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Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

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Hi

I’m currently doing a software engineering degree at university and as part of one of my modules I’ve been asked to perform a presentation on professionalism in the work place and how it effects the quality of work.

If you would be so kind as to spare a few minutes I would like to ask a few questions.

Firstly, from your personal experiences at work, what unprofessional behavior have you witnessed, and how did this effect the quality of the work within your team/department?

More specifically, we’re looking to discuss 3 topics: Respect of colleagues and their property, integrity (yet to be fully defined) and commitment. What experience have you had of those qualities and again how did this effect the quality of the work in your team/department.

And finally, what, if any, measures does your employer take to ensure that its employees conduct themselves in a professional manner?

If you feel comfortable doing so, could you please include your name, age, sex, position and what company you work for.

Thanks in advanced.

Regards,

Martin

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

Clarifications

Sure you want my date of birth, NI Number

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

and a photo as well?

Your survey is a total waste of effort, skip it and get on with the security and identity module.

dear troll

In reply to Sure you want my date of birth, NI Number

Your NI is not required has it has no relevance on how you might perform at work.

While it is not necessary, I would like your name and company worked so I may quote any part of your reply, if allowed to do so.

The rest is to establish what type of opinions come from what demographic.

I’m not asking for any bank account details. The final details are optional, which i’ve already mentioned. The important part are the experiences.

I hope that may of laid any doubts to rest. And could people please keep replies on topic and of a constructive manner. Thank you.

Let me get this straight

In reply to dear troll

You want me to publically criticise my colleagues, my company and then you wish to publish it and quote me?

Or would you be satisfied with my company is great, I’d work for them for free if they’d let me. All my colleagues are really really excellent fellows, and it wasn’t me who stole Mike’s pencil.

There’s a thing you have to do be successful in IT. It’s called thinking things through before you act.

I did, you didn’t.

I was concerned about them seeing it on here and all the while you’ve got a book contract, ffs.

dear troll

In reply to Let me get this straight

As stated in another reply, please can you read my posts more carefully.

The final details are optional, which I’ve already mentioned. The important part are the experiences.

And why do you talk about publishing details and a book contract? In my introduction I stated that I am doing a presentation.

As you can see by robo_dev’s post it is possible to answer the questions and still remain anonymous.

I doubt you will find that here….

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

As professionals, none of us would post the kind of information you’re seeking on a public forum such as this. Your best bet would be to go stand on a busy corner and try to conduct annonymous interviews. You’ll probably get more response there than you would here.

IT Professional can be an oxymoron

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

what unprofessional behavior have you witnessed, and how did this effect the quality of the work within your team/department?

Theft, intentional destruction of property, rudeness, lying. Verbal threats, intimidation, tampering with data, data theft, accessing unauthorized data, bribery.

In many cases, it had little effect on quality. While someone lying to cover up a mistake would make things more difficult to pin the blame on someone, the unprofessional behavoior was pretty much tolerated as the IT people were underpaid and overworrked.

More specifically, we’re looking to discuss 3 topics: Respect of colleagues and their property, integrity (yet to be fully defined) and commitment. What experience have you had of those qualities and again how did this effect the quality of the work in your team/department.

Most of the IT people understood that you do not mess with other IT people’s stuff, period. Integrity and commitment could be an issue..such as when an imporrtant job is left unfinished and the person leaves for the day, and the manager has to do the work himself to serve the client.

And finally, what, if any, measures does your employer take to ensure that its employees conduct themselves in a professional manner?

The job of the manager is to keep his tech people from doing things that end up in his lap. The manager would persuade and coach with face-to-face meetings, written warnings, and ultimately termination if needed.

It should be noted that if a tech person is very talented, and/or has specialized knowledge that nobody else has, he can get away with appalling behavior, and no one bats an eye. Ergo the guys who run the mainframe are ___holes.

If you feel comfortable doing so, could you please include your name, age, sex, position and what company you work for.

Name: withheld
age: over 40
sex: no thanks, but send a picture and I’ll consider it
position: covered in prior question
Company: over the years…Aerospace, banking, manufacturing

Research 101

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

Martin,

Your request for the name, age, sex and company of the respondent is naive at best, or (at worst) downright ignorant and rude.

Perhaps you could cite the Research text that recommends you ask such questions in an open and somewhat anonymous forum.

Name and company have zero to do with demographic, nothing whatsoever. The request for such information is usually interpreted as a possible intrusion or misuse.

Perhaps your search for professionalism needs to start a little closer to home? Learning the correct manner of doing things is certainly a big part of being a professional.

Keep them coming!

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

‘canIberichnowplease?’ could you please read my posts more thoroughly before responding.

