Asp Forum - Motivation of software professionals

Stefan Kiryazov

2/5/2010 11:19:00 AM

Hi all,

I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the
most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their
popularity, etc.

As a part of the research, I am doing an online survey for software
engineers and managers in software development. It takes just several
minutes and filling it is a good opportunity to share your opinion
about the motivation practices being used in the software industry
today:
http://ask.wizefish.com/en/MotivationS...

Anyone who does the survey and leaves any contacts will be sent the
results.

Also, if someone is running a web site or blog dedicated to any aspect
of software development we can do some link exchange.

Regards,
Stefan Kiryazov

264 Answers

Richard Cornford

2/5/2010 12:24:00 PM

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.

> As a part of the research, I am doing an online survey for
> software engineers and managers in software development.
<snip>

This would be more convincing as an academic exercise, as opposed to,
say, spam intended to encourage visitors to some web page with the
intention of gaining advertising revenue, if there were not so many
advertisements on the page.

In any event, your survey needs the addition of a large number of
"This question makes no sense" option checkboxes, as it is
unanswerable as it is.

Richard.

Jeff Gaines

2/5/2010 12:26:00 PM

On 05/02/2010 in message
<dabc5b6d-f342-466a-a4b6-8e7034956bd4@a32g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> Stefan
Kiryazov wrote:

>I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the
>most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their
>popularity, etc.

M O N E Y

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day.
Tomorrow, isn't looking good either.

Erwin Moller

2/5/2010 12:37:00 PM

Stefan Kiryazov schreef:
> Hi all,
>
> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the
> most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their
> popularity, etc.
>
> As a part of the research, I am doing an online survey for software
> engineers and managers in software development. It takes just several
> minutes and filling it is a good opportunity to share your opinion
> about the motivation practices being used in the software industry
> today:
> http://ask.wizefish.com/en/MotivationS...
>
> Anyone who does the survey and leaves any contacts will be sent the
> results.
>
> Also, if someone is running a web site or blog dedicated to any aspect
> of software development we can do some link exchange.
>
> Regards,
> Stefan Kiryazov

I am in this business so I can fill in online questionaires.

Erwin Moller

--
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to
make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the
other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious
deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult."
-- C.A.R. Hoare

Swifty

2/5/2010 12:38:00 PM

On Fri, 5 Feb 2010 04:23:41 -0800 (PST), Richard Cornford
<Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Strange question; the most efficient motivator of professionals is
>money, and money is very popular.

Then how do you explain the people who work on free/open source
software?

Mick

2/5/2010 12:39:00 PM

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.
>
> As a part of the research, I am doing an online survey for software
> engineers and managers in software development. It takes just several
> minutes and filling it is a good opportunity to share your opinion
> about the motivation practices being used in the software industry
> today:
> http://ask.wizefish.com/en/MotivationS...
>
> Anyone who does the survey and leaves any contacts will be sent the
> results.
>
> Also, if someone is running a web site or blog dedicated to any aspect
> of software development we can do some link exchange.
>
> Regards,
> Stefan Kiryazov
Gotta pay the bills!

Anthony Williams

2/5/2010 12:39:00 PM

Richard Cornford <Richard@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.

Anthony
--
Author of C++ Concurrency in Action http://www.stdthread.c...
just::thread C++0x thread library http://www.stdth...
Just Software Solutions Ltd http://www.justsoftwaresolut...
15 Carrallack Mews, St Just, Cornwall, TR19 7UL, UK. Company No. 5478976

pasa

2/5/2010 1:55:00 PM

"Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk>
>> 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.

Lack of money is a massive demorivator, but meeting some basics it is hardly
an efficient motivator, let alon the most...

JR

2/5/2010 2:52:00 PM

On Feb 5, 9:19 am, Stefan Kiryazov <stefan.kirya...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the
> most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their
> popularity, etc.
>
> As a part of the research, I am doing an online survey for software
> engineers and managers in software development. It takes just several
> minutes and filling it is a good opportunity to share your opinion
> about the motivation practices being used in the software industry
> today:http://ask.wizefish.com/en/MotivationS...
>
> Anyone who does the survey and leaves any contacts will be sent the
> results.
>
> Also, if someone is running a web site or blog dedicated to any aspect
> of software development we can do some link exchange.

I suggest reading about the "Two Factor theory of emotion", also known
as "Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory". I studied this concept in
1984 for the first time, and I think it is still acceptable today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-fac...

Cheers,
JR

John B. Matthews

2/5/2010 2:58:00 PM

In article
<dabc5b6d-f342-466a-a4b6-8e7034956bd4@a32g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
Stefan Kiryazov <stefan.kiryazov@gmail.com> wrote:

> I am doing a research about motivation in software development, the
> most efficient practices to motivate software engineers, their
> popularity, etc.

[...]

This reminds me of "Drescher and the toaster":

A disciple of another sect once came to Drescher as he was
eating his morning meal.

â??I would like to give you this personality testâ?, said the
outsider, â??because I want you to be happy.â?

Drescher took the paper that was offered him and put it into
the toaster, saying: â??I wish the toaster to be happy, too.â?

<http://catb.org/jargon/html/koans.html#id3...

--
John B. Matthews
trashgod at gmail dot com
<http://sites.google.com/site/drjohnbma...

John Bode

2/5/2010 3:10:00 PM

On Feb 5, 6:39 am, Anthony Williams <anthony....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Richard Cornford <Rich...@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.
>

This is definitely true for me; I will trade some pay for more
interesting work or a better working environment, at least up to a
point.

comp.lang.c++

Motivation of software professionals