Ensuring Success in a Large Scale Software Project: An Examination of the Learning Styles and Characteristics of the Potential End Users

Abstract

Many software development projects face a high rate of failure, which prevents them from achieving the intended outcome. One of the reasons for this might be due to ignoring the end users during the development of the software. To counter this, well-organized training programs can be devised to show end users how to use the software. This training has a crucial role in the success and dissemination of the software development projects. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between personality traits and learning styles of the end users in a large-scale software development project. The results of the study revealed that there was a distinct relationship between the learning styles and personal attitudes of the users. Personality traits such as extraversion and openness were found to be associated with the learning preferences of individuals. In Kolb’s terms, the converger learners were more open than the diverger learners. Furthermore, the end users were mostly satisfied with the training program, which can be attributed to the efficiency of the curriculum design, sufficiency of the provided facilities and competence of the trainers.