Motivation of software professionals
in [Java Programming]
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From: Wojtek on 5 Feb 2010 10:37 Patricia Shanahan wrote : > Stefan Kiryazov wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the >> most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their >> popularity, etc. > ... > > I don't qualify as a software professional now, but I did work in the > computer industry for 32 years. > > In my experience, software professionals are people, each with their own > motivations. Assuming everyone has the same motivations is a basic > leadership error. > > That said, by definition professionals are, to some extent, in it for > the money. If they were not, they would be amateurs as I am now. How > that is balanced against interesting work, physical working conditions, > status, etc. varies. Hmmm, I have seen "professionals" who should be escorted out by security. And then people who do it for personal satisfaction who produce excellent code. The FOSS movement has a mix of these two groups. Being a professional is a state of mind rather than renumeration. But yes, I like to eat too.... -- Wojtek :-)
From: Walter Banks on 5 Feb 2010 10:39 Stefan Kiryazov wrote: > I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the > most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their > popularity, etc. Watching it all come together in a project after 40 years still has the same excitement. I resigned from a good job 30 years ago to program again as a career telling colleges at the time that I may never work again but I am playing 50 or 60 hours a week at something I love to do. Regards, w.. -- Walter Banks Byte Craft Limited http://www.bytecraft.com
From: BGB / cr88192 on 5 Feb 2010 10:44 "Anthony Williams" <anthony.ajw(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:87ljf76emt.fsf(a)dell.justsoftwaresolutions.co.uk... > Richard Cornford <Richard(a)litotes.demon.co.uk> writes: > >> On Feb 5, 11:19 am, Stefan Kiryazov wrote: >>> Hi all, >>> >>> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, >>> the most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, >>> their popularity, etc. >> >> Strange question; the most efficient motivator of professionals is >> money, and money is very popular. > > Whilst people like money, it's not necessary the most efficient > motivator. Developers also like interesting, challenging, varied work, > work with new technologies, flexible hours, freedom to do what they feel > is technically best without being hampered by management dictat and many > other things. > OTOH, many programmers may also despise anything "new" or "different", or anything which may effect "the way things usually are". give them something new, and they will resist, like "this is not how I usually do things", ... it would be like, in a college, them adding soap dispensers all over the walls in the hallways. then, this is unsettling, since it is well known that soap dispensers are properly placed in the bathrooms, and so what are they doing in the hallways?... likewise, many may like a well-defined heirarchy of authority, strong-seeming authority figures, and the sense of "excitement" over the volumes of work being produced (measurable via metrics like money, units sold, kloc written, completing various items on various agendas, ...), ... and, granted, other people may not like this... they might dislike, for example, being expected to stand and greet the boss whenever he enters the room, waiting for him either to say something relevant or to tell them all to carry on, ... other people may also not like attending meetings for the sake of debating over agenda items, deciding on matters of policy, ... so, it may all depend a lot on the person (and/or, the personality types of the people involved...).
From: MarkusSchaber on 5 Feb 2010 10:52 On 5 Feb., 13:23, Richard Cornford <Rich...(a)litotes.demon.co.uk> wrote: > On Feb 5, 11:19 am, Stefan Kiryazov wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > I am doing a research about motivation in software development, > > the most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, > > their popularity, etc. > > Strange question; the most efficient motivator of professionals is > money, [...] This was proven wrong by Science. Read Bruce Eckels excellent blog entries about this topic, he always references relliable sources on this subject.
From: Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn on 5 Feb 2010 11:21
Richard Cornford wrote: > On Feb 5, 11:19 am, Stefan Kiryazov wrote: >> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, >> the most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, >> their popularity, etc. > > Strange question; the most efficient motivator of professionals is > money, and money is very popular. That would mean that the more you are paid, the more motivated you are, which is obviously wrong. Money is only part of the equation. Money is a factor of motivation in capitalism only because of the things that money can buy, and which it means to others. But those things can be gained without money as well, so you would probably be equally motivated if someone provides them for work you have done. See, e.g., Maslow's hierarchy of needs. F'up2 poster PointedEars -- var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk = ( navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5') != -1 && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac') != -1 ) // Plone, register_function.js:16 |