From the development of robots to the management of organizations — A discussion of the integrative approach of the Industrial Engineering discipline

This paper deals with academic undergraduate `Industrial Engineering and Management´ programs. The recent evolving changes in the economy and industry must be updated and adapted to the industrial engineering curriculum, whose graduates will be integrated into the competitive market. During this study, a T-Shape dilemma had been examined in regard to curriculum in the discipline of industrial engineering and management. The T shape dilemma discussed here places the depth of the curriculum in industrial engineering as oppose to the extent of the curriculum as a widthwise multidisciplinary. In order to examine this dilemma, 16 semi-structured interviews were held with senior-level managers in industry, as well as with leading academicians in the industrial engineering discipline. The findings were divided into 77 main repeating categories that rose during the various interviews. From a content analysis of the interview findings, several principles may be deduced upon which the industrial engineering curriculum in academia should be based.