An Exploratory Study of SOHO Workers′ Job Characteristics in Digital Game Industry

An Exploratory Study of SOHO Workers Job Characteristicsin Digital Game IndustryKang Ya-ChinGraduate Institute of Industrial Technology Education, National Taiwan Normal University7F, No. 81, Sec. 2, Shuang 10th Rd., Banciao city, Taipei County, Taiwan R.O.C.weijing.tw Fang Chung-HsiungGraduate Institute of Industrial Technology Education, National Taiwan Normal UniversityNo. 162, Sec. 1, Hoping E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.Chen Guan-LiGraduate Institute of Industrial Technology Education, National Taiwan Normal UniversityNo. 162, Sec. 1, Hoping E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.evechen2004Wei Luan-Ying Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health 3F.-1, No.23, Lane 13, Shuangcheng St., Jhongshan District, Taipei City 10453, Taiwan ROC24hourems.cku.edu.twABSTRACTDigital content industry has been announced and promoted by Taiwan Government to be most potential developing industry since 2002. The most attention of human resource development field has been held. The supply and demand of talents in digital content industry is an important issue and which was analyzing for these years.SOHO worker has been a focused subject of academic research in the recent year. According to the relative research, game companies accept the SOHO workforce to be the outsourcing workers. This research paper attempts to meeting point on the group of who joined in game industry value chain with a qualitative approach. The purposes aim to obtain in-depth understanding about the job characteristics of SOHO worker in digital game industry, to analyze the competences of SOHO worker in game industry, and how these people work with game industry as the outsourcing support.In this paper, we adopted the grounded theory research method to study multiple cases of the SOHO workers in Taiwan game industry. Finally, we conclude the following result: (a) The motives of being SOHO worker in game industry including: to work flexible, to increase income, to have decision-making power, to establish ones own business. (b) The competitive advantages of SOHO worker in game industry including: the interpersonal relationship, presentation skill, open-minded to share experience, professional knowledge and skills.Keyword: SOHO worker, Job characteristic, Digital game industry1. INTRODUCTIONInnovation of science and technology is the impetus for the promotion of human civilization, and the fostering of innovators of science and technology has become an important educational goal in the era of knowledge economy. Local citizens could not understand the technological demands of industries due to the industrial changes are rapid. Although individual companies in the industries understand their production and innovation demands, they do not develop talents by themselves effectively. The training actives have to be integrated and planned by government. To gain the information for development, government needs to investigate the key positions and proceed to competence analysis in order to master the human resource demand from industries, plan the development policies and contents and supervise the executable department to update the courses and contents to ensure that training effectively.Under the trend of the global knowledge industrialization, the economic development of Taiwan must look for the opportunity to create the new industry to obtain the growth of economy. Digital content industry sets up the application system for Taiwan enterprise e-environment, which becomes the model industry for the development of the knowledge economy. To understand the human supply and demand, government also analyzed the gap between the supply and demand and forecast the quantity in the future. From the evaluation and analysis of previous studies, interview with firms and conferences held by digital content industry, SOHO is the sun rise work types. Talents in digital content industry are high creativity and autonomy. This paper regarded digital content industry and SOHO workers as research range and subject sample to understand the job characteristics and framework and provide the development principles for differential talents in the future. In light of these concerns, we comprise four purposes in this exploratory study: (a) to provide a definition of SOHO in the game area of digital content industry; (b) to analyze SOHO s job characteristics and competencies in digital game industry; (c) to discuss the model of outsourcing between games companies and SOHO in digital game industry; (d) to recommend the training and development of SOHO in digital game industry.2. LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Definition of SOHOAccording the economical depression, the ratio of outsourcing increasing, the rate of unemployment sustain in the high level, rapid development of internet and communication innovation, the SOHO group (Small Office Home office) working style is get more popular. Many people choose self-employment as a means to gain freedom, flexibility and independence. SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) has become a popular work arrangement all over the world because of the growth of knowledge workers, the trend of outsourcing, and the development of Internet. SOHO group will create their position and value via project. SOHO group in this study is defined that a group execute jobs at home or in their own office, could not be limited to space, time, and enterprises. They are professional group that focus on accomplishing large-scale tasks.2.2 The Change of TrendsThe major driven force SOHO group start an enterprise is the balance between family, money, time and work. SOHO group must have the characteristics of willing to change, searching customer by themselves, maintain existing customer, facing problems and solving them and combined with their professional ability to find their own creative fields.2.2.1 Transition of Work ValueUnder the circumstance that enterprises are facing the rapid change of operating environment, the stress of global competition, and the transition of work values, the management and utilization