Student Name: Basma Mohamed Al-Kiyumi

Student ID: 7E1A8461/15325497

Group: 16
Reflective Journal No. 2 Date: 14th October 2016

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Lecture Topic: Business and the Engineer
Presenter: Dr. Adrian Tan
Organization: Murphy Oil Corporation
1.0 Overview
Engineering is the discipline, art and profession of obtaining and applying technical, scientific and mathematical
knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired
objective or inventions. While a business is an organization where products and services are traded for money or one
another (what is business, n.d). An engineer’s work is directly related to business as it creates opportunities for
employment and generates income for the nations. This can be achieved through establishing a location that require
research and development or creating new innovative ideas. This report studies the relationship between business and
the engineer, as well as provides a descriptive analysis on the challenges faced by engineers, the necessary skill-sets
required for an engineer to be successful and the ethics in business. It is fundamental for every engineer to comprehend
the knowledge in oil and gas industry and the main factors affecting the business.
1.1 Bio-Data
Dr. Adrian Tan obtained his first degree from the University of Malaya in Bachelors of Chemical Engineering. After
gained some experience in the oil and gas industry, he pursued his Masters in Molecular Engineering of Chemical and
Biological Systems from the Singapore Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Alliance program. With great honor, he
was requested to read his PhD in National University of Singapore focusing on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis employing
first principles modelling and reactor studies. Once he completed his doctorate, he joined a leading process company
involved with gas treatment. Presently, Dr. Adrian Tan is the Engineering Manager for Murphy Oil Corporation, where
he leads a team of engineers involved with building new oil and gas infrastructure, both offshore and onshore. He is
equally involved with several challenging upgrades across Murphy’s assets and provides consultancy to the industry on
oil and gas matters. Since Dr. Adrian Tan is a professional chemical engineer, he acts as the Technical Authority for
Process Engineering within his organization. In recognition of his professional contribution, The Institution of Chemical
Engineers in UK accepted him as their Corporate Member in 2013.
2.0 Business and the Engineer
Engineering and business is a combination for Success. The engineering discipline involves all studies related to
mathematics, science and business into a logical and systematic problem solving interaction. Engineers do more than
design bridges and build roads, they contribute to society on a daily basis, everything from sidewalks to aircraft, surgical
tools to the internet, a mighty iPhone 7 to building a first international airport on an artificial island in the middle of
Osaka Bay, Japan. Becoming an engineer requires both effective design and construction, and hence it means that one
is actively participating and contributing to the modern world. Passion drives hard work, without it one cannot excel in
the work. Every engineer should try to contribute to the society either by trying to introduce alternative energy supply
for electricity, fuels, cooking etc. As well as initiate to unite the community in keeping the area safe and clean or
developing new applications that bring awareness about the global warming or energy crisis or water management
which could happen in the coming future. There are several contribution to engineering in the past few years such as,
PS10 and PS20 Solar Power Plant, Kansai Airport in Japan, Abiocor Artificial Heart etc.

PS10 and PS20 Solar Power Plant are the world’s first commercial plant to use tower technology. It is located 20 km
off Seville, Spain, the solar collector harnesses the power of the sun using mirrors and generates electricity through a
steam turbine. The plant has been successfully supplying clean energy to the power grid from the beginning, where
PS10 and PS20 provides 10 MW and 20 MW power respectively (Abengoa Solar. 2014). This contribution helps with
the environmental, social and economic benefits; which are mentioned below,

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 Student Name: Basma Mohamed Al-Kiyumi
Student ID: 7E1A8461/15325497
Group: 16
Reflective Journal No. 2 Date: 14th October 2016

 The Complex supplies clean electricity to approximately 94,000 households, while eliminating 114,000 tons of
CO2 emissions each year.
 It created 1,000 jobs during the manufacturing and construction phases, and still provides more than 200 jobs in
plant operation.
 Since construction began in 2004, this Complex has been boosting local industry through the purchase of goods
and services, has been a catalyst for technological investment in the region, and has generated tourism in the area
(Abengoa Solar. 2014).
Kansai Airport, Japan is the first international airport to build on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, it is
located 38 km away from the Osaka Station and build to relieve land congestion. Abiocor Artificial Heart is a
mechanical heart designed to reduce the total work load of a heart that can no longer work as its normal capacity
(Artificial Heart. 2016). Abiocor model 2001 was first used to replace a real heart in surgery in 2001. It is rechargeable
and self-powering unlike earlier models with attached wires which leaded to infection and deaths. This contribution to
medicine and mankind will help people who suffer from heart disease in many years to come and most importantly it
works like a real human heart.

