harry@ucbarpa.Berkeley.EDU (Harry I. Rubin) (05/04/87)
Survey of Software Professionals and Students
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This survey of software professionals and students is
part of a study being conducted at the University of Cali-
fornia, Berkeley, Graduate School of Business Administra-
tion. If the main focus of your job or schoolwork is com-
puter software in any aspect, please help us by filling out
this brief questionnaire. With the information you provide,
we will be able to better understand the motivations and
behaviors of software professionals. Pre-tests have shown
that the questionnaire only takes 10-15 minutes to complete.
Your answers will remain private.
Please answer each question by marking the response(s)
that seems best or most true. If none of the answers seem
quite right, mark the one(s) that seems best or closest to
true. If you have trouble with a question, write a note in
the survey, but answer the question as well as you can.
Answer each question carefully, without rushing, but do not
spend a lot of time thinking about your answers.
When you are finished, send the completed questionnaire
by electronic mail to one of the following addresses
swsurvey@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu
...!ucbvax!ucbarpa!swsurvey
If unable to return the questionnaire by electronic mail,
then please mail your completed questionnaire to
Edward F. Hernandez
c/o Graduate School of Business Administration
350 Barrows Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
Please complete and return the questionnaire as soon as pos-
sible.
If you would like a copy of the survey results, please
write to us under separate cover. Since your name will not
appear on the questionnaire this is the only way we can get
your name and address. We will be happy to send you a copy
of the results when they are ready.
Thank you very much for your time and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Edward F. Hernandez and Harry I. Rubin
===============================================================================
(1) What is your job title (if you are a student write ``student''):
______________________________________________________________________________
(2) Briefly describe your job:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(3) What do you like best about your current job? If you
are a student, what do you expect to like best about your
future jobs?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(4) What do you like least about your current job? If you
are a student, what do you expect to like least about your
future jobs?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(5) How long have you been a software professional or
studying to become one, that is, since you declared a major
in computer software or since your main job responsibility
became working with software, whichever was earlier?
_____ years
(6) Is the software you work with primarily:
___ products your company sells or may sell
___ for internal company use
___ research
___ class assignments
___ other (what? ____________________________________________)
(7) How important is it to you that the software you work
with be widely distributed, so that it could be used by a
large number of people? If you are a student, how important
do you expect this will be to you when you are working?
___ very important,
___ somewhat important
___ a little important
___ not at all important
(8) In your current job, how true is it that the software
you work with is (or is likely to be) widely distributed, so
that it could be used by a large number of people?
___ very true
___ somewhat true
___ a little true
___ not at all true
(9) For each of the following sets of four items, please
rank the items in order of which is most important to you.
Rank them from one to four, with one the most important and
four the least important; use each number once in each set
of items. Do NOT rate how true each item is of your current
job, but how IMPORTANT the item is to you.
(1 = most important, 4 = least important;
use each number once in each set):
_____ freedom to decide how to do my own job
_____ compensation (pay and benefits)
_____ opportunity to develop my abilities
_____ working hours
__________________________________________
(1 = most important, 4 = least important;
use each number once in each set):
_____ physical surroundings
_____ interesting work
_____ chance to do the things I do best
_____ easy to find a job in my field
__________________________________________
(1 = most important, 4 = least important;
use each number once in each set):
_____ chances for promotion are good
_____ chance to be creative
_____ job security
_____ problems I am expected to solve are hard enough
(10) What percentage of your work time do you spend on
various kinds of tasks?
_____% managerial work
_____% administrative work
_____% technical work on computer software
(including school projects)
_____% technical work on computer hardware
(including school projects)
_____% other technical work
_____% schoolwork other than projects
_____% other (what? __________________________________________)
total 100%
(11) Of the time you spend on technical work related to
computer software, what percentages are spent on the follow-
ing kinds of tasks?
_____% designing
_____% coding, testing, debugging new software
_____% documentation
_____% maintenance: enhancement
_____% maintenance: bug fixes
_____% user support, answering questions, etc.
_____% other (primarily what? ________________________________)
total 100%
(12) If you were offered a job with higher compensation
(pay and benefits) but less interesting work than your
current job, would you seriously consider taking it? (Stu-
dents please imagine you are employed.)
