The Influence of HEXACO Personality Traits on the Teamwork Quality in Software Teams -- A Preliminary Research Approach

TL;DR

This study explores how HEXACO personality traits influence teamwork quality in software teams, highlighting the importance of human factors in software engineering and providing initial evidence for their impact.

Contribution

It introduces a novel study design to measure the effect of HEXACO traits on software team performance, with preliminary data supporting its validity.

Findings

Certain personality traits significantly affect TWQ

Team composition variables like gender and age influence TWQ

Initial results validate the study approach

Abstract

Although software engineering research has focused on optimizing processes and technology, there is a growing recognition that human factors, particularly teamwork, also significantly impact optimization. Recent research suggests that developer personality has a strong influence on teamwork. In fact, personality considerations may have a greater impact on software development than processes and tools. This paper aims to design a study that measures the impact of HEXACO personality traits on the Teamwork Quality (TWQ) of software teams. A preliminary data collection (n=54) was conducted for this purpose. The analysis showed that several personality traits, as well as their composition, had a significant impact on TWQ. Additionally, other variables, such as the proportion of women and age distribution, also affected TWQ. The study's initial results demonstrate the usefulness and validity of the study design. The results also suggest several opportunities to improve teamwork in IT organizations and avenues for further research.