TY - GEN
T1 - Challenges in the development of systems engineering as a profession
AU - Dixit, Indrajeet
AU - Valerdi, Ricardo
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - This paper explores a fundamental and important question: is Systems Engineering a profession? It is fundamental because of the current existential crisis in the discipline and it is important because it helps in defining our role in the context of the greater technical community. By observing systems engineering through the theoretical lens of the professionalization literature rooted in sociology, we propose five key challenges to systems engineering as a profession. Firstly, defining the problem space, secondly, understanding the state of the body of knowledge, thirdly, the impact of lifecycle perspective, fourthly, the falsification of systems engineering theories and lastly, the question of standard of proof for systems engineering. The need for our thesis is motivated by understanding the current body of knowledge and proposing a direction that will enable the profession to overcome key challenges.
AB - This paper explores a fundamental and important question: is Systems Engineering a profession? It is fundamental because of the current existential crisis in the discipline and it is important because it helps in defining our role in the context of the greater technical community. By observing systems engineering through the theoretical lens of the professionalization literature rooted in sociology, we propose five key challenges to systems engineering as a profession. Firstly, defining the problem space, secondly, understanding the state of the body of knowledge, thirdly, the impact of lifecycle perspective, fourthly, the falsification of systems engineering theories and lastly, the question of standard of proof for systems engineering. The need for our thesis is motivated by understanding the current body of knowledge and proposing a direction that will enable the profession to overcome key challenges.
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84878090944
SN - 9781605601199
T3 - 17th Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2007 - Systems Engineering: Key to Intelligent Enterprises
SP - 866
EP - 881
BT - 17th Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2007 - Systems Engineering
T2 - 17th Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2007
Y2 - 24 June 2007 through 28 June 2007
ER -