1972 NASA STUDY: TRANSFORMATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS INTO MANAGERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B01152R000200270003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 32
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2008
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: January 30, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/03/26: CIA-RDP85BO1152R000200270003-6
3 0 JAN 1964
THE PROBLEM:
A critical problem facing
every organization is how
to make managers from
people who are specialists.
1972 NASA Study:
Transformation of Scientists
and Engineers into Managers
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Purpose of NASA Study:
1. To determine the principal problems
and obstacles faced by specialists
during the transition period when
they are becoming managers, and
2. To discover ways to avoid or
overcome their difficulties.
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NASA - Study focused on three
dimensions of management:
1. The FUNCTIONS or tasks
to be performed,
2. The SKILLS and abilities
needed to perform these
functions, and
3. The MOTIVES which give
positive or negative
meaning to performing
in a management role.
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The Study revealed (not surprisingly) that
the transformation is a CONTINUING PROCESS
in which TWO fundamental changes take place:
1. More management functions are performed,
with greater frequency, and
2. The functions take on a broader scope,
requiring the manager to deal with
larger numbers of people at higher levels
and with a wide range of occupations.
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The study revealed that the
greatest problem in the transition
process relates to the organizational system.
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The most striking change in SKILLS is the shift
from task-centered skills to two categories of
skills needed to master the organizational system:
1. Skills in coping with the organizational system
itself -- its values, goals, procedures, and policies.
2. Skills in working with people who differ
substantially in background and interests.
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Three categories of specialists
in terms of patterns of motivations:
1. Motivational pattern is essentially
that of a manager.
2. Motivational pattern is'. strongly that
of a specialist, but discovers the
motivational patterns .and rewards of
a manager can haves positive meaning.
3. Motivational patterns of a manager have
a definite NEGATIVE appeal -- risk of
failure is relatively high.
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Study findings and recommendations
fell into three categories:
1. MANAGEMENT
2. SELECTION
3. TRAINING
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MANAGEMENT:
Agency leadership needs to deal effectively
with the difficulty of the transition process by.
1. Taking an active part in selection procedures
and training programs, to enhance the potential
success of specialists moving into management, and
2. Providing a realistic 'dual ladder' system
to permit grade and salary promotions to
specialists of high ability who choose
not to enter management.
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SELECTION:
The management selection process needs
to:
1. Be aware that the salient motivations of
specialists and most managers are substantially
different -- those specialists who reject the
managerial value system are likely to be poor
risks in management positions.
2. Give greater emphasis to criteria other than
technical competence or prominence, in
selecting candidates for management positions.
3. Consider selection as a continuing process,
using ad hoc tasks and task leadership
assignments to assess management potential.
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TRAINING:
Training programs need to:
1. Orient new employees to the organizational
environment, values, and procedures through
a central training, and
b informal manager-advisors.
2. Be revised to reflect:
a greater attention to organizational system skills;
b emphasis on developing subordinates;
c sensitivity of managers to subordinates; and
d) use of management evaluation info to assess training needs.
3. Examine the need for special programs to improve
performance in the most difficult management functions, through
a standard training for all new managers, and
b specific skills training for selected managers.
4. Explore the wider use of limited intern-type assignments
for new or potential managers, as training and assessment tools.
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Six Reasons Why the Transition is Difficult:
1. The specialist must switch prime loyalty from
a professional (and technical) orientation to
an organization (that is, management) orientation;
2. The specialist wants to be a 'nice guy?, but
tends to associate
management with hurting
rather than helping people;
3. The specialist loses DIRECT control over work
and now must work through others (neither can
he/she be more proficient than subordinates in
their respective tasks);
4. She/he spends less time on things that are fun
(that is, technical) and must adjust to a scale
of values oriented toward management;
5. The Specialist feels trapped at having opted
for management to obtain more money, having
deserted his/her 'technical birthright'; and
6. In contrast to engineering and physical.science,
there are few rules in management to fall back on.
