An organization’s function corresponds to a suitable solution space.

Cooperation bias is appropriate for applied R&D, marketing, and HR functions. Control bias is more for manufacturing, process engineering, auditing, and safety/security. Autonomy bias suits basic R&D and sales.

The sweet spot for manufacturing straddles the control and cooperation solution spaces.rK1 Due to the parallels between software development and manufacturing, the software engineering sweet spot is likely nearby as well.


  1. Robert W Keidel, Seeing Organizational Patterns: A New Theory and Language of Organizational Design (Washington, D.C.: Beard Books, 2005). (See notes.)