Engineering effective intervention: measuring reaction, learning, behavior and results

Summary form only given. Four years of undergraduate engineering education is not a panacea of success for engineers. Evidence suggests that most engineers need to learn the art of management when they have become successful as engineers but poor as managers of people; and must move on as more successful managers of technology and people. But, such characteristics must be developed by programming and intervention and by tapping into the hidden (latent) potential of engineers as they work on the job. These management development programs must be measured as effective interventions from four desirable aspects: (i) reaction to the intervention, (ii) knowledge gained for immediate concept simulated analysis and use, (iii) change of behavior in making appropriate decisions, and finally (iv) the impact on subordinates (manager once removed) due to the program effect reflected in the job performance, and the consequent impact on the employing organization. This research discusses the merits of an educational program evaluation with dependable results using reaction to, learning at, behavior after, and results of the educational intervention