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TEN MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS USED IN SURVEY:
1. Budgeting
2. Reporting
3. Staffing
4. Supervising
5. Planning
6. Policy-making
7. Representing the Organization
8. Consulting
9. Program Assessment and Evaluation
10. 'Fire-Fighting'
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TRANSFORMATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS INTO MANAGERS
-- budget preparation
-- Justification of the budget
-- living within budgetary constraints
-- organizationally upward and down
- to provide Information
- to elicit Information
- to get action
-- laterally and outside the organization
c. Staffing
-- personnel selections. training and retention
d. Supervising
-- directing work of others
-- establishing policies and procedures
Representing the Organization
h. Consulting
-- assisting other groups or organizations by virtue
of technical or administrative knowledge
1. Program Assessment and Evaluation
J. "Fire-Fighting"
-- meeting unexpected day-to-day problems
FIGURE 1. -Card used in interview, enumerating management functions
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FUNCTIONS PERFORMED MORE FREQUENTLY AS A MANAGER:
? Budgeting
? Staffing
? Supervising
? Policy-making
? Representing the Organization
? Program Assessment
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TIME CONSUMPTION:
? REPORTING was consistently said to be
the most time-consuming management function.
? Supervising, planning, and 'firefighting'
were also selected frequently as being
time-consuming.
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DIFFICULTY OF FUNCTIONS
? Most respondents said they had not found
any of the management functions particularly
difficult to perform.
? A relatively small proportion of respondents
found budgeting, reporting, and staffing
particularly difficult.
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IMPORTANCE OF FUNCTIONS:
? Planning was viewed as being
particularly important for
specialists and for managers.
? Reporting and Supervising
were viewed as being
important for managers,
followed by staffing and
budgeting.
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MOST/LEAST ENJOYABLE FUNCTIONS
? MOST ENJOYABLE:
- Planning
- Reporting
- Supervising
Representing the Organization
- Consulting
- Program Assessment
? Least Enjoyable:
- Budgeting (most consistently disliked)
- Staffing
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SIXTEEN MANAGEMENT SKILLS USED IN STUDY:
1. Fundamental Technology
2. Application of Techniques
3. Knowledge in Related Areas
4. Operating within Organizational System
5. Operating within Financial System
6. Operating within Personnel System
7. Recognizing, Coping with Environmental Factors
8. Communication of Ideas,
9. Working with Diverse People
10. Coordinating, etc., Group Effort
11. Leadership Style
12. Generation of Confidence of Superior
13. Integrative Ability
14. Problem-solving
15. Decision-making
16. Creative Thinking
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I)IMI:NSIONS OP MANAGI?MI?NT
a. Fundamental technology
-- well founded in the fundamentals of his field.
b. Application of techniques
-- capacity to apply techniques.
c. Knowledge in related areas
-- professional knowledge in areas related to specialty.
d. Operati,;9 within organizational system
-- capacity to operate within the organization -- a knowledge of
organizational goals, structure, relationships and procedures.
e. Operating within financial system
-- capacity to operate within the financial management system --
knowledge of relevant budgeting, cost estimating, and cost control
techniques or procedures.
f. Operating with personnel system
-- capacity to operate within the personnel system -- the formal and
informal means (and restrictions) applicable to the full range of
personnel activites from recruitment through separation.
g. Recognizing, coping with environmental factors
-- capacity to recognize and to cope with environmental factors --
e.g.. constituent-professional-group interests, inter-agency
problems or relations, interested officials in other component
organizations within your agency, organizational politics.
h. Communication of ideas
-- ability to communicate ideas.
1. Working with diverse people
-- capacity to work with people of diverse ability, style, and
temperament.
J. Coordinating, etc., group effort
-- ability to coordinate; facilitating group efforts, negotiating.
k. Leadership style
-- possessing a leadership style that draws positive responses from
subordinates.
1. Generation of confidence of superior
-- capacity to generate the confidence of his superior in him.
M. Integrative ability
-- integrative ability, to perceive and assess relationships.
n. Problem-solving
-- capacity to identify and to define critical issues, to develop
potential solutions.
o. Decision-making
-- possesses decision-making capacity.
p. Creative thinking
-- capable of creative thinking.
NOT PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE
1 2 3 S 7 9
FIGURE 2. -Card used in interview, enumerating management skills
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MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS
? FOR A SPECIALIST:
- Fundamental Technology
- Application of Techniques
- Communication of Ideas
- Problem-solving
- Creative Thinking
? FOR A MANAGER:
* Operating within the organizational system
* Operating within the financial system
* Operating within the personnel system
* Recognizing and Coping with Environmental Factors
- Communication of Ideas
* Working with Diverse People
* Coordinating Group Effort
* Leadership Style
- Generating Confidence of Superior
- Integrative Ability
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Creative Thinking
(* Most likely to be a source of difficulty during transition.)
