1.3 - The Responsibilities of an Engineer in an Organization

DJJ40132:
ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING IN
SOCIETY

01 SUBTOPIC 1.3: THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN ENGINEER IN
AN ORGANIZATION

1.3.1 - Engineer responsibility in organization
1.3.2 - Engineer challenges in organization

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1.3.1 - ENGINEER RESPONSIBILITY IN ORGANIZATION

1 FUNCTION OF ENGINEERS IN ORGANIZATION

2 ENGINEER EXPECTATION TO BE IN ORGANIZATION

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FUNCTION OF ENGINEERS IN ORGANIZATION

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The primary function of engineers within an organization is to use their 4
technical knowledge and training to create structures, products,

and processes that are of value to the organization and its
customers.

But engineers are also professionals, and they must uphold the
standards that their profession has decided should guide the use

of their technical knowledge.

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Engineers may often be expected to give advice, even in
decisions properly made by managers. Management decisions can

often benefit from the advice of engineers. Even if there are no
fundamental problems with safety, engineers may have important

contributions with respect to such issues as improvements in
design, alternative designs, and ways to make a product more

attractive.

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ENGINEER EXPECTATION TO BE IN ORGANIZATION

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Confidentiality and Professionalism
conflicts of interest at the workplace

ENGINEER EXPECTATION Teamwork
TO BE IN ORGANIZATION

Loyalty

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Confidentiality and
conflicts of interest

Confidentiality
- What information need to keep as secret?
- “Proprietary information”. Disclosure to competitors would

effect the company.
- Changing jobs. Confidentiality to old employer, but you can

bring along your expertise

Conflicts of interest
- Gifts? Do not accept it

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- Willingly seek to perform duties
- Do the job with your heart
- Not share the internal issue to outsider

Loyalty

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- Help others
- Spread the info to related teams
- Not blame any problem to others
- Solve the problem together

Teamwork

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Professionalism 11
at the workplace

- Do not bring work issue outside company gate.
- Do the best in any condition ( Ex: Doing the best when you

need to work with person you do not like)
- Do not apply “taichi”
- Do not release your anger to other

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1.3.2 - ENGINEER CHALLENGES IN ORGANIZATION

1 WHAT IS ENGINEER CHALLENGES IN 12
ORGANIZATION

2 HOW TO SOLVE THE ISSUE?

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WHAT IS ENGINEER CHALLENGES IN 13
ORGANIZATION

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Unclear Business Requirements Whether the goal is to improve software, build a
bridge, or achieve any other important objective, all engineering projects are driven
by a set of core business requirements. These requirements combine to form the
fundamental “why” of the project, and directly influence budgets, schedules,
resources, and integration with other projects and programs. However, when

organizations lack total visibility, these pivotal business requirements are unclear
and therefore unreliable, which invariably leads to cost and schedule overruns and

often beginning very early in the execution phase.

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Inability to Adapt. All projects are iterative, progressively elaborated upon,
and unique. As such, even when business requirements are adequate, it’s a

foregone conclusion that internal factors (e.g. resource availability) and
external factors such as regulatory changes that will emerge along the way.

Some of this will be potentially helpful, while others will be potentially
harmful.

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Lack of Effective Communication. Engineering projects require
efficient communication flows, for the core reason that they’re
comprised by an abundance of intricate inter-dependencies. This includes
integrated plans that are often so sophisticated and complex that they

would be incomprehensible to most people outside of the
engineering space. What happens in one area or aspect of the project is,
directly and indirectly, going to impact another. Communication is glue that

holds the project together.

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Obedience to professional. Engineers who 17
refuse to design a product that they believe is

unsafe can base their objections on their
professional codes, which require engineers to

give pre-eminence to considerations of public
safety, health, and welfare.

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Whistle-blow. When engineer see the something
wrong happen, engineer will give reminder about
wrong doing had happen. But the problem is it may

bypass by immediate superiors

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HOW TO SOLVE THE ISSUE? 19

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Take advantage of any formal or informal processes
your organization may have for making a protest.

Your organization may have an ‘‘ethics hotline’’

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Determines whether it is better to keep your protest as
confidential as possible or to involve others in the

process. Sometimes the most effective way to work within an
organization is to work confidentially and in a no

confrontational way with superiors and colleagues. At other
times, it only can work when involve other people.

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Focus on issues, not personalities. People get defensive
and hostile when they are personally attacked, whether these
people are your superiors or your peers. Therefore, it is usually a

better tactic to describe the issues without related it with
others personal.

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Engineers should have been better-prepared. Engineer need to
be ready anytime if management calling. You must ready to
explain the issue and several solution.

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Always aware and do not do any simple mistake. Must 24
know every action you make. Example is should not have

sent an unsigned memo to all levels of management
(should have informed boss and sent signed memo). So
you can hold your superior to take responsibility in
any decision had done. Please do not simply sign the

document. Must always aware.

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