In this paper, we present the initial insights from a qualitative study conducted with developers working in the Italian software industry. More specifically, we conducted three focus groups to gain insights into the job characteristics, both job demands and resources, that characterize Software Development (SD) and might affect well-being at work among developers. The focus groups involved 21 developers from two multinational corporations operating in Italy. We analyzed the gathered data through template analysis. To drive our template analysis, we employed a theoretical model widely used in the field of occupational health psychology: the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. We identified several job demands and resources that characterize SD. Among the job demands, time pressure is considered an important stress factor: deadlines often overlap one another so that developers have to accomplish more work at the same time, adding further difficulty in time management; moreover, most work is categorized as “urgent”. As for the job resources, we found (among others) that developers appreciate the autonomy in the organization of working time.
On Job Demands and Resources in the Italian Software Industry
Romano, S.;Scanniello, G.
2025
Abstract
In this paper, we present the initial insights from a qualitative study conducted with developers working in the Italian software industry. More specifically, we conducted three focus groups to gain insights into the job characteristics, both job demands and resources, that characterize Software Development (SD) and might affect well-being at work among developers. The focus groups involved 21 developers from two multinational corporations operating in Italy. We analyzed the gathered data through template analysis. To drive our template analysis, we employed a theoretical model widely used in the field of occupational health psychology: the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. We identified several job demands and resources that characterize SD. Among the job demands, time pressure is considered an important stress factor: deadlines often overlap one another so that developers have to accomplish more work at the same time, adding further difficulty in time management; moreover, most work is categorized as “urgent”. As for the job resources, we found (among others) that developers appreciate the autonomy in the organization of working time.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
