Cobol - Software Developer earning his Doctorate needs help

Author

Software Developer earning his Doctorate needs help

TurboTim

2004-04-13, 11:30 pm

I have been a Software Developer for 25 years mostly PC based for the
last 20. I have been earning my Doctorate for the past 4 years and am
now doing my Dissertation. The theme of my dissertation is the
relationships between job characteristics, job satisfaction and
turnover intention among Software Developers. I have developed a model
that shows the paths from job characteristics such as autonomy or task
significance to job satisfiers such as internal work motivation or
satisfaction with pay, and ending with the Developer's turnover
intention (quitting their job in the near future). Survey data will
drive the model and will hopefully serve as a basis for structuring
programs and policies to promote the retention of Software Developers.

The help I need is if you're a Software Developer I would truly
appreciate it if you would take a few minutes out of your busy
schedule and take my survey at http://www.dolphinmsds.com/progsurvey

Your e-mail address is optional but if you leave it I will send you a
copy of my dissertation in the next 90 days. I will also have a
drawing for 4 Amazon $50 gift certificates for survey participants.
The survey results will be very helpful for future developers and for
management to understand the nature of developers. Feel free to ask
your Developer friends and I sincerely thank you for the help.

Tim

Mike

2004-04-14, 7:30 pm

You should forget the doctors degree and go back to
programming class. Your survey did this when I
tried to save it at the end:

Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80040e14'

Syntax error (missing operator) in query expression ''don't know')'.

/progsurvey/surveysave.asp, line 91

Crummy survey IMO. You only asked about "current" position.
The rest of my career doesn't count?

TurboTim

2004-04-17, 3:30 pm

"Mike" <IhateSpam@NoSpamForMe.net> wrote in message news:<WaGdndsxIpOuKODdRVn_vA@giganews.com>...
> You should forget the doctors degree and go back to
> programming class. Your survey did this when I
> tried to save it at the end:
>
>
> Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80040e14'
>
> Syntax error (missing operator) in query expression ''don't know')'.
>
> /progsurvey/surveysave.asp, line 91
>
>
>
> Crummy survey IMO. You only asked about "current" position.
> The rest of my career doesn't count?

Thanks for the error Mike and I'll check it out. Apparently I didn't
try every singe response for syntax issues. The survey only asks for
current position information because the model uses turnover intention
as the end point. In other words a job that you have not quit yet but
may do so in X number of years. I felt this is the most valid way to
do it since a person may have quit a previous position due to other
factors such as moving, spouse takes a job in another geographical
area, wanting a career change, company goes under, lay-off etc. None
of these are directly related to job satisfaction.

Tim

Mike

2004-04-17, 6:30 pm

> Thanks for the error Mike and I'll check it out. Apparently I didn't
> try every singe response for syntax issues. The survey only asks for
> current position information because the model uses turnover intention
> as the end point. In other words a job that you have not quit yet but
> may do so in X number of years. I felt this is the most valid way to
> do it since a person may have quit a previous position due to other
> factors such as moving, spouse takes a job in another geographical
> area, wanting a career change, company goes under, lay-off etc. None
> of these are directly related to job satisfaction.

See I don't think your survey adaquately addresses those situations.
I had a job I was very happy in for nearly 20 years. I was laid off
due to corporate account scandals and fraud at the executive level.
After 8 months of unemployment I took a job at 30% less salary doing
routine maintenance. It is boring and unchallanging. But you know
what, it is a JOB and the job market SUCKS big time. I know at least
a dozen others that I used to work with in the same position. I would
have left a long time ago but like everyone else I NEED a job. Companies
are NOT hiring despite the balony on the news... they're outsourcing.
So a major factor in job satisfaction, or lack thereof, should be the crappy
economy and the inability to find something better. All the other stuff
you asked about; positive feedback, feeling like you contribute etc. while
valid is not AS valid as it used to be IMO. None of that counts when you
can't go anywhere else. Being stuck or actually unemployed because there
are few opportunies is the biggest job satisfaction issue for me today
as well as many I know, at least in I.T.

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