Exploring the stories of Black engineers provide an opportunity to challenge dominant narratives about the apolitical nature of engineering work and realize the potential of bridging the socio-technical divide. Sociopolitical development (SPD) is an inclination towards social justice, the motivation to address social inequality in surrounding environments, and the formation of social agency to address contextual oppression. The purpose of this multiple case narrative study is to explore the process of SPD within five Black engineers' narratives who are inspired to address social inequities through their engineering work. The overarching research question is: How does the SPD process unfold through the career narratives of Black engineers? Through the multiple settings surrounding Black engineers' career development, this research provides insight into how engineering stakeholders influence the cultural values underlying the nature of engineering work. Throughout their career narratives, Black engineers' awareness, behavior, and evaluations of critical consciousness evolve. Events shaping their SPD are also mapped to the socio-ecosystems. The movement through SPD elements depict the holistic nature of the SPD process for Black engineers experiences in childhood, formal education, and the workforce. These results contribute to engineering education literature by: (1) presenting a counter-narrative of engineering work that accounts for the perspectives of Black engineers; (2) highlighting the sense of agency that is necessary to integrate social justice elements in engineering practice; (3) emphasizing the utility of critical consciousness development in establishing a sense of fulfillment in engineering identity; and (4) discussing the influence of critical reflection and social identities on political efficacy and action. Insights from this study should compel engineering stakeholders to reflect on how engineering values perpetuate inequities in engineering pathways and engagement. / Doctor of Philosophy / Exploring the stories of Black engineers provide an opportunity to challenge dominant narratives about the neutral nature of engineering work and realize the potential of bridging the separation between social and technical spaces. Sociopolitical development (SPD) is an inclination towards social justice, the motivation to address social inequality in surrounding environments, and the formation of social agency to address contextual oppression. The purpose of this multiple case narrative study is to explore the process of SPD within five Black engineers' narratives who are inspired to address social inequities through their engineering work. The overarching research question is: How does the SPD process unfold through the career narratives of Black engineers? Through the multiple settings surrounding Black engineers' career development, this research provides insight into how engineering stakeholders influence the cultural values underlying the nature of engineering work. Throughout their career narratives, Black engineers' awareness, behavior, and evaluations of critical consciousness evolve. Events shaping their SPD are also mapped to the socio-ecosystems. The movement through SPD elements depict the holistic nature of the SPD process for Black engineers experiences in childhood, formal education, and the workforce. These results contribute to engineering education literature by: (1) presenting a counter-narrative of engineering work that accounts for the perspectives of Black engineers; (2) highlighting the sense of agency that is necessary to integrate social justice elements in engineering practice; (3) emphasizing the utility of critical consciousness development in establishing a sense of fulfillment in engineering identity; and (4) discussing the influence of critical reflection and social identities on political efficacy and action. Insights from this study should compel engineering stakeholders to reflect on how engineering values perpetuate inequities in engineering pathways and engagement.

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Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business / Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This mini-study project is a review of South African and International practices for the procurement and remuneration of consulting engineering services. The manner in which engineering services have been procured from professionals in the built environment over the last decade in South Africa has varied considerably within the public sector. Historically government and professional associations published time based and percentage fee based scales. In 1997 the government published a Green Paper on Procurement Reform. This paper called for the uniformity of procurement policies throughout all industries. In 2000, a statutory body, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) was established. The CIDB has developed procurement regulations based on the government guidelines for the construction industry. Compliance with these regulations became mandatory as of 14 November 2005 for organs of state who solicit tender offers such as national, provincial and local government institutes. Within the private sector, services have been procured on an ever increasing basis based on a negotiated fee with an agreed scope of works and involvement. The importance of this study is that no single procurement system has been proven worldwide to be optimal. The CIDB have set the rules and now it is up to the construction industry to develop a framework of practice that is sustainable and competitive. The study is a systematic investigation to establish the facts about the new government procurement policies and regulations for the South African construction industry. The guidelines and proposals of associations such as the South African Association of Consulting Engineers SAACE), the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and The World Bank are reviewed. Personal interviews are conducted with South African consulting engineers to investigate opinions on the latest reforms