Employees’ Motivation for Spi: Case Study in a Small Finnish Software Company
Employees’ Motivation for SPI: Case Study in a Small Finnish Software Company
Abstract. In small software companies the resources available for SPI are often limited. With limited resources, the motivation of the employees becomes one of the key factors for SPI. In this article, the motivational factors affecting a small company’s SPI efforts are discussed. In the research, we carried out interviews and a survey in a small Finnish software company considering the motivation towards SPI. The results are presented here and compared with earlier motivation research. There were differences revealed while comparing the motivating factors of smaller companies to those of larger ones. In large companies the focus seems to be on the business related motivators and in small ones the motivators related to comfortability of work are emphasized. Motivation survey and the interviews proved to be useful tools in planning the future SPI strategy. A lot of valuable information was discovered for planning and implementing the next steps of SPI.
1
Introduction
Small and very small software companies are fundamental to the growth of many national economies and it is crucial to note that small companies should not be seen less important and influential than large ones, while the term small may imply this. Majority of software companies are small [1], for example in Finland vast majority of companies operating in both data processing and software engineering fields employ less than 50 employees1 . Small companies need to maintain and enhance their competitiveness and for that they need to improve their processes. However, small companies do not necessarily share the same characteristics and goals as large ones, which affect SPI efforts. There are certain unique features of small companies that need to be understood [1,2]. Their resources, both financial and human, are often limited, and management, work, and organizational culture may differ greatly from the ones in large
Abstract. In small software companies the resources available for SPI are often limited. With limited resources, the motivation of the employees becomes one of the key factors for SPI. In this article, the motivational factors affecting a small company’s SPI efforts are discussed. In the research, we carried out interviews and a survey in a small Finnish software company considering the motivation towards SPI. The results are presented here and compared with earlier motivation research. There were differences revealed while comparing the motivating factors of smaller companies to those of larger ones. In large companies the focus seems to be on the business related motivators and in small ones the motivators related to comfortability of work are emphasized. Motivation survey and the interviews proved to be useful tools in planning the future SPI strategy. A lot of valuable information was discovered for planning and implementing the next steps of SPI.
1
Introduction
Small and very small software companies are fundamental to the growth of many national economies and it is crucial to note that small companies should not be seen less important and influential than large ones, while the term small may imply this. Majority of software companies are small [1], for example in Finland vast majority of companies operating in both data processing and software engineering fields employ less than 50 employees1 . Small companies need to maintain and enhance their competitiveness and for that they need to improve their processes. However, small companies do not necessarily share the same characteristics and goals as large ones, which affect SPI efforts. There are certain unique features of small companies that need to be understood [1,2]. Their resources, both financial and human, are often limited, and management, work, and organizational culture may differ greatly from the ones in large
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