigned to their units. When calamities
strike, employees of public works agencies need more than wages to complete
assigned tasks as quickly as possible. As a leader there is a lot of pressure to ensure
that the organization that you are overseeing and the decisions that you are making are
effective in making the workplace as efficient and productive as possible. Because of
this you must be ready to face criticism from the members of your organization
especially if you are not doing your job properly.
These and other difficulties found in the workplaces provide sufficient reasons for
poor productivity. The situations cited required managers with effective leadership. Not
just leadership but it should be an effective one. There are many instances, however,
when the ill effects of whatever shortcomings happen. They seriously affect the
performance of workers. Effective leadership tends to neutralize such difficulties.
Because an effective leader steps up when their organization is facing difficulties, they
are the ones that are constantly working for effective solutions to the problems that the
company is facing, carefully considering every decision and alternative course of
actions.
Good working conditions, however, cannot overcome the disadvantages of bad
leadership. These are proven by many cases which occurred in the past and even in
modern times. No matter how good the facility of an organization or how much funds
that they have, without effective leadership there will be no direction for a company to
reach the goal that they are aiming for.
That’s why successful firms regard the leadership skill requirement as a high
priority concern. Big companies like Warner Lambert Philippines, Shell, Fuji-Xerox, and
Daewoo are seriously involved in training their managers to become effective leaders.
Looking only at the name of the brands that are mentioned we already know they value
the leadership skills of their manager because this is what makes these companies
successful, through the leaders of their organization.
Engineer managers, in whatever management level they happen to be, are not
exempted from the problem of effective leadership. If this is really so, then they must be
concerned with the management function of leading. Facing problems and formulating a
solution as an engineering manager only shows that as a leader you care about the
organization that you are overseeing.
WHAT IS LEADING?
Leading is that management function which "involves influencing others to
engage in the work behaviors necessary to reach organizational goals." As a leader you
need your team to believe in you because if you cannot earn the faith of the members of
the organization it will be impossible to lead. Without influence you cannot execute the
goals of the company and also you cannot set the culture within the organization. The
definition indicates that a person or group of persons tasked with managing a group
must assume the role performed by leaders. As a leader, the way you lead reflects on
how your employees lead other people when you assign them to manage a group.
To sum up, leading refers to the function, while leadership on the other hand,
refers to the process . This means that leadership only happens when you actually
execute the things that are expected to be done by a leader.
HOW LEADERS INFLUENCE OTHERS
Engineer managers are expected to maintain effective work forces. To be able to
do so, they are required to perform leadership roles. So, what are the leadership roles?
These are coaching, you serve as a communicator, delegator which assigns tasks, a
strategist, role model, motivator, trainor, and innovator basically all the things that are
expected to be done by a leader. (1) Leaders are said to be able to influence others
because of the power they possess. (2)Power refers to the ability of a leader to exert
force on another.
Bases of Power
The power possessed by leaders may be classified according to various bases. They
are as follows:
1. Legitimate Power
- A person who occupies a higher position has legitimate power over
persons in lower positions within the organization.
- A supervisor, for instance, can issue orders to the workers in his unit.
Compliance can be expected. As we all know in a company if there is a
person that has a higher position on you and he/she ordered you to do
things that are related to work, you need to follow as a sign of respect or
else you can face consequences. .
2. Reward Power
- When a person has the ability to give rewards to anybody who follows
orders or requests, he is said to have reward power. In simple terms, a
reward power happens when for example we are ordered to buy soy
sauce by our mother, and she said that we get to keep the change, that is
considered as a reward power because the person that follows orders are
being rewarded.
- Rewards may be classified into two forms: material and psychic.
- Material rewards refer to money or other tangible benefits like cars, house
and lot, etc.
- Psychic rewards consist of' recognition, praises, etc.
3. Coercive Power
 - When a person compels another to comply with orders through threats or
punishment, he is said to possess coercive power. This is the worst type of
power that a leader can use and it is an unacceptable way to lead an
organization meaning that the members of the organization are only following
your order not because they respect and trust you as a leader but only because
they are afraid of punishment.
- Punishment may take the form of demotion, dismissal, withholding of promotion,
etc.
4. Referent Power
- When a person can get compliance from another because the latter would want
to be identified with the former, that person is said to have referent power.
- For example, there is a manager that is known to be considerate and has
referent power within an organization and he\she propose an unattainable goal.
However, because others may like and admire the referent leader, they dismiss
their own concerns with the goal. Instead of asking questions, they accept the
goal as appropriate and reasonable. It’s simply because they respect that
particular person, and considered him/her as a role model
5. Expert Power
- Experts provide specialized information regarding their specific lines of expertise.
This influence, called expert power, is possessed by people with great skills in
technology. Basically people that are experts in their respective fields can
influence other people due to their high intelligence and skills
- For example, the expert power exercised by environmental scientists was
enough to force governments throughout the world to pass legislations favorable
to environmental protection. Because scientists hold a high credibility that’s why
they are powerful enough to influence even the government of a country.
The Nature of Leadership
The process of influencing and supporting others to work enthusiastically toward
achieving objectives is one definition of leadership. In which any manager in charge of
any department or unit is required to show leadership. Without competent leadership, it
is impossible to expect a unit or division to accomplish its goals. No unit or division
objectives may be anticipated to be accomplished if a leader is there but is not doing his
duties.
Traits of an Effective Leaders

