Motivation of Software Engineers: A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation A. César C. França, Ana C. M. L. de Araújo, Fabio Q. B. da Silva Center of Informatics, Federal University of Pernambuco Recife, Brazil Abstract - Understanding motivation of software engineers has important implications for industrial practice. This complex construct seems to be affected by diverse environmental conditions and can affect multiple dimensions of work effectiveness. In this article, we present a grounded theory that describes the motivation of software engineers working in a not-for-profit private research and development organisation. We carried out a holistic case study for seven months, using structured interviews, diary studies, and documental analysis for data collection, and grounded theory techniques for data analysis and synthesis. The results point to task variety and technical challenges as the main drivers of motivation, and inequity and high workload (caused by poor estimations in the software process) as the main obstacles to motivation in the organisation. Paper presented at 6th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE 2013) ICSE 2013 Workshop, San Francisco, United States, May, 2013 http://www.chaseresearch.org/workshops/chase2013 http://www.haseresearch.com

1. Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
A. César C. França, Ana C. M. L. de Araújo, Fabio Q. B. da Silva
cesarfranca@gmail.com, anacatarinaaraujo@hotmail.com, fabio@cin.ufpe.br
6th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering
(CHASE 2013)
ICSE 2013 Workshop
San Francisco, United States
May 25th, 2013 1

2. Agenda
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
• Background
• Research strategy
• Results
• Conclusion
2
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

3. Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Motivated individuals feel
more willing to apply higher
levels of effort to the job,
which increases performance
and decreases absenteeism,
loafing, and voluntary
turnover
Hackman, 1987
Background 1/2
3
In Software Engineering,
studies on this complex
phenomenon have been
conducted since the 1980’s.
This body of research,
however, has been dominated
by quantitative studies based
on survey research
Beecham, 2008; França et al, 2011
Motivation is generically
understood as the set of
“factors or events that
energize, channel, and
sustain human behavior over
time”
Steers, Mowday, Shapiro, 2004
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

4. Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
There are few case studies
providing in depth
understanding of
motivation of software
engineers.
Beecham, 2007
Tessem and Maurer, 2007
Sach, Sharp and Petre, 2011
Background 2/2
4
This is the third case of a
series of case studies, using a
multi-case replication design.
França, Felix and da Silva, 2012
França, Carneiro and da Silva, 2012
In software engineering, most
of survey results point to the
software engineering job itself
as the main motivator, while
performance improvements
and intention to leave the
organisation are highlighted as
the most important outcomes
of, respectively, high and low
motivation.
Beecham, 2008; França et al, 2011
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

5. 5
Research Strategy 1/3
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Research question(s):
(1) What factors affect the motivation
of software engineers in the workplace?
(2) What are the perceived outcomes of
motivated behaviour?
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

6. 6
Research Strategy 2/3
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Design of the Study:
• Interpretive instrumental
case study
Yin, 2009
• Qualitative approach
Sharam, 2009
• Grounded Theory
Strauss and Corbin, 2007
Sampling:
• Unity of analysis: the
software engineer
• Data triangulation, from
managers and directors
• Maximum variation
selection strategy
Strauss and Corbin, 2007
Data Collection:
• Semi-structured
interviews, which resulted
in 8h 24min of audio.
• Diary Studies: notepad and
web-based, complemented
by retrospective interviews.
86 reported events.
• Documental Analysis
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

7. 7
Research Strategy 3/3
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Software
Engineer
Unit of
Analysis
Maximum variation sampling:
• Age
• Background and education
• Years of experience
• Years of employment
• Etc.
(Strauss and Corbin, 2007)
Project
Managers
Software
Engineers
Directors
Semi-
structured
Interview
Semi-
structured
Interview
Semi-
structured
Interview
Diary
Studies
Documental
Analysis
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

8. 8
Results 1/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Context Description
• Private and not-for-profit
software development
organisation, whose
headquarters are located in
the Porto Digital Science
Park, in Recife, Brazil.
• CMMi-2 certification and
targeting the CMMi-3
• Recife unity (40
professionals).
• Hardware and software
development projects,
• Technologies such as .NET
and Java.
• No specific human
resource management
• Management processes
followed the PMBOK
guide,
• Managers were certified
PMP
• Aprox. 300 professionals,
85% of which is part of the
technical workforce
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

9. 9
Results 2/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
What Factors Affect Software Engineers’Motivation?
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

10. 10
Results 3/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Signs of Motivated Behavior
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

11. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
11
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation

12. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
12
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
Proposition 1: Small teams, within a sociable
environment, are likely to create the conditions
to a high level of team members’ commitment
and cohesion, but this effect is moderated by
well or poorly performed managerial practices.

13. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
13
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
Proposition 2: The smaller is the size of the
team, the stronger are the effects of low equity
(related to members competence, salary,
workload, feedback, etc.) on team members’
commitment.

14. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
14
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
Proposition 3: Planning effectiveness not only
facilitates the schedule achievement, but also
benefits the quality of products, consequently
reinforcing software engineers’ motivation.

15. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
15
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
Proposition 4: Software engineers, according
to their experience, competence, career
orientation, and career stage, are more or less
motivated by challenging work, because of the
professional reputation brought by the
accomplishment of these challenges, according
to the level of importance attributed to career
progression.

16. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
16
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisationProposition 5: Emotional signs, attitudes, and
job performance outcomes of motivation are
moderated by factors such as personality and
competence, but motivated individuals tend to
behave as naturally as they are, and to perform
as better as they can.

17. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
17
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
The organisation deals with research,
development and innovation, challenges related
to the task are the main attractions to software
engineers to work in the company. Factors such
as task variety, autonomy, technological
challenges and learning, make software
engineers perceive their work as highly
challenging and, when goals are accomplished,
result in feelings of enjoyment.

18. CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA
Effort applied
to the task
(Motivation)
18
Results 4/4
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Reconstructing the central story of motivation in the organisation
High workload represents the main barrier for
motivation in this organisation. This high
workload is mainly caused by the critical
relationship with the customers, which implies
poor planning activities, and a slow feedback
structure

19. 19
Conclusions 1/2
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Summary of the Case:
Motivation could be described
as a constant concurrence of
enjoyment against burnout
forces, towards the intention to
stay or leave the organisation.
Enjoyment is conditioned by a
higly challenging technical
work, which is, as expected, a
natural characteristic of a
R&D organisation
Particularities:
In comparison to the previous
cases, this one emphasizes the
impact of the managerial
practices on the motivation of
software engineers,
The main similarities lay on
two facts:
• the synergy on the
teamwork
• The nature of the tasks
Similarities:
The main similarities lay on
two aspects:
• the synergy on the
teamwork
• The nature of the tasks
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

20. 20
Conclusions 2/2
Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Main Contributions:
(1) It shows another view on
the complex interplay among
motivational factors, which is
consistent to the main classic
motivation theories
(2) It was developed following
a multi-case
replication design, which can
be used by other researchers in
other contexts and situations.
Future Work:
To produce systematic cross-
case analyses of the results
reported in the three case
studies.
CHASE 2013
San Francisco, USA

21. Motivation of Software Engineers
A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D Organisation
Thank you!
6th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering
(CHASE 2013)
ICSE 2013 Workshop
San Francisco, United States
May 25th, 2013 21

22. Motivation of Software Engineers: A Qualitative Case Study of a R&D
Organisation by A. César C. França, Ana C. M. L. de Araújo, Fabio Q. B.
da Silva is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at
http://www.chaseresearch.org/workshops/chase2013.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available
at http://www.haseresearch.com