A Software Development Company Is Designing an Evaluation Plan for Its

question 143

Short Answer

A software development company is designing an evaluation plan for its software programmers. The company feels that changes are necessary because it lacks the facts it needs to distinguish outstanding software programmers from those that are only average, or worse. Previously, the company paid software programmers a flat salary and based evaluations on supervisors' opinions. Now, however, the company is considering the following measures for its software programmers:
Measurement Strategy Alpha: Software programmers will be evaluated based on the total number of lines of code that they produce.
Measurement Strategy Beta: Software programmers will be evaluated based on their ability to produce computer code that is free of errors.
Measurement Strategy Gamma: Software programmers will be evaluated based on the market success of the products they produce.
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument that the company should use Measurement Strategy Alpha?
Software programmers usually have no direct contact with customers and do not determine product specifications.
The programming languages used by the company require fewer lines of code to perform a function than the programming languages used by other companies.
Any software programmer can choose to increase the number of lines of code it takes to perform any function.
An effective software programming team is essential for the financial success of the company.
Many of the current software programmers would not receive strong evaluations if the company used Measurement Strategy Alpha.

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Definitions:

Accounting Number Style

A formatting style used in accounting to display numbers, typically incorporating commas for thousands and decimal points for cents.

Floating Dollar Sign

In financial statements, an indicator used to designate currency amounts, typically positioned close to the number without any spaces.

Percent Style Button

A feature in software, like spreadsheet programs, that formats the selected cells to display values as percentages.

Percentage

A mathematical term describing a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100, commonly used to compare and quantify differences.