1. High Personal Drive

- People who have drive are people who are seen as being able to take on
responsibilities and possess vigor, initiative, persistence, and health.Due to the
probability of failure in every attempt to accomplish particular goals, drive is a
very significant leadership quality. Even if it involves a sequence of unsuccessful
attempts, a leader always finds a different way to accomplish a goal if their first
plan doesn't work. Paul Mediarito, who managed San Miguel Corporation's Polo
facility from 1992 to 1994, is an illustration of someone with a high level of
personal drive. He played a key role in completely transforming the struggling
Polo Pant into a world class brewery with cutting edge technology and a
workforce with a fresh outlook.

2. The Desire to Lead

- There are instances that some people possess all the necessary skills for
leadership, but they are unable to assume those roles because they lack the will
to do so.Even if they are made to take on leadership roles, their efforts will be
insincere, making them ineffective. Leaders who genuinely want to lead will
always have a reserve of extra effort that can be drawn upon as needed.

3. Personal Integrity

- One quality of a leader is someone who is respected by others as having

integrity. One who lacks personal integrity will find it difficult to persuade his
subordinates of the importance of accomplishing various responsibilities. If this is
 the case, the leader will turn to using or threatening to use the coercive powers
granted to him by virtue of his rank and position in the hierarchy to exercise his
authority and get things done.

4. Self-Confidence

- Leaders must make decisions that will result in the desired outcomes in their
actions. If consistent efforts are made, the conceptualization, organization, and
implementation processes will be accomplished. In order for the moves to be
continuous and exact, self-confidence is needed.

5. Analytical Ability

- The Leaders frequently deal with obstacles that stop specified duties from being
completed. A leader can use the capacity to assess situations to help him
navigate many difficult areas of leadership. For instance, a subordinate may have
a history of consistently failing to deliver the required output. A leader who has
the expertise to identify the basis of the issue might be able to assist the
subordinate in increasing his output.

6. Knowledge of the Company, Industry or Technology

- A leader will be better able to direct his unit if they are knowledgeable about their
organization, the industry to which they belong, and the technologies used by
that industry.

7. Charisma

- A person is said to have charisma when they exude enough personal allure to
inspire others to follow their directives. Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Adolf
Hitler, George Washington, and Elvis Presley are notable historical figures who
are regarded as charismatic.
8. Creativity

- According to Ronnie Millevo, "creative people are those who can mix existing
facts, experience, and preconditions from different sources in such a way that the
outcomes will be subjectively viewed as fresh, valuable, and innovative and as a
directed solution to an identified problem situation."
- Creativity will be a very helpful quality for leaders as they are expected to offer
solutions to issues affecting their specific units or divisions. Problems are
frequently complicated and difficult, and if they are, the leader will need to use all
of his creative skills.

9. Flexibility

- A leader is said to be flexible if they permit the adoption of a different approach

from that of another individual as long as the desired results are obtained. Being
flexible is wise. When the intended method is ineffective, it permits using
alternative methods to achieve aims.

