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.