Characterizing Role Models in Software Practitioners' Career: An Interview Study

Abstract: A role model is a person who serves as an example for others to follow, especially in terms of values, behavior, achievements, and personal characteristics. In this paper, authors study how role models influence software practitioners careers, an aspect not studied in the literature before. By means of this study, authors aim to understand if there are any salient role model archetypes and what characteristics are valued by participants in their role models. To do so, authors use a thematic coding approach to analyze the data collected from interviewing ten Latin American software practitioners. Findings reveal that role models were perceived as sources of knowledge, yet the majority of participants, regardless of their career stage, displayed a stronger interest in the human side and the moral values that their role models embodied. This study also shows that any practitioner can be viewed as a role model.