The author has studied systems for the division of work and co-ordination of projects in large engineering design and development departments in a variety of industries, comparing systems in use with theories of organization. These studies indicate that the systems of organization appropriate to engineering departments primarily depend upon the programme of projects in design rather than the technical content of the work. It is also shown that the responsibility for a project can pass down from level to level in an organization as risk is reduced by proceeding with a project.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Proc. Instn mech. Engrs1965–66180 (Pt 3M).
2.
Design Departments.1967. O.E.C.D.
3.
See proceedings of symposium Problems and Efficiency in the Management of Engineering Projects.1966. U.M.I.S.T.
4.
MarplesD. L.1960. The decisions of engineering design (The Engineering Designer)..
5.
BookerP. J. In proceedings of conference on Teaching Engineering Design. 1964. p. 327.
6.
LuckmanJ.An approach to the management of design. 1966. Annual conference, Operational Research Society.
7.
MorganJ. R.‘Design and development: a network approach’, The Chartered Mechanical Engineer1967 (April).
8.
SteinerG. A. (ed.). ‘The creative organization’, University of Chicago, 1965.
9.
AsimowM.‘Introduction to design’ (Prentice-Hall, N.Y.) 1962.
10.
As also suggested by CrosbyA.1968. Creativity and Performance in Industrial Organization. Tavistock Publications, London.
11.
BarnesL. B.‘Organization systems and engineering groups’, Harvard University, 1960.
12.
MiddletonC. J.‘How to set up a project organization’, Harvard Business Review1967 (March-April).
13.
Modern Aids to Design and Draughting.1968. N.E.L. report 347.
14.
Many of these problems in management of design have been reviewed by Thackara, A. D. in an informal paper to the Process Engineering Group, I.Mech.E., 1967, and by P. J. Stamper in the Aero. Jl R. Aero. Soc. March 1969, pp. 173–185.
15.
WilsonJ.‘Management training of the young engineer in the industrial environment’, Proc. Instn mech. Engrs1963–64187 (Pt 3F), 66.
16.
KerridgeA. E.1964. I.Mech.E. informal paper: The role of the contractor in the engineering and construction of chemical plant.
17.
WildeG. L.1966. I.Mech.E. informal paper, Loughborough: Project design. And J. Keenan. 1967. Journal R. Aero. Soc. v. 71. Project management in an aero-space firm.
18.
HylerJ. H.‘How to organize design teams’, A.S.M.E. paper 64-MD-25, 1964.
19.
KastF. E.RosenzweigJ.‘Science, technology and management’ (McGraw-Hill, New York) 1963.
20.
CicourelA.‘Method and measurement in sociology’ (Collier-Macmillan, New York) 1964.
21.
HorneC. F.1955. I.R.E. Trans. Engg. Management. v PGEM-3.
22.
OwenW. L.‘Management in engineering’, Proc. I.C.E.196017, 219–245, 20, 587–618.
23.
GottH. H.BerridgeD. R. In reference (1) above and Pilling, W. H. C. and Nicoll, R. G. in reference (3).
24.
AllenT.J.‘Communications in the research and development laboratory’, Technology Rev.196770, 1.
25.
ParkerN. F. Conference on Management of Large Technological Projects (Cranfield) 1964.
26.
BrichtaA. M.SharpP. E. M.Front project to production1969 (Pergamon, Oxford).
27.
BauerfeindR.‘Zur Okonomik des Konstruieren’, Maschinenbau Technik19554 (No. 12), 617.
28.
WoodwardJ.Industrial organization—theory and practice1969 (Oxford University Press).
29.
WoodwardJ.Industrial organization—behaviour and control1971 (Oxford University Press).
30.
AsimovM.Introduction to design1965 (Prentice-Hall).
31.
WearneS. H.‘Product and project responsibilities in industry’, Management Decision, 1970 (Winter) 4 (No. 4), 32.
32.
LawrenceP. R.LorschJ.Organization and environment1967 (Harvard University Press).
33.
Report of the steering group on development cost estimating, The Downey Committee, Ministry of Technology, 1969 (H.M.S.O.).
