Authors
Dominic Lammert, Stefanie Betz, Jari Porras, Shola Oyedeji
Publication date
2024/1/1
Conference
Digital Ecosystems, Blockchain Evolution, and Sustainable Transformation (DEBEST) 2023, Engineering Intelligent Systems
Volume
32
Issue
1
Pages
77-84
Description
While the topic of software sustainability is gaining increasing significance in academia, there is a need to explore its implementation in industrial practice. In this paper, we investigate how software practitioners assess sustainability as a topic within their profession. We conducted a survey study with 104 software practitioners, and the data provides evidence that companies assign moderate importance to sustainability. Different occupational roles indicate varying perceptions and levels of responsibility regarding the development of sustainable software products and services. Notably, technology-oriented roles (eg, Software Engineers) exhibit lower valuation and responsibility of sustainability aspects compared to managementoriented roles (eg, Project Managers). The motivation to engage with sustainability shows a connection to business factors such as profitability, competitive opportunities, and risk mitigation. Consequently, researchers should give greater consideration to the circumstances and requirements of businesses, incorporating them into practical approaches to contribute to sustainability.