___ definitely yes
___ yes
___ no
___ definitely no
(13) Typically, how often do you work late or work extra
hours? (Students skip.)
___ almost every day
___ twice or more a week
___ about once a week
___ about once every two weeks
___ about once a month
___ less than once a month
___ very rarely or never
(14) What are the reasons you work overtime? (Students skip.)
% of overtime
reason for overtime worked for this reason
__________________________________________________
I like it _____%
management pressure _____%
project needs it _____%
I owe it to the company _____%
something to do _____%
company needs it _____%
coworker requested it _____%
(15) Are you paid when you work overtime (other than ``comp'' time)?
(Students skip.)
___ yes, ___ no
(16) How much money (pay and benefits) does it take to make you happy?
___ never enough
___ lots
___ some
___ not too much
___ very little
___ anything is enough
(17) How interesting or challenging does your work have to be
to make you happy?
___ never enough
___ lots
___ some
___ not too much
___ very little
___ anything is enough
(18) Do you work on computers as a hobby or recreation?
How many hours per week of your own time do you typically
spend on computer-related activities that are not directly
related to your job or your coursework?
_____ hours/week
(19) How long have you been working with computers as a
hobby or recreation?
_____ years
(20) If you were offered a job with more interesting work
but lower compensation (pay and benefits) than your current
job, would you seriously consider taking it? (Students
please imagine you have a job.)
___ definitely yes
___ yes
___ no
___ definitely no
(21) The next question involves things a person may or may
not look for in a job. Some of these things are listed
below. People differ a lot in terms of which of these
things are more important to them. We'd like to know how
important to you each of these things is. For each item
please mark one of the four alternatives shown, according to
how important each item is to you.
It is VERY IMPORTANT (vi) to me to have a job where....
It is SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT (si) to me to have a job where....
It is A LITTLE IMPORTANT (li) to me to have a job where....
It is NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT (ni) to me to have a job where....
... the chances for promotion are good vi si li ni
... I have an opportunity to develop my own special abilities vi si li ni
... I receive enough resources (including information, equip-
ment, time, help, etc.) to get the job done vi si li ni
... the work is interesting vi si li ni
... the pay is good vi si li ni
... I am given a lot of freedom to decide how I do my own work vi si li ni
... it is easy for me to find a job in my field vi si li ni
... I am given a chance to do the things I do best vi si li ni
... the job security is good vi si li ni
... the problems I am expected to solve are hard enough vi si li ni
... my fringe benefits are good vi si li ni
... the physical surroundings are pleasant vi si li ni
... the job requires that I be creative vi si li ni
... the hours are good vi si li ni
(22) Where did you learn to work with computer software?
(Check all that apply.)
___ currently working on undergraduate college degree
___ some undergraduate college work, no degree, not now enrolled
___ 2-year college degree (associate's degree)
___ 4-year college degree (bachelor's degree)
___ currently working on graduate college degree
___ some graduate college work, no degree, not now enrolled
___ master's degree
___ doctoral degree
major: _____________________________________________
(if you have degrees with different majors,
please indicate which degree was associated
with which major)
___ vocational/technical school program
name of program: ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________
length of program: _______ months
___ formal on-the-job training program
length of program: _______ months
___ informal on-the-job training
___ informal training unrelated to employment
describe briefly: _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
___ other
describe briefly: _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(23) What fraction of a full-time job is your job officially
considered (NOT how much you actually work)? If you are a
student, what fraction of a full-time courseload are you
carrying?
___ full time
___ 3/4 time
___ 2/3 time
___ 1/2 time
___ 1/3 time
___ 1/4 time
___ other (what? _______)
(24) What is your salary? $___________/year
(25) How old are you? _____ years
(26) Are you: ___ male, ___ female
(27) How did you receive this survey?
___ at work
___ undergraduate class (which? ______________)
___ graduate student mailboxes
___ electronic network
(which newsgroup or mailing list? ____________________)
___ other (what? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________)
Thank you very much for your help.