strategy of atypical human resource, such as contracted workers, part-time workers, dispatched workers, professional contractors and SOHO group, has become a new trend.2.2.2 Change of Economic Structure In the trend of global labor flexibility, traditional concept of Lifelong Employ System is faint gradually. The home because the economy booming was in recent years dispirited, the industry was under the environment impact, the enterprise survival faced with the brutal serious test.Also servants of enterprise and the public department because booming and organize the influence which fine reduces, employs the entire work paid by time to make the personnel wish to be lower, But a partial man-hour of work, the manpower dispatch and so on the non- typical labor force is in accordance to lives. (Rubin, 1995; Cappelli et al,1997; Cappelli, 1999). At the same time it arouses the rise of flexible work style.To employers and corporations, the introduction of SOHO workers could promote total flexibility of human resources then gaining the effect that reducing labor cost as well as increasing firm competition ability at the same time.2.2.3 Development of Information TechnologyThe communication and information technology, particularly the Internet, has dramatically changed the way we have done business before. Therefore. Some different work arrangements have emerged in the technology-based business, such as Small Office Home office, telecommuting, mobile office, hoteling, satellite office, etc(Bridge, 1994; Cairncross, 1997).2.2.4 Increase of Outsourcing needsNowadays, employment flexibility and Labor Cost Reduction are highly emphasized in the competitive business environment. As the job design becoming more and more specific and professional, the labor cost becoming higher and higher, companies cannot but change their operation style, and contingent workers have become an important source of competitive advantage. Traditional human resources management models have failed to work effectively because of the heightened competition. HR systems have experienced radical changes. How to effectively enhance the competitive competency is the most important goal for companies to accomplish in recent years. In the more and more complex environment, the way to conquer the challenges of human resources management is the principal point in making up companies competency. Avoiding the increasing cost of employment getting heavy, the companies tend to adopt a flexible (Drucker, 1997). HRM system to reduce the manpower expenditure (Lee,1996; Cappelli et al, 1997). This human resource tendency gives rise to SOHO workforce. This case study was intended to understand the mutual relationship between game companies and SOHO workers.2.3 PersonalitySOHO group has the following characteristics: creative, willing to take risk, self control, independent, self-challenge and searching for freedom. SOHO group are self-employed.2.4 Job CharacteristicsStone and Porter (1975) argued that Job Characteristics is all objective attributes about job, as environment, skills for jobs, safety, feedback, new information, interpersonal, compensation, autonomy, and challenge. Hackman and Oldham (1976) pointed that there are five dimensions to job characteristics, such as skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. The researchers in Taiwan generalized Job Characteristics of SOHO workers, included positiveness, have courage to adventure, confidence, creativity, and thinking independently. Professional ability is the most critical factor to catch projects. 2.5 Collaboration FrameworkThere are passive and active relationships between SOHO workers and firms in game industry. The game firms seek suitable SOHO workers to outsourcing the jobs actively as they have outsourcing demands. Technology development rapidly, SOHO workers also promote their own professional capability to receive and carry on projects. 3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATIONThe participants are SOHO workers in digital game industry. Depth interview were used to detect and analyze characteristics of SOHO workers and manager of game firms. The data collection sessions were conducted individually and were tape recorded for later coding and analysis. The contents of interview are as follows:a. Characteristics of jobb. Contents of jobc. Flow and execution of job d. Partnership with game companiese. Salary and rewards4. DATA ANALYSIS4.1 Data Processing Each sentence and words which the participants said are listed particularly. Before recording, the participants are asked for assenting to sound recording by the researchers.4.2 Content analysis According to the dimensions which included job characteristics, content, flow, process of SOHO workers, partnership with game companies, and salary and rewards from literatures.5. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONAccording to the depth interview with the SOHO workers, the collected data were analyzed by the followings.5.1 Characteristics of job5.1.1 Work environment:The SOHO workers working space may include independent studio and home office.5.1.2 Job skills:Basic skills software design abilities, which were leaned by their own or attend the III software design training courses.Interpersonal skills contact with outsourcing manager and the relative staffs, which learning by doing. 5.1.3 The sense of security:The SOHO workers hope to handle the job opportunity by themselves, rather than controlled by the employers. 5.1.4 Feedback:The SOHO workers can achieve themselves to fulfill the ideal job opportunity. 5.1.5 Autonomy:The SOHO workers have more flexibility in their work time. The performances are based on their project checkpoints. They have more chances to deal with clients, and to raise their ability of interpersonal skills. 5.1.6 Challenge:They could face different dimensions of job/ project as well as project management, program design, art design. These job responsibilities would bring lots of challenges for the whole SOHO team.5.1.7 On-the-job training:The SOHO workers learn interpersonal skills by contact with customers immediately. The technical skills will ask for advices for the professional consultants or senior workers. According to the specific game field, the SOHO workers will gather the trend knowledge from the website or the practice community. 