and practices. Procurement and remuneration practices in various other developed and developing countries are also reviewed. From the review it was found that the pertinent measures for the procurement and remuneration of consultants were project categorisation, consultant selection criteria., procurement processes, procurement procedures, cost based procurement approaches, the use of professional fee scales and the cost weighting of consultant remuneration. Trends that emerged from the study were the move in international practices away from the use of professional fee scales. Although the Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) approach is still used widely internationally, there is an increase in emphasis and move towards a Quality Based Selection (QBS) approach. Internationally there has been a trend to simplify the process and criteria for the selection of consultants. An important debate identified was whether the use of professional fee scales in South Africa should be eliminated and the determination of professional fees be left to market forces. The review found that although the CIDB had done immense work in the formulation of the new regulations to meet government reform policies, there were certain short comings that needed to be addressed. These included implementation, education of public officials in consultant evaluation, dealing with the tremendous shortage of public officials to do consultant evaluation and the simplification of processes. The study produces a comprehensive comparative table of institutional and practitioners inputs with respect to the identified consultant procurement and remuneration measures. The significance of this table is that it can be used to formulate or adjust existing frameworks. It is proposed that such revised frameworks be monitored and studied to optimise the objective of sustainability and competitiveness in the procurement and remuneration of consulting services in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie mini navorsingsprojek bied 'n oorsig van die Suid-Afrikaanse en lntemasionale praktyke vir die werwing en vergoeding van raadgewende ingenieurs. Die manier waarop ingenieursdienste gewerf word van professionele persone in die konstruksiebedryf oor die laaste dekade in Suid-Afrika het aansienlik verskil binne die openbare sektor. In die verlede het die staatsdiens en professionele instansies tydgebasseerde en persentasievergoedingskale gepubliseer. In 1997 het die Regering 'n "Groenpapier" oor werwing en hervorming gepubliseer. In hierdie dokument word 'n oproep tot uniformiteit van werwingsbeleid deur alle deelnemers gedoen. In 2000 is 'n statutere liggaam, die "Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB)", gestig. Die CIDB het werwingsregulasies ontwikkel wat gebasseer is op die regering se riglyne vir die konstruksiebedryf. Hierdie regulasies het sedert 14 November 2005 vir tenders aan staatsliggame soos nasionale, provinsiale en plaaslike regerings verpligtend geword. Binne die privaatsektor word dienste op 'n toenemende basis op 'n onderhandelde basis vergoed. Daar is gevind dat daar geen enkel werwingsisteem wereldwyd is wat as optimaal bewys is nie. Die CIDB het die reels neergele en dit is nou die verantwoordelikheid van die konstruksiebedryf am 'n praktykgerigte raamwerk te ontwikkel wat beide volhoubaar en kompeterend is. Die navorsing is 'n stelselmatige ondersoek om vas te stel wat die regering se werwingsbeleid en regulasies vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksiebedryf is. Die riglyne en voorstellings van instansies soos die van die Suid-Afrikaanse Assosiasie vir Raadgewende Ingenieurs (SAACE), die "International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)" en Die Wereldbank is ondersoek en vergelyk. Persoonlike onderhoude is gevoer met Suid-Afrikaanse raadgewende ingenieurs om 'n ondersoek na opinies te doen oor die onlangse hervorming van praktyke. Werwings- en vergoedingspraktyke in verskeie ander lande is ook ondersoek. Hierdie ondersoek het uitgewys dat die pertinente metings vir die werwing en vergoeding van raadgewende ingenieurs projek kategorie, wenvingsprosesse, werwingsprosedures, koste gebaseerde benaderings, die gebruik van professionele vergoedingskale en die koste van vergoeding, is. Tendense wat na vore kom vanuit die navorsing, is die intemasionale praktyk om weg te beweeg van professionele vergoedingskale. Alhoewel die Kwaliteit Koste Gebasseerde Seleksie benadering nog steeds wyd gebruik word intemasionaal, is daar 'n toename in die beklemtoning en beweging na die Kwaliteit Gebasseerde Seleksie benadering. Daar is die neiging intemasionaal om die proses en kriteria vir die seleksie van konsultante te vereenvoudig. 'n Belangrike debat wat geidentifiseer is, is of die gebruik van professionele vergoedingskale in Suid-Afrika geelimineer moet word en of die vasstelling van professionele vergoeding deur markkragte bepaal moet word. Die navorsing het bevind dat alhoewel die CIDB heelwat werk gedoen het in die formulering van nuwe regulasies om te voldoen aan regerings hervormingsbeleid, dat daar sekere tekortkominge is wat aangespreek moet word. Hierdie sluit in: implementering, die opleiding van openbare amptenare in konsultant evaluering. die hantering van die geweldige tekort aan openbare amptenare om die konsultant evaluerings te doen en die vereenvoudiging van prosesse. Die navorsing produseer 'n omvattende vergelykende tabel van institutionele en die praktykvoerder se insette ten opsigte van die geidentifiseerde konsultant werwings - en vergoedingsmeetmiddels. Die belangrikheid van hierdie tabel is dat dit gebruik kan word om te formuleer of om aanpassings te maak aan bestaande raamwerke. Dit word voorgestel dat sulke hersiende raamwerke gemonitor en bestudeer word om sodoende die doelwit van onderhoudbaarheid en kompeterendheid in die werwing en vergoeding van konsulterende dienste in Suid-Afrika te optimaliseer.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

by James Chi-wang Lau, David Sai-shing Lu. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1982. / Bibliography: leaf 52.

