Modelling Motivation in Software Engineering: A Feasibility Study

In this feasibility study we will be analysing software developer motivation. Motivation has been identified as a crucial factor in software productivity and software failure. However previous work suggests that conventional approaches to motivation which are based on reward and recognition are not appropriate for software engineering. The evidence suggests that the technical context of software engineers' work is important to their motivation (e.g. the technical challenge and complexity of their work and the development tools they use). Consequently, existing generic models of motivation need to be specialised to the software development context. In the proposed project, we will use empirical data we have already collected from industrial collaborators to produce an initial specialised model. The data sets were originally collected to investigate the impact of people factors on software development, and initial analysis of this data suggests that it will also yield substantial insights into software engineers' motivation.The main output from this project will be an initial model of motivation specifically tailored for software engineering. This model will be derived from our empirical data and theoretical models of motivation in psychology and organisational behaviour. This feasibility study will be followed-up with another proposal where we will extend, refine and operationalise our model in the form of a practical toolkit for managers.