Despite efforts to increase female participation in STEM majors, women continue to be an underrepresented population in this domain, impacting the U.S. workforce. Researchers have identified a variety of factors that benefit engineering students without regard to gender (mentoring; student-faculty interactions; co-curricular involvement) but research is limited on how female engineering students foster a sense of belonging to the engineering major helping them persist through to graduation. Negative factors like gender bias or stereotyping are detailed in extant literature. Research needs to identify ways that contribute to female engineering connection and sense of belonging in engineering, not solely focus on the factors that negatively impact female engineering student trajectories. In an effort to address this gap in the literature, interviews with alumnae who graduated from engineering colleges across the U.S. were conducted. Data from this study provides a glimpse into what helped foster successful navigation through engineering majors for alumnae. Expanding current female and STEM literature, participants provide insights on pre-college, college, and on career influences. / text

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This study examines how the credentialing process for foreign-trained engineers implemented by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) affects newcomers from the former Soviet Union and Russia seeking to re-enter the profession. Applying critical sociological theory to its analysis of data generated through qualitative methods, it highlights how the ethnic, racial, and educational background of applicants shapes their encounters with the PEO and the outcome of their applications. It sheds light on the crises of identity and in social and family relations experienced by these individuals, as well as the lack of supporting services to address such crises. This study contributes to existing literature on the subject by taking a new approach to the credentialing of foreign-trained engineers in Ontario, focusing on the perspective of individual applicants rather than structural factors. It concludes with specific recommendations on how the process could be improved and the regulatory body itself reformed.

This study examines how the credentialing process for foreign-trained engineers implemented by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) affects newcomers from the former Soviet Union and Russia seeking to re-enter the profession. Applying critical sociological theory to its analysis of data generated through qualitative methods, it highlights how the ethnic, racial, and educational background of applicants shapes their encounters with the PEO and the outcome of their applications. It sheds light on the crises of identity and in social and family relations experienced by these individuals, as well as the lack of supporting services to address such crises. This study contributes to existing literature on the subject by taking a new approach to the credentialing of foreign-trained engineers in Ontario, focusing on the perspective of individual applicants rather than structural factors. It concludes with specific recommendations on how the process could be improved and the regulatory body itself reformed.

The following research used data from the SSE to determine whether socialization or discrimination can explain the lower status of female engineers, compared to men. It was learned that female engineers with children are as committed to their careers as childless female engineers. Moreover, there is no difference in income or job status between these two groups. There is also no significant difference in income between male and female engineers when controlling for employment status, degree, job status and experience. However, female engineers are not found in management positions as often as their male colleagues, even after controlling for experience. This lower job status, in turn, affects the women's incomes. A reason for the lower status of female engineers is likely due to engineering being very male-dominated. No such difference in job status exists in the field of computer science, where the proportion of women is much higher.

South Africa, still very young in its democracy, has undergone numerous changes, both in terms of government and its economy. The new government with its challenge of righting the wrongs that apartheid left behind has bought about sweeping policy changes. Amongst these changes, was the implementation of new strategies in government's expenditure regarding infrastructure development. In addition, to address the transformation issue of improving representation, job opportunities and income amongst the previously disadvantage people, government brought about the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and the Affirmative Action (AA) policies. These changes have arguably had more of a negative impact than a positive one, especially concerning civil engineering professionals in both the private and public sector. This dissertation discusses the above policies and the effects upon the demand and supply of civil engineers, technologists and technicians in South Africa. Since 1994 the South African government has steadily increased its budget towards infrastructure development. The recession during the seventies and eighties has created major problems with regards to secession planning which has resulted in the high skills shortage within this industry. The other factor that has contributed heavily to the skills shortage is the implementation of BEE and AA, as many civil professionals have left the industry or the country. The increase in infrastructure development in South Africa highlights the shortage of civil engineering professionals and the supply issues associated with perceptions within the industry coupled with the poor maths and science marks of matriculants not meeting the minimum university or technikon entry requirements. The trend at eThekwini municipality shows that there are more technicians and technologists than engineers. The municipality is finding it difficult to employ engineers as there are few in the industry and that, private firms are offering them much higher salaries. The results of the research show that both job satisfaction and salaries are important issues for civil engineering professionals that are currently in the industry. In addition, a small percentage indicated their willingness to leave the country due to the high crime rate, safety for their family and high salaries being offered abroad. - / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2007.