3.0 Challenges and Skill-sets

There are several challenges faced by engineers in today’s world, such as providing affordable and efficient housing,
health care, food, communication, transportation and alternative energy solutions for the world’s growing population.
One of the greatest challenges in engineering today is to ensure that the current requirements for individuals are
encountered while securing the future necessities for the next generations to come. Nowadays, engineering links
scientific findings to human development and apply them to the world today in a beneficial and controllable manner.
This is unfortunate since engineering graduates are trained to solve the problems through applications of fundamental
principles.
Natural resources are becoming depleted due to high usage and continuing growth of the world’s population, therefore
it is necessary to allocate different materials and develop the nation, for instance, synthesis of new materials, adequate
sanitation and availability of clean water. According to literature review, about 90% of pipelines are produced from
stainless steel and nearly 80% of platforms are made of stainless steel. Unfortunately stainless steel is composed of iron
ores with carbon added to them in order to strengthen the metal. The necessity for synthesis of new and more efficient
materials is there, however the challenge in generating new material is to ensure that the material is not costly
(Helmenstine, n.d). As a result, the lack of sanitation in the world is draining, where 2.6 billion people globally lack
adequate sanitation, 2,000 children die every day because of diarrheal diseases caused by poor sanitation and several
consumers recognize that the plumbing system in their home is essential to their family’s health and safety. In addition,
another area that lacks engineering and may provide a lot of opportunity is in introducing reliable and efficient responses
to natural disasters. This can be achieved by developing structures or materials that may withstand natural disasters such
as earthquakes, heavy storms and other types of disasters.
Management and leadership skills are an essential tool required by fresh engineers in order to ensure that they can meet
social necessities, lead and manage teams and provide the most cost efficient solutions to the problems faced or
generated. According to Dr. Adrian, during his experience in the oil and gas industry, the management and leadership
skills necessary for success in today’s world for an engineer are listed below;
 Observation and Listening Skills
 Effective Communication Skills
 Effective Relational Skills
 Effective Business Mindset
 Effective Negotiation Skills
 Effective Planning and Control Skills

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 Student Name: Basma Mohamed Al-Kiyumi
Student ID: 7E1A8461/15325497
Group: 16
Reflective Journal No. 2 Date: 14th October 2016

A further description of the skills listed above is illustrated in Table 1.

Table 1: Description of Skill-Sets

Observation and  It is the ability understand how the process operates

Listening Skills  to see what is required to be developed or further improved in the field you are working
 the ability to listen to the team can provide opportunity to realizing what challenge or
problem is required to be solved
Effective  It is the ability to find a balance for all people to understand you
Communication  Recognize your audience
Skills  Use eyes and body language to help pass the message
 Understand people due to different background or culture
 Necessary tool in achieving common goal
Effective Relational  It is the ability to relate to people
Skills  Know a strategy for negotiating
 Separate work with how you relate with people
 Create ability to develop trust
 Lead by relationship not by authority
Effective Business  It is the ability to do things at the lowest possible cost
Mindset  Ensure projects are affordable, reliable and efficient
 Any cost reduced, secures your job, increases profit and provides opportunity for
further development and sustainability of business
Effective Negotiation  It is the ability to effectively negotiate about job
Skills  Understand people well enough to propose to them a deal or agreement they cannot
resist
 Know the person you’re dealing with and learn how to approach them
 Be able to create a winning situation by creating fairness
Effective Planning  It is the ability to have the courage to confront situations when necessary
and Control Skills  Control plan
 Monitor plan
 Meet deadlines
 Plan and control effectively
 Be punctual
 Control yourself