Leadership Skills

Three various skills that leaders need to be effective:

● Technical Skills
● Human Skills
● Conceptual Skills

Technical Skills

- These are the abilities a leader has to have in order to comprehend and make
decisions regarding work processes, activities, and technology. The particular
knowledge required to complete a task is known as technical skill. A leader will
be more capable of carrying out his duties if he possesses a technical expertise
linked to his area of responsibility.
Human Skills

- The ability of a leader to interact with people, both inside and outside the
business, is referred to as human skills. A good leader must be able to inspire,
encourage, and get along with people. Coaching, communication, team building,
learning and growth, assistance and support, and delegation are other human
talents in addition to inspiring.

Conceptual Skills

- Conceptual skills are the capacity to think conceptually and to understand how
something is put together from its component pieces. A concise and well-spoken
presentation of what has to be done is a fundamental prerequisite for effective
implementation. A leader who lacks the necessary intellectual abilities will be
unable to accomplish this.

Behavioral Approach to Leadership

The behavioral approach, as the name states, focuses on how leaders behave in
the execution of their responsibilities. This field of leadership study also focused on how
leaders make decisions. The behavioral approach focuses exclusively on what leaders
do and how they act. Behavioral leadership is the act of setting the tone for a work
environment by modeling specific behaviors. These behaviors can be learned and
refined over time—both by the leader themselves and by those who report to that
leader.

Behavioral Leadership Theory

Behavioral leadership theory is a management philosophy that evaluates leaders

according to the actions they display in the workplace. Supporters of this theory believe
that all you need to do to be an effective leader is to learn a certain set of behaviors.
Behavioral leadership theory argues that the success of a leader is based on their
behavior rather than their natural attributes. Behavioral leadership theory involves
observing and evaluating a leader's actions and behaviors when they are responding to
a specific situation. This theory believes that leaders are made, not born. Proponents of
this theory suggest that anyone can become an effective leader if they can learn and
implement certain behaviors.

Types of Behavioral Approaches to Leadership

1. People-oriented
- focus on behaviors that allow them to meet the needs of the people they
interact with, in supervisors, employees and clients. They are primarily
driven by interpersonal connection and communication. People-oriented
leaders build relationships with their team members to motivate them to
perform well. This type of leader favors behavior related to— encouraging
collaboration, rewarding success, observing their team's progress, and
mentoring team members.
2. Task-oriented
- Primarily focused on setting goals and achieving objectives. Task-oriented
leaders thrive in a well-structured environment and often show
authoritative behavior. They are typically more focused on their team's
final results rather than the day-to-day developmental process. Behaviors
that are common for a task-oriented leader include— initiating projects,
organizing processes, clarifying instructions, and gathering relevant data.
3. Participative
- Make an effort to include their entire team in decision-making processes.
They prioritize active communication, collaboration and feedback.
Participative leaders know their team's strengths and weaknesses and
assign tasks accordingly. This leadership style allows every team
member's voice to be heard and considered. Participative leaders are
 likely to— facilitate team meetings, ask for constructive feedback, take
suggestions for improvement, and delegate tasks to other team members.
4. Status-Quo
- Make an effort to prioritize both productivity and employee satisfaction. They
ensure that all tasks are finished on time while also providing support and
encouragement to their team members. Status-quo leaders typically meet the
needs of their team without going above or beyond expectations. Some
behaviors associated with status-quo leaders include— distributing tasks evenly,
requiring regular progress reports, enforcing company policies fairly, and
responding to feedback neutrally.
5. Sound
- Considered the most effective type of behavioral leadership. However, it is
typically difficult to practically implement. Sound leaders equally prioritize
productivity and team morale. They value their team members, set achievable
goals and deliver high-quality results. They are intrinsically motivated to succeed
and find satisfaction in supporting their team's progress. Sound leaders exhibit
behaviors like— encouraging open communication, allowing employees to work
independently, listening to and implementing feedback, and providing training
and continuing education to team members.
6. Country Club
- Prioritize their team members' happiness and satisfaction level. They believe that
a team that is comfortable and well-provided for is more likely to be successful.
Team members are likely to show high levels of trust and loyalty when working
with country club leaders. Some country club leaders might sacrifice productivity
in exchange for improving their team's morale or workplace relationships.
Country club leaders' behavior often involves— responding to team member
feedback, focusing on employees' well-being, defending employees' interests
and rights, and supporting the team members' decisions.

