Exit the Code: A Model for Understanding Career Abandonment Intention Among Software Developers
Tiago Massoni, Ricardo Duarte, Ruan Oliveira
TL;DR
This study tackles the problem of why active software developers intend to abandon their careers. It adapts the Investment Model to software development, and tests it via a survey of 221 Brazilian developers using EFA and SEM to validate the measurement and structural relations. Four latent factors—Satisfaction with Software Development (SAT_SD), Career Investment (INV), Career Commitment (CMT), and Alternatives/Abandonment (ALT/ABDN)—emerge and explain abandonment intentions, with CMT acting as a strong mediator; SAT_SD positively predicts CMT ($0.40$), ALT and INV negatively predict CMT (−$0.35$, −$0.12$ respectively), and CMT strongly reduces ABDN (−$0.74$). Model-fit indices (RMSEA $0.085$, TLI $0.903$, CFI $0.91$) indicate acceptable fit, supporting the adapted model and offering actionable retention insights for software organizations and a basis for cross-context replication.
Abstract
Background. Career abandonment, the process in which professionals leave the activity, assuming positions in another area, among software developers involves frustration with the lost investment and emotional and financial costs, even though being beneficial for the human being, depending on personal context. Previous studies have identified work-related motivators for career abandonment, such as the threat of obsolescence, unstable requirements, and low code quality, though these factors have primarily been examined in former developers. The relationship between these motivators and the intention to abandon among currently active developers remains unexplored. Goal. This article investigates the relationship between key work-related motivators and currently active software developers intention to abandon their careers. Method. We employed a quantitative approach, surveying 221 software developers to validate a theoretical model for career abandonment intention, based on an adaptation of the Investment Model, which incorporates satisfaction with technical aspects of the profession as well as the intention to abandon. Findings. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, through structural equation modeling (SEM), provided robust support for the adapted Investment Model in explaining software developers intention to abandon their careers. Moreover, career commitment significantly impacts the intention to leave the profession, being positively influenced by satisfaction with technical work-related factors and negatively influenced by career alternatives and career investment. Conclusion. The paper offers valuable insights for organizational leaders and research, potentially guiding retention strategies to better support developers, and the adoption of theoretical models to explain career abandonment.