I’ve stated a number of times that the personal information requested was optional. I’ll copy and paste what I wrote and highlight the bits you seem to have missed:

“–>If you feel comfortable doing so<--, could you please include your name, age, sex, position and what company you work for. -->The final details are optional<--, which i've already mentioned." By writing 'If you feel comfortable doing so' I would assume that'd make me mindful of peoples reluctance to post personal information on a public forum, which in turn would seem respectful, would it not? Also, in response to another part of your statement: "Name and company have zero to do with demographic, nothing whatsoever" In the context of this research, I agree with you on that point, which is why I wrote: "While it is not necessary, -->I would like your name and company worked so I may quote any part of your reply<--, if allowed to do so. -->The rest<-- is to establish what type of opinions come from what demographic." To further clarify my post: As i've already mentioned name and company, 'the rest' would include age, sex and position, which ['the rest'] was attached to demographic. However, if you still feel my conduct could be considered unprofessional could you please elaborate on that further as it may still be of use to me should your reasoning be logically sound. On a more positive note, thank you robo_dev for an informative reply. My group has had a lot of positive responses from programmers and team leaders on other forums, yet your reply is the first from someone in a managerial position which will help balance our argument immensly. To anyone else interested in replying, please feel free to add any funny stories, or just have a rant about the guy that always steals your food from the fridge, etc. And, I will repeat one more time, your personal information is not necessary. If you get offended by such requests may I suggest not reading that part of the post!

Why don’t you take your discussion……..

In reply to Keep them coming!

… to the discussion area of this forum and get off the question and answer section. You’re waisting our time.

Besides, you won’t find any true professional who publicly discusses his/her rants/raves/complaints/praise about a company they either work for now, used to work for or possibly could work for in the future. It simply isn’t professional to discuss these matters in an open forum. As previously stated, perhaps you should look inward for the answers you seek.

In missing the point you demonstrate a lack of professionalism

In reply to Keep them coming!

In particular:

Yours is an example of where people trained to do a certain thing have a feeling that other skills are within their grasp.

They are IF the skills are learnt properly and professionally.

Performing a survey is a skill, with “right ways” and “wrong ways”.

You don’t understand that, simply by asking for th personal details, you have put a lot of people off who may have otherwise responded with valuable (?) information.

Open-ended, anecdotal surveys are a skill that take a lot of effort to perfect.

Trialing your survey on a small group is generally a recommended option.

As I asked, please cite the marketing research text you used in creating this survey and its objective.

As a professional, it would have taken you about 6 – 8 hours worth of basic research to learn how to formulate a survey to gain a much wider response. It would have taken a day or two to practise it in a small area and get it right.

Then, as others have found, you may have got 100+ responses in this forum alone, as well as an interesting cross-discussion on professionalism.

If, however, your objective was 10 or 12 response, 50% of which berating your survey style, then you have met your objective and I congratulate you.

Constructive feedback

In reply to In missing the point you demonstrate a lack of professionalism

So in summary you deem thoroughness as professional quality.

We’ll now be discussing thoroughness along side commitment.

Also, we’ve omitted the optional request for personal details on other forums and ended the post informally. This resulted in some very positive feedback.

Thank you for your constructive feedback.

By the way – your spelling is SH!TE for an English citizen

In reply to Conducting research of professionalism in the IT industry: Opinions wanted

[i]”I’m currently doing a software engineering degree at university and as part of one of my modules I’ve been asked to perform a presentation on professionalism in the work place and how it [u][b]e[/u][/b]ffects the quality of work.

If you would be so kind as to spare a few minutes I would like to ask a few questions.

Firstly, from your personal experiences at work, what unprofessional behavior have you witnessed, and how did this [u][b]e[/u][/b]ffect the quality of the work within your team/department?

More specifically, we’re looking to discuss 3 topics: Respect of colleagues and their property, integrity (yet to be fully defined) and commitment. What experience have you had of those qualities and again how did this [u][b]e[/u][/b]ffect the quality of the work in your team/department.

And finally, what, if any, measures does your employer take to ensure that its employees conduct themselves in a professional manner?

If you feel comfortable doing so, could you please include your name, age, sex, position and what company you work for.”[/i]

The word is [u][b]A[/b]ffect[/u]

[b]Old Mycroft, 50+, Yes, Doggy, Anyone who’ll ‘have’ me![/b]

Example of answers

In reply to By the way – your spelling is SH!TE for an English citizen

Okay, ignore the optional request for personal information and could you please provide answers similar to these people:

http://forums.devshed.com/dev-shed-lounge-26/conducting-research-of-professionalism-in-the-it-industry-opinions-wanted-507544.html

Thank you

P.S, on a humorous note, i’m glad to see someone is reading my posts carefully!

[Author]

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