Knowledge workers - software industry in Bangalore - motivation and knowledge workers

Abstract

The study was done using a quantitative and qualitative approach. It was based on 43 surveys handed out amongst PGSEM students at IIMB. The survey was based on the Job Characteristics model. The study is a descriptive nature and since the sample size is small is can only give an indication of the reality. The beneficiaries are employees and employers in the software industry in Bangalore. The purpose of the paper was to identify what motivates knowledge workers in the software industry in Bangalore and to give recommendation of improvement to increase retention. The objectives were to identify what job design that motivates knowledge workers and also what the relation between employees satisfaction amongst different employers are. To conclude that autonomy was the most important factor for motivation. Task significance, task identity and feedback from job where equally important. General satisfaction and meaningfulness of work was low. Recommendation to the employer is to create a working environment where there is a balance between work and life. The knowledge workers true passion might be in another area and by stimulating this it can give positive affects on the job. Improved and increased feedback from supervision is needed. The comparison of the highest and lowest MPS showed that there is a trade off between pay and job sercurity verses autonomy, task identity, task significance and feedback. For an employeer it is important to think of this trade of when designing the jobs. Size of the company and the MPS shows that the knowledge worker feels most motived in medium sized company. Thus a small employeer needs to maintain a level of feedback and also increase the skill variety. The larger employeer need to imporve the visability of the outcome of the task. The higher career position the higher MPS, but the knowledge workers ‘job hops’ to move up the career ladder. The employer need to promote the knowledge worker internally to retain the personel. In the move from software engineer to team lead a slight decrease of motivation is seen and here the employeer can facilitate with a supporting system to decrease the uncertainty related to the move from software engineer to team lead. Since the knowledge worker job hops to develop the career the MPS also increases in number of employers. The knowledge worker stays for about one year with the company before moving onwards. To retain the knowledge worker it is important to have an evaluation of the job design after 6 months after a new recruitment. The sample showed a higher score of pay among the MNC but lower level of job security compared to the Indian companies. That is why further research could be done in analysing why knowledge workers move towards MNC, is it the pay? Is it the culture? To find the answer a qualitative study could be done to see why the knowledge workers are more motivated at the MNC compared to the Indian company. Is it because Indian companies are mainly service companies in comparison with MNC who are mainly in products? Further a gender based study would be interesting to do is there a difference in what women and men in the software industry values in terms of motivation and how can the percentages of the women increase in the industry? I would like to primarily thank professor N M Agrawal and the respondents from PGSEM.