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We present analysis of factors that de-motivate software practitioners from supporting software process improvement (SPI) initiatives, using a multidimensional scaling (MDS) technique. Our findings are based on an empirical study involving nearly 200 software practitioners from 13 UK companies. Our aim is to provide managers with a better understanding of the obstacles that prevent practitioners from supporting SPI. This insight should help SPI managers establish more effective SPI implementation strategies. In this article we re-introduce the use of MDS techniques in SPI research. MDS is a social science data analysis technique designed to generate a rich visual understanding of human issues. By using MDS we found evidence to suggest distinct clusters of de-motivators exist for different staff groups. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the impact of software developer motivation on projects. Motivation has been reported to be an important determinant of productivity and quality of work in many industries. In this article, we explore specifically how motivation impacts on development work in software engineering. We describe work previously done to suggest that software developers may have a different profile of motivators to other professionals. We present data collected from nine developers working in a software organisation that has been assessed at CMM level 5. We find that the developers working in this high maturity development environment are highly motivated. We also report relationships between motivation and progress in development work and describe the impact of motivating factors on specific aspects of software development. Our main conclusion is that good software developers are proactive, flexible and adaptable, prepared to share knowledge with team and follow good practice, for example, documenting work. Also, and in particular reference to this high maturity company, good software developers are able to resolve complex problems, innovative and eager to try new technology. The biggest motivators to such performance in a high maturity organisation are pay and benefits, recognition and opportunities for achievement. These are closely followed by technically challenging work, job security and senior management support. Cost, time, product quality — in terms of reliability — and user satisfaction are all moderately good indicators of project success. User satisfaction, however, is the best indicator of all four as its importance assumes a temporal significance as a project progresses. Finally, we found that technical competency, interpersonal skills and adherence to good practices impact favourably on software project success. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present empirical findings from our study of software practitioners. We used the repertory grid technique to collect data from nearly 200 developers, project managers and senior managers in 13 companies. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions that different staff groups have regarding their role in SPI. Our results allow improved understanding of the SPI concerns and needs that different staff groups have. We suggest that this improved understanding will enable SPI managers to develop multi-strand SPI implementation strategies which deliver benefit to all staff groups. Delivering SPI benefit to all staff groups increases buy-in at all levels and means that SPI can be more successful in the long term. Our main findings are that all staff groups are in close agreement about their roles in SPI. However software developers often have a limited view of SPI and are unable to perceive themselves in some of the roles that successful case studies on SPI recommend. For example, developers do not see themselves assuming ownership of processes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present survey data characterizing the implementation of SPI in 85 UK companies. We aim to provide SPI managers with more understanding of the critical success factors of implementing SPI. We present an analysis of the critical implementation factors identified in published case studies. We use a questionnaire to measure the use of these factors in ‘typical’ software companies. We found that many companies use SPI but the effectiveness of SPI implementation is variable. Many companies inadequately resource SPI and fail to evaluate the impact of SPI. On the other hand, companies show a good appreciation of the human factors associated with implementing SPI. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]