by Mak Tsz Yee. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-53). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.v / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Objective --- p.1 / The Engineering Consulting Business --- p.1 / Review of Literature --- p.3 / "Value-Creation, Resources and Capabilities" --- p.4 / Cost vs. Differentiation Advantage --- p.4 / Scope of Target Market --- p.5 / Isolating Mechanisms --- p.6 / Resources and Capabilities --- p.6 / Evolutionary Economics and Dynamic Competition --- p.8 / Scope of this Study --- p.9 / Chapter II. --- GENERAL ENVIRONMENT --- p.10 / Global Segment --- p.10 / Demographic Segment --- p.11 / Economic Segment --- p.11 / Office Properties --- p.11 / Residential Properties --- p.13 / Political Segment --- p.14 / Technological Segment --- p.15 / Concluding Observation of the General Environment --- p.15 / Chapter III. --- INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT --- p.17 / Construction Industry --- p.17 / Consultancy Arrangement --- p.19 / Normal Scope of Services --- p.20 / Hong Kong Real Estate Property Market --- p.20 / Analysis of Industry Environment --- p.25 / Threat of Entry --- p.25 / Barriers to Entry --- p.25 / Economies of Scale --- p.25 / Product Differentiation --- p.26 / Capital Requirements --- p.26 / Switching Cost --- p.26 / Cost Disadvantages to New Entry Independent of Scale --- p.26 / Government Policy --- p.27 / Expected Retaliation --- p.27 / Bargaining Power of Suppliers --- p.28 / Bargaining Power of Buyers --- p.29 / Concentration of Buyers --- p.29 / Cost of Service an Insignificant Fraction of the Buyer's Cost --- p.29 / Undifferentiated Services and Low Switching Cost --- p.29 / Buyer Industry Earns Low Profits --- p.30 / Buyers Pose No Credible Threat of Backward Integration --- p.30 / The Industry's Service is Important to the Quality of the Buyers' Products --- p.30 / Threat of Substitute --- p.31 / Substitute Subject to Trends Improving Their Price-performance Trade-off --- p.31 / Profitability of Industry Producing Substitute --- p.31 / Rivalry Among Existing Competitors --- p.32 / Numerous or Equally Balance Competitors --- p.32 / Slow Industry Growth --- p.32 / Lack of Differentiation and Low Switching Cost --- p.32 / High Fixed Costs --- p.33 / Low Exit Barriers --- p.33 / Summary of Industry Analysis --- p.34 / Chapter IV. --- INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT --- p.37 / Ove Arup and Partners Company Limited --- p.37 / Review of the Resources and Capabilities of the Firm --- p.38 / Tangible Resources --- p.38 / Financial Resources --- p.38 / Physical Resources --- p.38 / Human Resources --- p.38 / Organisational Resources --- p.39 / Intangible Resources --- p.39 / Technological Resources --- p.39 / Resources for Innovation --- p.39 / Reputation --- p.40 / Identification of Core Competence --- p.40 / Weaknesses --- p.42 / Corporate-Level Strategy --- p.42 / Blurring Business-Level Strategy --- p.43 / Cost Structure --- p.43 / Human Resource Management --- p.44 / Organizational Structure --- p.44 / Market Sensing Activities --- p.44 / Concluding Remarks on Internal Environment --- p.44 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.46 / What Is Strategy? --- p.46 / Conclusions and Recommendations --- p.47 / Chapter VI. --- BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.51