Exploring the impact of personality traits and cognitive diversity on knowledge-sharing behaviour, team innovation climate, and team agility in Agile Software Development

Context: Knowledge-sharing has been considered one of the most significant factors in the success of Agile Software Development (ASD) projects. Although its importance has been widely acknowledged in literature, prior studies have not sufficiently explored its intermediate relationships with personality traits, team innovation climate, and team agility in enhancing team dynamism within ASD. Objective: This study proposes and validates a theoretical model to examine the relationships among personality traits, knowledge-sharing behaviour, team innovation climate, and team agility. Methods: Data were collected from 361 agile practitioners through a questionnaire survey. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results: The findings indicate that extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience positively influence knowledge-sharing behaviour, whereas neuroticism and conscientiousness are negatively related. Furthermore, knowledge-sharing behaviour positively influences team innovation climate and team agility. In addition, a positive relationship is observed between cognitive diversity and knowledge-sharing behaviour among agile practitioners in self-organizing teams. Conclusion: This study highlights the essential role of personality traits and cognitive diversity in shaping knowledge-sharing behaviour, which in turn enhances team agility and fosters an innovative climate in agile software projects. The findings provide a valuable knowledge base for industry practitioners and researchers by clarifying how personality traits and cognitive diversity influence team agility and collaboration within agile development teams.