Validating the Importance of Leadership Themes for Entry-Level Engineering Positions

Abstract

There is a strong demand signal from the engineering industry for entry-level engineers to possess both technical skills and leadership skills. Limited research has been performed to define what companies mean by leadership when included in a job description. Building on findings of a previous study, this study developed and validated a quantitative survey instrument as well as ranked the importance of the five previously identified themes: initiative/confidence, communication, interpersonal interactions, teamwork, and engagement. This survey instrument enables researchers to study the demands for leadership by engineering employers and to examine the differing demands across engineering fields. Furthermore, understanding which themes are most important for new graduates to possess can inform engineering educators in creating, developing, and refining leadership education for engineers.