MANAGEMENT cisions. And, this weakness is mostly felt by t h e older engineers. • Getting A h e a d . Most engineers feel t h a t "the grass is just as green on their o w n side of t h e fence/' This is reflected in the fact t h a t nine o u t of t e n interviewed feel that their futures lie w i t h their present employers. T h e r e m a y b e a bias in this result, N S P E points out. T h e 11 companies from which t h e survey sample w a s d r a w n are all large, progressive, a n d growing—thus offering many chances for promotion. A n d many of t h e older m e n say they h a v e to plan on advancem e n t in their present company anyway. After y o u have invested most of your working life in one place, it is h a r d t o change, they say.
T h e survey finds that less t h a n half the engineers questioned belong to professional societies and t h a t a very small n u m b e r ( 2 % of the t h r e e to six year group, 8% of t h e 10 t o 1 5 year group, and 1 7 % of the 2 0 t o 25 year group) are active in society activities. This differs widely from participation of doctors and lawyers who, as groups, are rather active in their representative organizations. Apparently, engineers do not feel that working within their societies furthers professional status. This presents a real challenge for t h e engineering societies. Another marker on t h e road to professionalism—registration—is also not r e g a r d e d highly b y t h e surveyed engineers. I n fact, t w o thirds say t h a t it has little or n o job value for them a n d little prestige value either. A typical c o m m e n t : "You don't have to register to g e t the job, so it m u s t n o t b e too i m p o r t a n t / ' And others say i t is useful only for consultants. • More v s . Less Successful Engin e e r s . T h e survey also sought to find differences between attitudes of successful engineers and those of less success. T h e conclusion: All engineers are interested in getting ahead, regardless of h o w far they h a v e already gone. But t h e more successful ones have some distinguishing attitudes:
Views on Automation Executives look into psychology of automation .PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS of
automa-
tion and resultant problems faced b y management concern two members of industry. "People resist change because of habit," states Glenn R. Cowan, coordinator of work simplification for B. F . Goodrich. Cowan told t h e International Conference of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers that resistance t o change is t h e greatest problem industry faces in the move toward automation. Industrial managements, h e feels, m u s t allay workers' Engineer Shortage fears by showing h o w they can take pride in the greater accomplishment About 6 0 % of the engineers inof automated plants. terviewed feel that t h e present intense competition for engineers is "People tend to lose their resistance good for t h e engineering profesto change t h e more they participate in sion. But some 3 0 % disagree. making that change," h e declares. But T h e y say i t undermines profestheir creative ability slowly dies if they sional values: have no chance to express it. Cowan believes that in the "automatic" age, • Puts too much emphasis on industry will take advantage of man's money. ability t o generate a n d use new ideas. • Gives t h e y o u n g engineer a This, h e is sure, will overcome the refalse sense of values. sistance to change. • Forces quality standards down. • Adapting t h e H u m a n . Another • T h e y stress t h e importance of being • Gives t h e profession a false viewpoint is expressed by H . A. Toultreated as p a r t of management. glamor in t h e eyes of new engi• T h e y complain less a b o u t t h e p r e - min, Jr., board chairman of Commonneers. rogatives of position—size of t h e office, wealth Engineering. Toulmin expects automation will force industry t o invessecretarial help, and t h e like. tigate t h e mind and psychology of huDespite any bias that may b e pres• T h e y find the work m o r e challengent, however, most engineers are glad ing a n d reap greater satisfaction from man beings. " W e have," h e says, "been so busy exthey a r e engineers a n d most expect to it. tolling t h e wonders of automation that advance. T h e road they take—techni• T h e y feel they a r e recognized we have not considered sufficiently cal or managerial—depends on the perwithin the company as professionals. the limitations of t h e h u m a n body sons. Most feel that they can advance either 'way, b u t that they can go higher Opinion Research Corp., which con- which must be adapted to t h e n e w acif they switch from t h e straight techni- d u c t e d the survey, interviewed each of tivities now required of it." Toulmin cal side to supervisory and managerial the 2 6 5 engineers extensively—up t o a n points out that a h u m a n brain must dework. And, with more steps clearly hour or more per man—to bring o u t sign an automatic system and formudefined on t h e m a n a g e m e n t ladder, attitudes a n d basic feelings. T h e co- late the problems to b e fed through it. they feel t h e y are progressing faster sponsors, N S P E and P E C B I , point out It also takes a h u m a n being to control even if they a r e not. that although they believe the survey and operate that system. F o r this reaT h e switch to m a n a g e m e n t requires reflects the way engineers in industry son, he believes automation will comsome changes in engineers. Between a really feel, results should not b e extrap- pel research into t h e adaptability of third a n d a half of t h e interviewees olated beyond the area tested—engi- human beings to t h e automatic conditions, their ability t o think quickly and point out t h a t management takes n e w neers in large companies. reason under stress, and their capacity skills that engineers must learn—getting to maintain long hours of observation along with people, working as a m e m and control. I n particular, he stresses, This survey, "Career Satisfactions ber of a team, seeing the "big picture". of Professional Engineers in Industry»" although we know a lot about industrial These, NSPE a d d s , a r e the same points is the fifth in a series of executive repsychology, w e need to know more to it always meets w h e n discussing ensearch reports sponsored jointly by catch u p with the problems machines gineers in m a n a g e m e n t . NSPE and PECBI. The previous reports discussed use of engineering have created and will create. • Engineers a n d t h e Profession. manpower (C&EN, Dec. 1, 1952), "Automation," Toulmin concludes, "is Engineers in industry are apparently engineer-management communicat ions not so much a matter of putting people not sure whether or not they are pro(C&EN, March 17, 1952), getting out of work as it is a problem of how fessionals. T h e y are sure, though, t h a t and keeping engineers (C&EN, Jan. IS, 1954), and industrial training of to make people more competent to perthe general public does not consider engineers. This, the fifth, will he pubform t h e n e w and greater responsibilithem as such. And, many doubt t h a t lished in booklet form in mid-August. ties they will b e called upon t o meet." engineering really is a profession. 28
C&EN
JULY
2 9,
1957
