Management Concept in Civil Engineering
Management
Management is the act of getting jobs done by people. It involves the process of planning, organizing and controlling the activities of an organization to meet the goals targeted in the company. The manager should ensure that the work done is at the least cost, minimum effort, and little or no wastage to maximize gains (Ohler, 13)
Management is the act of handling, controlling and directing the activities the leads to the generation of valuable things while leadership is the act of leading, guiding and directing people that do the activities but may not necessarily generate anything. Moreover, leadership is a type of influence relationship, but management is an authority relationship. The act leading people is something that one is doing it willingly and not through compelling factors. In management one does under the influence of ‘people above’. It may not be by purely at will. Leadership has followers while management has subordinates. When leading people, the hierarchy does not matter but in management, one must have juniors. Leaders are people whose intentions are real changes while managers have intentions of selling goods and services. The leaders aim at the overall growth of everyone but are not concern about the profit in particular while manager’s concerns are profits at all times. The intended changes in leadership reflect the mutual purposes while in management, the coordinated activities yield the goods and services that are sold to make a profit (Ohler, 14)
Types of management
Top managers
These are the managers who are responsible for the overall direction of the company/organization. The positions of such managers are the chief executive officer (CEO), chief information officer (CIO), chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer. The context of change is in their hands.
Middle managers
These managers hold positions like the regional manager and plant manager. They are responsible for the establishing objectives that are in line with top management’s aims and coordinating the subunit strategies to achieve the set goals.
First line managers
These managers have the responsibility of managing the performance of the first line employees who are directly involved in the production of the organizational goods and services. The also monitor, encourage and reward hardworking employees. The managers do not supervise other managers. The positions held by these managers are department manager, shift supervisor, and office manager (Ohler, 13)
Team leaders
This is the fourth kind of manager who act like a supervisor in a team. Their work is to facilitate the team activities towards the accomplishment of the intended goal. The team leaders help the other members of the team in planning and scheduling work, solving problems and working effectively with one another. The team leaders are also responsible for managing external relationship by acting as a link between their team and the rest of the teams.
Areas of civil engineering in which management concepts are required
Construction planning
This is a fundamental activity that is followed in the management and execution of construction projects. It involves the act of choosing the appropriate technology, defining of tasks estimation of time durations and required resources and coordination with other related activities. The management activities involve the controlling of all the process of in construction.
Project management
This the act dealing with higher uncertainties in the project. Management activities involve the controlling of all the activities that relate the project being executed. In particular, it may include inspection of project design, materials, site and the program of implementation.
(Kerzner, 6 )
Conclusion
A civil engineer can either work in the industry, government, private practice or construction sector. In the industry, the engineer can work in the manufacturing, transport, utilities or mining department. The governmental department that a civil engineer can work includes the state, federal and the local government. In the construction sector, the civil engineer can as either a general and specialty contractor, designer, construction manager or a developer. In any case, a civil engineer is expected to have exceptional management skills that help in the career. Such management skills are self-management, human resource management, project management, client management, financial management and organizational management.
Work cited
Kerzner, Harold. Project Management. New York: John Wiley, 2001. Print.
Ohler, Linda. "The Crucial Difference Between Management And Leadership". Journal of Transplant Coordination 7.4 (1997): 162-163. Web.
