[Workload in software development work. A consideration based on work-characteristics and analysis on workload factors of each working group].
To clarify workload factors in software developing work, we designed questionnaires composed of questions of work-content based on the interview survey. For the analysis of workload, Cumulative Fatigue Symptom Index (CFSI) and the stress-rating-method by 7-likert-scale were used. With the cooperation of the Japanese Software Engineers' Association (SEA) responses were obtained from 270 out of 1,100 members and from 553 non-member software engineers in 18 companies in Japan. The CFSI score obtained was higher than those of other groups of other industries obtained in our previous studies. The stress-rating showed that "time-pressure," "too much amount of work, and "ambiguity in job specification" were the highest stressors. The work groups were categorized by the results of CFSI profile into 4 types. The results of stress-ratings were significantly different between the 4 type groups. Based on the multiple comparison analysis, the workload factors of each group could be specified. Out of the foregoing 4 types, the work groups which showed the deviation in F1B (depression) in CFSI and the work groups which showed high scores in every category in CFSI were higher in "ambiguity of specification" in stress-ratings. This result indicates that "ambiguity in specification" is a significant stressor in software engineers. This stressor is caused by the complicated communication process between users and engineers and by the shortage of tools or rules in this process. This stressor is considered to be the most typical workload which characterizes the software developing work.
Fujigaki
Y
Y
Department of Information Science, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo.
Kosugo
R
R
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D012985:Software Design; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload