John Whittaker

An Inquiry into the Continuing Relevance of Herzberg's Motivation Theory

ABSTRACTThis article investigates whether or not Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory is still applicable in the 1990s. Herzbergs original work was done in an America of industrial expansion and high employment. The current situation is one of downsizing, restructuring, and reengineering. This investigation was done by replicating Herzbergs 1959 study and comparing the results. The Herzberg methodology is described and analyzed, as is the subsequent literature on the Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Practical limitations resulted in a small sample survey being substituted for Herzbergs original interview technique. The results showed a decrease in recognition, advancement, and responsibility satisfiers and the disappearance of salary and working conditions as motivators or demotivators. Despite the small sample, the results provide enough useful data to validate Herzbergs theory in the 1990s.

Reflections on the Changing Nature of Projects

As we have moved from building great physical monuments such as the pyramids to ethereal constructions like computer operating systems, the nature of project management changes. In pyramid construction progress could be observed, and resources could be added, substituted and transferred. In software construction progress is difficult to measure, workers often know more than their supervisors, and adding resources can sometimes extend the completion time. Further, projects that are late, with major flaws and unprecedented cost over-runs, find not only acceptance but also often market success. Despite the fact that in 1994 only nine percent of IT projects were completed on time and on budget, project managers continue to try to apply the control levers of cost, time and specification.

Engineering Procedures Manuals—Benefit or Liability?

Abstract A study was conducted on the utility of procedures manuals in engineering firms. These documents are produced with the intent to manage (or at least guide) the work of engineers. A review of the literature indicated that the use of such manuals is minimal but their production can cost in excess of US

Characterizing the Real Roots for P, A, and F with Applications to Environmental Remediation and Home Buying Problems

250,000. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 engineers from nine companies on their particular use of procedures manuals. The majority of engineers interviewed worked for companies that had procedures manuals. Of these engineers, more than half either had not seen the document or had viewed it only once. Long documents (in excess of 1000 pages) were shown to be used less often and to be less current than documents with 50 or fewer pages. Suggested guidelines for producing procedures manuals are presented. These include such recommendations as posting the document electronically for easy access and maximizing the use of flowcharts and checklists.

An Engineering Manager's Bout with Asian Flu

Historically, work on multiple roots for the internal rate of return (PW = 0) equation focuses on tests for the roots uniqueness and interpreting the meaningfulness of computed roots. Instead, this article starts with problems that consist of P, A, and F cash flows. Then for all possible values of these cash flows, this article develops the boundary conditions for no, single, and multiple real roots of either positive or negative sign. The results of characterizing these roots are applied to two examples as a foundation for conclusions about those multiple root problems and hypotheses about other problems with multiple roots. The first example is an important class of resource development projects that may require significant expenditures for environmental remediation at the conclusion of operation. The second example of buying versus leasing a home is often used to demonstrate the value of economic analysis to students.

The Rise and Fall of a PM System

AbstractThe 1997-1999 Asia/Pacific economic crisis, known as the Asian Flu, with all its attendant disruptions, devaluations, and deflations, highlights many of the risks of going global. A branch plant of a major American multinational electronics firm provides a window through which to view the micro effects of this macro event. This article describes the situation of an Asian country manager. Some background on the firms growth, the Asia/Pacific region, and the seminal events of the crisis are included. However, this article features the insiders reality—what actually happened to the profits, sales, markets, and accounts receivable, and what action the managers took. The company is not identified by name, but the situation and numbers are real. The article contains lessons for global managers, people who can factor currency devaluations, local economic stress, global supply sources, and markets into their product selection, workforce, and cash flow decisions.

Economic Evaluation of Projects Requiring Environmental Remediation: A Case Study of the Double-Root Problem

ABSTRACTThe Sundance Thermal Generating Plant has six 375-megawatt generators. Before 1979, its annual maintenance shutdowns were handled entirely by external specialized contractors. In 1980, the plant staff started to assume project management control of the shutdowns, using the contractors as subcontractors. Working initially with a training consultant, the plant crew started with short planning sessions and manually updated CPM networks. Over the next 4 years, the project management methods quickly advanced to a simple computer critical path on a time-share system, and then to a complex resource-balanced program on a dedicated VAX. By this time, most of the contractors had been replaced by locally hired tradespeople who were managed directly by the plant staff.The consultant left the project in 1984, and the maintenance staff took over the training and development tasks associated with the system. Seven years later, in 1992, the project management system was observed, evaluated, and compared against t...

Strategic Partner or Trojan Horse? A Case Study

Abstract: This article starts by describing all solutions to all problems that consist of a first cost (P), a series of uniform cash flows (A), and a final cash flow (F) including the boundary conditions for no, single, and multiple real roots of positive and/or negative sign. These results are applied to an important class of projects that require significant expenditures for environmental remediation at the conclusion of operation, such as open pit mines and nuclear power plants. When there are two positive roots, there must be a very large negative cash flow at the end, so that the total set of cash flows is more like a loan than an investment. Also, the positive present worth is very sensitive to the large final cash flows which have large uncertainties. Given these results, relying on a simple present worth evaluation seems unwise and proceeding with the project based on a positive present worth may be dishonest. The boundary conditions applied to combinations of P, A, and F cash flows for these examples may also be useful conditions for other problems that potentially have multiple roots. If so, then these results provide a dramatically different perspective on the multiple root problem.

Bargains and Choices: A Rationale for Regulating Land Use Adjacent to Pipelines

Abstract To provide depth to its in-house engineering services department, a billion-dollar company entered into a strategic partnership with a major engineering consulting firm. Within two years the number of directly employed company engineers diminished from 22 to 1, the corporate engineering knowledge base is lost, and the client departments in the company are finding the engineering work to be high cost, low quality, and off schedule. The companys chief engineer became redundant and left, and now the organization relies totally on the external consulting firm. The case study highlights how the subtle factors: corporate knowledge, physical location, hidden overheads, and temporary workers can change the promise of savings to the reality of costs.

Engineers in the Executive Suite: The North American Situation

ABSTRACTIn working to define acceptable land uses adjacent to pipelines, an industry-government task force finds itself dealing with fundamental issues related to engineering and public safety. Seven basic principles seem to underlie the actions of the group. This article outlines these principles and extends them to suggest a “concerned competence” rationale for engineering design of facilities that are potentially hazardous.