Editorial critical issues in an emerging discipline

ONE OF THE frequent questions asked about engineering management is whether or not it is a discipline. Historically, it has evolved as an interdisciplinary field because of the multifaceted issues involved in it. As industry has increasingly recognized the special needs for technical management, there has been a strong response from the educational institutions and the research community to fulfill those needs especially in the last two decades. As a result, engineering management has started to develop its niche by defining and strengthening the interface between technology and management. As this niche matures, it brings a sharper focus on the mission, objectives, and strategies of engineering management, and provides the basis for the definition of its unique characteristics.