DPA Specialist Consulting Engineers is a relatively small firm specialising in materials technology in the specialist civil engineering consulting and contracting industry. The organization has experienced many positive and negative changes over its history, and is currently in a precarious position, faced with numerous environmental opportunities and threats, while exhibiting significant strengths but also critical weaknesses. The firm does not have a formally crafted strategic plan from which to base its managerial decision making. It is widely held that strategic planning is critical for the success of a competitive business in today's turbulent environment. In this study, pertinent theories pertaining to strategy development and evaluation are explored, and relevant models are adapted for the purpose of analysing and evaluating the organization and its circumstances. The facts provided in the case study pertaining to the organization are then analysed through the developed body of theory and the models presented. The theoretical models utilized provide the criteria by which it is possible to determine the areas in which the organization is performing well or poorly. At the same time, strategic options are developed and are evaluated in the context of the case study, and recommendations are provided with respect to the appropriate courses of action. It is shown that a competitive strategy of focused differentiation will be appropriate for the organisation. An assessment of available grand strategies reveals that the organization will be best served by an initial turnaround strategy, followed by a strategy of concentrated growth and innovation. It is also shown that a strategy of concentric diversification, in terms of the spin-off of the contracting business is appropriate under the circumstances. However, it is also evident that unless the recommendations pertaining to the turnaround strategy are followed, the firm's critical weaknesses and environmental threats will severely threaten the sustained survival and success of the organization. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The thesis provides a brief introduction to congestion pricing's theoretical roots and the history of its application. It derives the essential paradigms of the two professions that implement pricing schemes, planners and engineers, from their respective ethical codes and professional policies and applies them to three case studies. This is done to determine the professions roles and to indicate the interaction of the professions in the cases. The three cases were chosen due to their uniqueness and recent application. Lastly, the historical data, derived paradigms, and information from the case studies is assembled, compared, and contrasted to form a model for congestion pricing implementation. The model details actions that planners can take to influence congestion pricing implementation by addressing funding and public acceptability issues at both the federal and local levels. The model can be used by planners, engineers, and decision makers alike to increase the effectiveness of pricing schemes and to make better informed decisions regarding congestion pricing in their community. / Department of Urban Planning

In South Africa there is a shortage of systems engineers which is being addressed by a systems engineering (SE) development program. The purpose of this research was to design a selection method that could be used to select candidate systems engineers with potential thus increasing the probability of successful development of SE competencies. Based on literature and practical considerations, the following research question was formulated: Can a candidate’s SE competence potential can be predicted from personality preferences, cognition, and values (the SE Profile)? Design science research was used as the research methodology. The 15 Factor Questionnaire Plus was used to assess personality, the Cognitive Process Profile for cognition, and the Value Orientations to assess values. The 21 SE competencies were assessed using the INCOSE Systems Engineering Competencies framework. Specific values (high or low) on a combination of psychological measures are useful for predicting high competence and these vary between SE competencies. Thus psychological measures for SE as a whole cannot be identified as has been done in the literature. The number of engineers with high SE competence is inversely proportional to the number of SE competencies. Cognition measures seem more useful in identifying risk, but do not strongly predict SE competence for the given sample. From this research, no evidence was found that values have been considered previously in the SE selection literature, but values are useful for predicting high competence on at least 11 SE competencies. Because the various SE competencies require different profiles, there are few “super systems engineers”. SE competence required for the project can be achieved through a team rather than a single systems engineer. Assessment can be used as a tool for SE development by detecting anomalies and selecting candidates which have the potential for faster successful development. / Thesis (PhD (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.