Leadership and Management in Engineering

Paul Bryant, management consultant to architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C) industry firms, is researching the recent trend of global outsourcing of engineering services. The purpose of the research is to identify the impact global outsourcing has on U.S. engineering firms and individuals in order to develop a body of knowledge that encompasses the trend and its effects. Current research being performed by academia on outsourcing has largely ignored the A/E/C industry, tending to focus more on high-tech, manufacturing, and financial services. The reason for this is that the A/E/C industry is very fragmented, with numerous small and midsize firms, with relatively few multibillion-dollar multinational firms that are publicly traded or large enough to be listed in the Forbes 2000. This discourages examination of outsourcing in the industry, except on a very limited basis.

The goal of the Colorado River Compact was simple: equitable water allocation amongst the seven participating states: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and New Mexico. In the years since the compact was put into effect there has been considerable debate over whether this goal was achieved. This debate has been exacerbated by lawsuits between the participating states, media attention, and intensified citizen and lobbyist pressures on government agencies and officials. In recent years, this controversy has become even more prevalent with record population growth and drought alert in participating lower basin states.