Autonomy or control? An agent-based study of self-organising versus centralised task allocation

Teams comprised of exceptional individuals are often thought to excel in performance, but the reality is that even such teams can face challenges in group environments. Problems like excessive coordination and declining motivation can undermine a team’s productivity. This study seeks to improve team cooperation through task allocation while addressing individual needs. However, conventional research methods struggle to capture the complexities of individual interactions and adaptability. Thus, the study employs Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) to investigate the impact of task allocation on team performance, both in centralised (top–down) and self-organising (bottom–up) approaches. The study uncovers several key findings: (a) assigning tasks of appropriate difficulty level can significantly improve team performance and satisfaction; (b) the self-organising task allocation approach excels in enhancing group satisfaction, highlighting the importance of providing employees with a sense of autonomy and control over their work; (c) the study identifies that the performance of teams under centralised and self-organising approaches is contingent on the team’s developmental stage, emphasising the need for tailored management strategies that align with the team’s current stage of development. The study challenges the conventional belief that exceptional individual performance automatically translates to outstanding team performance. It underscores the importance of recognising the role of individual needs and management strategies in shaping team dynamics, and ultimately, team performance.