5.2 Contents of job5.2.1 Project management5.2.2 Program design5.2.3 Art design5.3 Flow and execution of job Job itemsJob descriptionMan in controlContact clientsSOHO studio project manager enthusiastically contact with game firms. Making some presentations to introduce their professional specialties and team members. Trying to promote themselves and deepen the trustiness.SOHO studio project managerCommunicate outsourcing needs with clientsClients give some small projects to SOHO studio to test. Clients can understand the style and quality more about the SOHO studio. The SOHO studio can communicate with clients more precisely. SOHO studio project manager,game producer,game planner,game program designerPilot pieces and verifyWhen the pilot pieces were passed. Clients will make the formal outsourcing project.outsourcing manager,game producer,game planner,game program designerConfirm the job outsourcedCommunicate the game designs, production specifications, time limits, project budgets, etc.SOHO studio project managerSOHO team discussionSOHO studio team members discuss about the job requirements. Checking the manpower and the work loadings. Making decision to accept this project or making some adjustment. SOHO studio project managerNegotiate price and make contractAfter accepting the project, confirm the expenses and check the payment days. Making the details of contract.SOHO studio project managerFirst paymentMaking the receipt and receive the first payment.SOHO studio project managerImplement projectAccording to contract to implement the project.SOHO studio team membersTrace the rate of progressMaking the midterm checkpoint to understand the fitness of the project. SOHO studio project managerFinish the projectFinish the project within the contract time limitation. Capturing the e-files to outsourcing manager. SOHO studio project managerCheck on deliveryClients check for the pieces delivery. If the adjustments were needed, revise the compositions by art designer or program designer of SOHO studio members. Outsourcing manager, studio designersLast paymentAfter check, make the receipt and receive the final payment. SOHO studio project managerProject closedProject has been closed. SOHO workers should follow the intellectual property rights SOHO studio project manager5.4 Partnership with game companies5.4.1 Outsourcing business:Art talents and program designers of research department.5.4.2 Outsourcing causes:In order to downsize the manpower and to make the cost down, game firms can save more expense and to increase the service quality.5.4.3 Selection of outsourcing partner:Game firms business managers are seeking for talents outside or recommend by staffs. The outsourcing SOHO workers are judged by their professional projects and experiences. 5.5 Salary and rewards5.5.1 Payments:The wage rates are higher than hired by a company. The SOHO workers can create more benefits by self motivation. 5.5.2 Internal rewards:The SOHO workers have the future dream to create original game masterpieces. They work flexibly to coordinate related resources to accomplish the vision.5.5.3 Promotion:The SOHO workers have more flexibility of promotion. They are not following the single rule of academic background to be promoted.5.5.4 Relationship:Product managers, outsourcing managers, management supervisors, producers of game companies are all human resources to SOHO workers. The connection between all these key persons will make their vision possible. 6. CONCLUSIONa. The job characterizations of digital game industry SOHO workers include program design and art design. The SOHO workers gain the rewards by the cases. The SOHO studios are highly profession oriented, and the workers are in a flexible working hour system. They work together on a project but doing different things.b. The job characteristics of digital game industry SOHO workers take account of working space, skills, sense of work security, feedback, independence, challenge, interpersonal relationship.c. There are four phases of working process in digital game industry SOHO studios: preparation, contract, implementation and close up.d. The digital game firms could settle on a job title as outsourcing manager to manage the outsource needs as well as program design and art design. This job title is usually held in U.S. game company. The duties of outsourcing manager include confirming outsource needs, communicating with game producer and SOHO workers, managing contract, supervising time schedule, controlling quality. The outsourcing manager could require using the software as word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, project, etc. e. The SOHO studios would get cases by dealing with whole project, programming or art design. By these divisions, the workers in SOHO studios could act different roles as project manager, game program design and art design. These different job titles should be developed different competences. 7. SUGGESTIONa. to focus on companies needs for development Policy should be conducted to coordinating the digital game firms and the SOHO workers. The specific platform for interactive communication of both sides could match the outsourcing needs for each other. SOHO workers can upload their projects to the database to make outsourcing managers know more about them. The digital game firms can transfer their needs on the website to promote. b. to focus on SOHO workers need for developmentThe relative training courses should be planned and held through the entire nationwide propagation. This promotion activity would help to collect the workforce of SOHO workers and to make the training needs assessment of these unique groups. The courses can be new game software and hardware trends. Besides, the courses still can be announced by the e-papers, information bulletin, etc.c. to continue the investigation of SOHO workers of digital game industryThrough the above findings and discussion of this pilot study, we researchers would understand the preliminary status quo. 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