Contingency Approaches to Leadership Style

What is Contingency?
● Contingency is an event or circumstance that may but not certain to occur.
Contingency Approach
● Is an effort to determine through research which managerial practices and
techniques are appropriate in specific situations.
Various contingency are as follows:
- Fiedler’s Contingency Model
- Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model
- Path-Goal Model of Leadership
- Vroom’s Decision Making Model
Fiedler’s Contingency Model
- “Leadership is effective when the leader’s style is appropriate to the situation.”
The situational characteristics is determined by three principal factors:
● The relations between leaders and followers
● The structure of the task, and
● The power inherent in the leader’s position
The following can be tried if the situational approach is not effective
● Change the leader’s trait or behaviors
● Select leaders who have traits or behaviors fitting the situation
● Move leaders around in the organization until they are in positions that fit them.
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model
- Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model suggests that the most
important factor affecting the selection of a leader’s style is the development (or
maturity) level of subordinate.
Two components of Maturity
1. Job skill and knowledge, and
2. Psychological maturity

Leadership styles appropriate for the various maturity level for subordinates:
 ● Directing – is for people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and
committed.
● Coaching – is for people who have some competence but lack commitment.
● Supporting – is for people who have competence but lack confidence and
motivation.
● Delegating – is for people who have both competence and commitment.

Development Stage of Subordinates and Recommended Leadership Style

DEVELOPMENT STAGE RECOMMENDED STYLE:
1. low ability + low willingness Directing – structure, control, and supervise
2. low ability + high willingness Coaching – direct and support
3. high ability + low willingness Supporting – praise, listen, and facilitate
4. high ability + high willingness Delegating – turn over responsibility for
day-to-day decision making
Path-Goal Model of Leadership
- The path-goal model of leadership espoused by Robert J. House and Terence R.
Mitchell, stipulates that leadership can be made effective because leaders can
influence subordinate’s perceptions of their work goals, personal goals and path
to goals attainment.
Using the path goal model, it is assumed that an effective leader can enhance
subordinate motivation.
1. Clarifying the subordinate’s perception of work goals,
2. Linking meaningful rewards with goal attainment, and
3. Explaining how goals and desired rewards can be achieved.
The Path-Goal Process
Leadership styles which may be used by path-goal proponents:

1. Directive leadership – where the leader focuses on clear tasks assignments,

standards of successful performance, and work schedules.
 2. Supportive leadership – where subordinates are treated as equals in a friendly
manner while striving to improve their well-being.
3. Participative leadership – where the leader consults with subordinates to seek
their suggestions and then seriously considers those suggestions when making
sense.
4. Achievement-oriented leadership – where the leader set challenging goals,
emphasizes excellence, and seeks continuous improvement while maintaining a
high degree of confidence that subordinates will meet difficult challenges in a
responsible manner.
Vroom’s Decision-Making Model
- Prescribes the proper leadership style for various situations, focusing on the
appropriate degree of delegation of decision-making authority.
Alternative Decision-Making Styles in the Vroom Model
SYMBOL DECISION-MAKING STYLE DEGREE OF SUBORDINATE
PARTICIPATION
AUTOCRATIC LEADER
A-1 Leader solves the problem or making the decision himself using available
information None
A-2 Leader obtains necessary information from subordinates, then decides. Low
CONSULTATIVE LEADER
C-1 Leader approaches subordinates individually, getting their ideas and then makes
decisions. Moderate
C-2 Leader shares the problem with subordinates as a group, obtaining their
collective ideas and suggestions, then decides. Moderate
GROUP DIRECTED
G-2 Leader shares the problem with subordinates as a group. Let the group generate
and evaluate alternative solutions, and then collectively decide. High
Relation of contingency approach to leadership
 As we face different challenges in life, we’re using various ways to solve it. We
use our brain to come up with the solution and limbs to make the solution work. As we
lead an organization, it is almost the same as moving our bodies. Every member is as
important as our limbs and we have multiple brains for formulating a solution in every
situation.