How to Motivate and Control Software Developers Working From Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Translated title
Hvordan man kan motivere og lede software udviklere der arbejder hjemmefra under COVID-19 pandemien
Authors
Huynh, Lily Thi Kimie ; Lahdjel, Amal ; Mohamoud Ahmed, Hanan ; Rasmussen, Louis Nikolaj
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-10
Pages
53
Abstract
When COVID-19 pushed software developers to work from home, managers had to rethink how to guide work and keep people motivated. This study explores how managers can motivate and control software developers working from home during the pandemic. We conducted a case study of a Scrum team in a Danish software company that uses the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), a framework for scaling agile practices across larger organizations. We carried out remote semi-structured interviews, transcribed them, and analyzed the material using qualitative content analysis. To identify what kinds of controls were used, we applied Kirsch’s control modes (types of management control), and to assess whether developers felt satisfied or dissatisfied with these controls, we used Herzberg’s motivation–hygiene theory. Because we view the link between control and motivation as two-way (transactional), we also examined how developers’ motivation shaped the controls in place. The results show that the identified controls influenced developers’ motivation, and that their motivation, in turn, influenced which controls were chosen and how they were applied. Most controls had positive effects, suggesting that SAFe worked well for work-from-home during COVID-19. Managers should therefore recognize this two-way relationship when leading remote software teams.
Da COVID-19 tvang softwareudviklere til at arbejde hjemme, måtte ledere gentænke, hvordan de både kan styre arbejdet og holde motivationen oppe. Denne undersøgelse ser på, hvordan ledere kan motivere og kontrollere softwareudviklere, der arbejder hjemme under pandemien. Vi gennemførte et casestudie af et Scrum-team i en dansk softwarevirksomhed, som bruger Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), en ramme til at skalere agile metoder i større organisationer. Vi lavede semistrukturerede interviews online, transskriberede dem og analyserede materialet med kvalitativ indholdsanalyse. For at beskrive, hvilke styringsformer der blev brugt, anvendte vi Kirsch’ kontrolformer (typer af ledelseskontrol), og for at vurdere, om udviklerne oplevede tilfredshed eller utilfredshed med disse kontroller, brugte vi Herzbergs motivation–hygiejne-teori. Fordi vi ser forholdet mellem kontrol og motivation som to-vejs (transaktionelt), undersøgte vi også, hvordan udviklernes motivation påvirkede de anvendte kontroller. Resultaterne viser, at de identificerede kontroller påvirkede udviklernes motivation, men også at deres motivation påvirkede, hvilke kontroller der blev valgt, og hvordan de blev brugt. Overordnet havde de fleste kontroller en positiv effekt, hvilket tyder på, at SAFe fungerede godt i hjemmearbejde under COVID-19. Ledere bør derfor være opmærksomme på det to-vejs forhold mellem kontrol og motivation, når de leder fjernarbejdende softwareteams.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]