4.0 Business Ethics

Business ethics is the fundamental background for carrying on business by following generally accepted standards of
right behavior. The standards are developed by individual businesses, industries, trade associations, professional
organizations and the law that governs the business. Ethics exist along boundaries of what is considered good and
proper, as opposed to what is bad character and inacceptable conduct (Shaw 2016). Engineers are required to follow a
code of ethics and conduct themselves professionally in order to prevent unsafe practices that can lead to loss of life or
property. Previously, the society were not permitted to consider the ethical issues of medicine or the possibility of a
worldwide investment collapse. Computer-assisted design permits architects and engineers to refine their calculations
so that they construct buildings with the thinnest, least expensive materials, reducing margins of error. Technology
allows us to introduce innovations into our homes and work places, but we don't always take time to conduct research
on the social, economic, and medical impacts they may have on our lives. The 21st century promises to bring massive
ethical challenges and as a response to this concern, a new discipline, engineering ethics, is emerging.
Engineering is similar to professions such as law and medicine in that it has specialized knowledge, the privilege of
self-regulation, and a responsibility to the public. We use our training and abilities to benefit society, and society expects

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 Student Name: Basma Mohamed Al-Kiyumi
Student ID: 7E1A8461/15325497
Group: 16
Reflective Journal No. 2 Date: 14th October 2016

that we will oversee and regulate the performance of our fellow engineers. Therefore, our education and our professional
practice must consider the ethical dimensions of engineering (Davis 2010). However, there are many gray areas that
can challenge engineers as they struggle to behave in an ethical and moral manner.
5.0 Conclusion
In conclusion I have learnt that in order to succeed in the oil and gas industry one must be willing to continue learning
and further develop their leadership and management skills. Besides technical strengths, engineers are required to be
ethical, the attitude of an engineer is what determines what legacy one leaves behind. It is also important to realize that
the most important asset in a team is a human being. The work of an engineer is crucial as it may create opportunity
and wealth for a nation. In order for businesses to further develop, they should be willing to invest in research and
development to further develop their business and create more opportunities for an ever increasing world population.
This lecture was an insight and an overview of what they have to deal with on a daily routine. I think that, when merging
business and engineering minds, thriving thought and good decisions can be taken concerning a business. This is, in my
opinion, a preview of how working life will be; sharing technical knowledge with the business team and vice versa.
This lecture widened my horizons and helped me appreciate the work others are performing. With such diverse minds
and opinions, I believe that progress and enhancement is much more probable in the working place rather than having
only the technical field of expertise being involved in projects. One of my favorite quotes that combines function, safety
and economy,

“Anyone can design a bridge, but an engineer makes it affordable."

6.0 References
Abengoa Solar. 2014. Accessed October 10, 2016.
http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/plantas_solares/plantas_para_terceros/espana/
Artificial Heart. 2016. Volume 6. Accessed October 10, 2016.
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Artificial-Heart.html
BusinessDictionary. What Is Business? Definition and Meaning. Accessed October 10, 2016.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/business.html.
Helmenstine, Anne Marie. Why Is Stainless Steel Stainless? Accessed October 10, 2016.
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/metalsandalloys/a/aa071201a.htm.
Tan, Adrian. 2016. Business and the Engineer. Curtin University Sarawak, Sarawak. Powerpoint lecture notes
Accessed October 10, 2016.
http://moodle.curtin.edu.my/pluginfile.php/115053/mod_resource/content/1/Business%20and%20the%20Engineer%20by%20Dr%20
Adrian%20Tan.pdf
Shaw, William. 2016. Business ethics: A textbook with cases. Nelson Education. Accessed October 10, 2016.
Davis, Michael. 2010. "Thinking like an engineer: The place of a code of ethics in the practice of a
Profession." Philosophy & Public Affairs (1991): 150-167.
http://www.erie.buffalo.edu/REU/REU%20readings/DavisThinkingLikeEngineer-PPA.pdf
Velasquez, Manuel G., and Manuel Velazquez. Business ethics: Concepts and cases. Vol. 111. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. http://silabus.feb.unila.ac.id/etika-bisnis/bahan/Ethics%20and%20the%20Employee%20-
%20Velasquez_C8.pdf
Giacalone, Robert A., and Kenneth R. Thompson. "Business ethics and social responsibility education: Shifting the
Worldview." Academy of Management Learning & Education 5, no. 3 (2006): 266-277.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.552.2907&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Goodpaster, Kenneth E. Business ethics and stakeholder analysis. Business ethics quarterly 1, no. 01 (1991): 53-73.
http://www53.homepage.villanova.edu/james.borden/vsb1001/Goodpaster.pdf