Improving the effectiveness of Human Resource and Team Management in the Software Industry using Personality Profiles

Abstract

The impact of personality on job performance of both individuals and teams has been well researched over the years. Personality factors have been directly linked to the level of job performance of individuals and the performance of software project teams. Personality has been shown to impact moderating factors of job performance such as job satisfaction, motivation, compatibility with the work environment and deviant behaviour. It has also been shown to affect mediating factors of team performance such as team compatibility, level of conflict and communication. This impact of personality can either be adverse or beneficial. Personality can be leveraged by project managers in order to benefit the project. This can be done through effective human resource and team management. The effect of personality on job performance was investigated through a research involving individuals employed in the software industry in Sri Lanka. Results indicated that personality traits correlate with dimensions of job performance such as corporative behaviour, leadership ability, job satisfaction, interpersonal deviance, workplace deviance and work absenteeism A solution addressing the identified problems was designed and implemented in the form of a web application – “Personify”. The system creates a personality profile for a team member, provides guidelines on the best management strategy with regard to that individual and generates optimal project teams based on personality compatibility of registered users. In addition, the system undergoes continuous improvement through a feedback process which integrates peer feedback, management feedback and performance measures into each personality profile. The overall concept and system gained positive feedback from experts and end users who regarded the system as successfully addressing the identified issues.