Competencies of Exceptional and Non-exceptional Software Engineers Competencies of Exceptional and Non-exceptional Software Engineers Submitted for Publication

The attributes of individual software engineers are perhaps the most important factors in determining the success of software development. Our goal is to identify the professional compe-tencies that are most essential. In particular, we seek to identify the attributes that diierentiate between exceptional and non-exceptional software engineers. Phase 1 of our research is a qualitative study designed to identify competencies to be used in the quantitative analysis performed in Phase 2. In Phase 1, we conduct an in-depth review of ten exceptional and ten non-exceptional software engineers working for a major computing rm. We use biographical data and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test results to characterize our sample. We conduct Critical Incident Interviews focusing on the subjects experience in software and identify 38 essential competencies of software engineers. Phase 2 of this study surveys 129 software engineers to determine the competencies that are diierential between exceptional and non-exceptional engineers. Years of experience in software is the only biographical predictor of performance. Analysis of the participants Q-Sort of the 38 competencies identiied in Phase 1 reveals that nine of these competencies are diierentially related to engineer performance using a t-test. A ten variable Canonical Discrimination Function consisting of three biographical variables and seven competencies is capable of correctly classifying 81% of the cases. The statistical analyses indicate that exceptional engineers (at the company studied) can be distinguished by behaviors associated with an external focus | behaviors directed at people or objects outside the individual. Exceptional engineers are more likely than non-exceptional engineers to maintain a \big picture", have a bias for action, be driven by a sense of mission, exhibit and articulate strong convictions, play a pro-active role with management, and help other engineers. material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the author.