Programmer performance and the effects of the workplace

Wide variation in programmer performance has been frequently reported in the literature 1, 2, 3. In the absence of other explanation, most managers have come to accept that the variation is due to individual characteristics. The presumption that there are order-of-magnitude differences in individual performance makes accurate cost projection seem nearly impossible.In an extensive study, 166 programmers from 35 different organizations, participated in a one-day implementation benchmarking exercise. While there were wide variations across the sample, we found evidence that characteristics of the workplace and of the organization seemed to explain a significant part of the difference.