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FIFTEEN MOTIVATIONAL CATEGORIES USED IN STUDY:
1. Leadership
2. Detailed Planning
3. Doing New, Different Things
4. Direct Attack on Problems
5. Contributing to Organization's Goals
6. Achieving Through Overcoming Difficult Obstacles
7. Assisting Others
8. Being Independent
9. Seeking the Support of Others
10. Being Recognized
11. Being Able to Exercise Authority
12. Risk-taking in Decisions
13. Associating with Very Congenial Co-workers
14. Associating with Intellectually Competent Co-workers
15. Using Technical Knowledge, Skills
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I'RANSI ORMAIION OF SCIENTIS"I'S AND I?:N(;INI?:I'.RS IN'ft) MANAGERS
-- being the leader - directing others - being the one who establishes
policies.
b. Detailed planning
-- developing detailed plans - being neat and orderly in one's work.
c. Doing new, different things,
d. Direct attack on problems
-- engaging In direct attack on problems and obstacles.
c. Contributing to organization's goals
-- contributing to the advancement of the organization's goals.
f. Achieving through overcoming difficult obstacles.
g. Help to one's colleagues - assisting others.
h. Being independent
-- making own decisions - doing as one wishes,
i. Seeking t::e support of others
-- seeking assistance from others.
j. Being recognized
-- for one's accomplishments.
k. Being able to exercise authority.
1. Risk-taking in decisions
-- liking to be in a job where one's decisions involve taking risks.
m. Associating with very congenial co-workers.
n. Associating with intellectually competent co-workers.
o. Using technical knowledge, skills.
FIGURE..-Card used in interview, enumerating motivations
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MOTIVATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH BEING:
? A SPECIALIST:
- Liking To Do New and Different Things
- Making Direct Attack on Problems
- Being Independent
- Associating with Intellectually Competent Co-workers
- Using Technical Knowledge and Skills
? A MANAGER:
- Being a Leader
Contributing to Organization's Goals
- Helping One's Colleagues
-Seeking the Support of Others
- Exercising Authority
- Risk-taking in Decisions
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HIGHEST-SATISFACTION-RATED MOTIVATIONS
i
? AS A SPECIALIST
- Making Direct Attack on . Problems
Achieving Through Overcoming Difficult Obstacles
- Being Recognized
Associating With Intellectually Competent Co-workers - Using Technical Knowledge and Skills
? AS A MANAGER
- Being a Leader
- Contributing to Organization's Goals
Achieving Through Overcoming Difficult Obstacles
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CHANGES IN MOTIVATION POTENTIAL
DURING TRANSITION TO MANAGER:
? POTENTIAL for Satisfying Tends To INCREASE:
+ Being a Leader
+ Liking To Do Detailed Planning
+ Contributing To the Organization's Goals
+ Helping One's Colleagues
+ Seeking the Support of Others
+ Exercising Authority
+ Risk-taking in Decision Making
? POTENTIAL for Satisfying Tends To DECREASE:
- Making Direct Attack on Problems
- Being Independent
- Being Recognized for Accomplishments
- Using Technical Knowledge and Skills
? POTENTIAL for Satisfying Tends To Remain the SAME:
= Doing New, Different Things
= Achieving Through Overcoming Difficult Obstacles
= Associating with Very Congenial Co-workers
= Associating with Intellectually Competent Co-workers
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CHANGES IN MOTIVATION SATISFACTION
DURING TRANSITION TO MANAGER:
? EASIER TO SATISFY:
+ Being a Leader.
+ Contributing to the Organization's Goals
+ Helping One's Colleagues
+ Exercising Authority
? HARDER TO SATISFY:
- Being Independent
- Using Technical Knowledge and Skills
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 DIGITAL MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
0 FULL WEEK(S)
0
A
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MANAGEMENT SKILLS WORKSHOPS (Cont)
^
PARTIAL DAY (HOURS INDICATED) Q CONTINUOUSLY AVAILABLE
A B 3
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Location to be announced
MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE STAFF (MOSS) NEW
Location to be announced
MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE STAFF (MOSS) JUNIOR
Location to be announced
MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE STAFF (MOSS) SENIOR
Location to be announced
Maynard Area
10
STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Maynard Area
Locations to be announced
ID
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS: For complete course descriptions and prerequisites, TO ENROLL: Call your Regional Contact. Greater Maynard Area employees can
call DTN 249.1862 or 617.276-1882. call DTN 249-1882 for enrollment information.
