Date of Award:

8-2024

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Engineering Education

Committee Chair(s)

Kurt Becker

Committee

Kurt Becker

Committee

Angela Minichiello

Committee

Oenardi Lawanto

Committee

Cassandra McCall

Committee

Thomas Fronk

Abstract

Leadership within the engineering domain has gained significant recognition in recent years due to calls from the literature, industry, and engineering professional bodies to incorporate leadership training into the engineering curriculum. In response to these calls and despite various approaches that have been implemented by engineering institutions to teach engineering leadership, research indicates that there remains a lack of consensus on the definition of engineering leadership and the specific skills that should be emphasized in the teaching of engineering leadership. Also, there is evidence in the literature that there exists a debate regarding the nature of engineering leadership, with some contending that it is indistinguishable from leadership in general, and others asserting that it incorporates engineering design principles.

This lack of consensus indicates varying interpretations and priorities among engineering leadership educators, and this could impede the formation of a cohesive understanding of engineering leadership and impact the quality of leadership education in engineering programs. This study contributes to ongoing efforts by researchers to embark on empirical studies on engineering leadership to bridge the conceptual gap and arrive at a generally accepted definition. In addition, this research aims to understand the nature of engineering leadership and to highlight the leadership skills that should be emphasized in engineering leadership training.

Six ABET leaders and seven engineering leaders from the industry participated in this study. Their perspectives on engineering leadership definition and the skills that should be emphasized in engineering leadership training were explored through in-depth interviews. The outcome of analyzing their data resulted in a proposed definition of engineering leadership and the identification of eighteen engineering leadership skills that should be emphasized in engineering leadership training. Also, other outcomes from the study include 1) the indication that the main difference between engineering leadership and general leadership is the technical expertise component, resulting in a dichotomous view of engineering leadership as consisting of technical expertise and interpersonal skills, 2) the indication that engineering is a leadership profession starting from self-leadership and progressing to managerial leadership based on the 3- stages of engineering leadership model, and 3) a proposed a taxonomy of engineering leadership skills as consisting of technical skills, interpersonal skills, and personal professional skills.

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