TY - BOOK
T1 - Comparing engineering practice in South Asia and Australia
AU - Domal, Vinay
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - The thesis presents a qualitative investigation of engineering practice in South Asia and Australia in order to learn about engineering practice and the differences between an industrialised country context and a developing world context. Through a series of interviews, participant observations and focus group interviews it discloses the dynamics of how engineers relate to work, to clients, to suppliers, to managers and to each other. It also examines the perceptions and experiences of their daily work practice in two different worlds. The study introduces the concept of dimensions to call attention to the differences uncovered from detailed analysis of engineering practice in South Asia and Australia. The first dimension is the ability of an engineer to coordinate and exercise authority within their own department as well as outside the company and how this makes a difference in the engineering outcomes. The second dimension involves the strength and effectiveness of organizational procedures and policies and how they contribute to productivity and quality differences. The third dimension involves supervision practices used for technical work. The fourth dimension is the skills and knowledge of production supervisors. Finally the fifth dimension involves perceptions of labour costs and how these perceptions influence daily decision-making. By engaging in actual practice, this study makes a concrete contribution to the debates surrounding both technical and social aspects of engineering practice.
AB - The thesis presents a qualitative investigation of engineering practice in South Asia and Australia in order to learn about engineering practice and the differences between an industrialised country context and a developing world context. Through a series of interviews, participant observations and focus group interviews it discloses the dynamics of how engineers relate to work, to clients, to suppliers, to managers and to each other. It also examines the perceptions and experiences of their daily work practice in two different worlds. The study introduces the concept of dimensions to call attention to the differences uncovered from detailed analysis of engineering practice in South Asia and Australia. The first dimension is the ability of an engineer to coordinate and exercise authority within their own department as well as outside the company and how this makes a difference in the engineering outcomes. The second dimension involves the strength and effectiveness of organizational procedures and policies and how they contribute to productivity and quality differences. The third dimension involves supervision practices used for technical work. The fourth dimension is the skills and knowledge of production supervisors. Finally the fifth dimension involves perceptions of labour costs and how these perceptions influence daily decision-making. By engaging in actual practice, this study makes a concrete contribution to the debates surrounding both technical and social aspects of engineering practice.
KW - Engineering
KW - Australia
KW - Management
KW - South Asia
KW - Organizational sociology
KW - Engineering practice
KW - Engineering education
KW - Comparative studies
KW - Developing countries
M3 - Doctoral Thesis
ER -