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10 TO BE ANNOUNCED
10 TO BE ANNOUNCED
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4
DIGITAL MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
? FULL WEEK(S) ?^ PARTIAL WEEK(S)
t*J Weeks containing U.S. holidays
[A] NOTE n LENGTH
MANAGEMENT SKILLS WORKSHOPS (Cont)
SECRETARY/MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS
Maynard Area
NER - ---- -
MAR
CR
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MANAGING ACROSS CULTURES
Maynard Area
3 TO BE ANNOUNCED
11
Maynard Area
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Maynard Area
CALCULATING HUMAN RESOURCE COSTS & BENEFITS
Location to be announced
rBedford
rLocation to be announced
THE COMPUTER AS AN OFFICE MANAGEMENT TOOL
Maynard Area
MANAGING DATA TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING
? Maynard Area
I Location to be announced
MANAGING CHANGE
0
Ma and Area
I Location to be announced
SALES UNIT MANAGER-TERRITORY/SALES
Location to be announced
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
NER
MAR
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[] CONTINUOUSLY AVAILABLE
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2 TO BE ANNOUNCED
2
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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS: For complete course descriptions and prerequisites.
call DTN 249-1882 or 617-276-1682.
TO ENROLL: Call your Regional Contact. Greater Maynard area employees can call
DTN 249-1882 for enrollment information.
I I I JAI I I I 11 1
TO BE ANNOUNCED
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 Maynard Area
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KEY FINANCIAL CONCEPTS
Maynard Area
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0
31 7
26 2
LL
CONTINUOUSLY AVAILABLE
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LLLTZTLTT -TJ
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS: For complete course descriptions and prerequisites. TO ENROLL: Call your Regional Contact. Greater Maynard Area employees can
call DTN 249.1882 or 617-276-1882 call DTN 249-1882 for enrollment information
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EXECUTIVE/MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGY DECISION MAP
I ? COMMUNICATIONS
ROLE OF TOP MANAGEMENT
? 11USER'? MARKETING
? NON-MGMT INFORMATION
(SUBORDINATE FEEDBACK
-1-SELF EVALUATION PROCESSES
L APPRAISAL /DEVELOPMENT
PLAN INPUT
STEERIN&/ADVISORY
CoM MM ITTEES
OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL SOURCES
- TEACHING/COACHING MATERIALS
FOR SUPERIOR MGR.
I ? STAFFIN G
DEVELOPMENT TENURE
MANAGERS VS SPECIALISTS
INSTRUCTORS TRAINING
METHODS
ORGANIZATION OF
RESOURCES
? SUPPORT
POLICIES F. PRACTICES
? ADMINISTRATION
SYSTEMS
LINK WITH BUSINESS
PLANNING PROCESS
TRAINING VS. DEVELOPMENT -~,
VS. ASSESSMENT
IN COMPANY VS. OUT COMPANY
INSTRUCTOR
BASED
COME/MATERIAL
DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY
L-NON-INSTRUCTOK
BASED
- LEARNING
EVALUATION
-PERFORMANCE
ANALYSIS
LINTEGRATION WITH
NEEDS ANALYSIS
MANDATED VS. ELECTIVE
IN COMPANY MIX: LINE VS INSTRUCTOR --{
VS EXTERNAL
DISCRIMINATE BY PERFORMANCE/
BY POTENTIAL
OPINION SURVEY ANALYSIS
KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT
ESKILLTESTING
SURVEYS/INTERVIEWS:
PERSONNEL/FUNCTIONAL
BUSINESS/PERSONNEL STRATEGIES
PERSONNEL RESEARCH INPUT/
OPINION SURVEYS
H INTEGRATION OF MGR/M6MT NEEDS
'MUST GET VS "MUST NAVE`PHILOSOPHY
1014 AN C
MISSION BALANCE KNOWLEDGE/
SKILLS/ATTITUDES
DELIVERED BY CORP. VS BUS. UNIT
VS CROSS BUS. UNIT VS OTHER.
~- IDENTIFICATION/EVALUATION OF
EXTERNAL MATERIALS/COURSES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FEASIBILITY
MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY-DISTRIBUTION r."
INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT VS EXTERNAL PURCHASE
- USE OF TESTING/SKILLASSESSMENT
QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE
CLASSROOM EYALUATIOW _ BY MODULE, BY COURSE
POST CLASS EVALUATION OBJECTIVES VS CONTENT
- LINK BETWEEN JOB PERFORMANCE
AND EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT
ARSTAT
m"Ambf
WANG LABORATORIES, INC.
n NF INDUSTRIAL AVENUE
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