Autonomy and Performance in Teams: The Multilevel Moderating Effect of Task Interdependence

Abstract

The author predicts that the interaction between individual- and team-level autonomy influences team performance and that their combined effects are contingent on the level of task interdependence. Multiple regression analysis of data from 89 teams in a manufacturing setting confirm these expectations, demonstrating that team performance depends on the combination of individual and team autonomy. These findings suggest that the optimal combination of individual and team autonomy depends on the level of task interdependence in a team. Implications for future research, particularly in the areas of cross-level analyses and contingency theory, are discussed as well.