Understanding multilevel paradoxes in agile projects: between autonomy and control in self-managing teams

With a focus on paradoxes, this paper aims to analyze the current state of research on self-managing teams within an agile project context. It centers on the interdisciplinary concepts of autonomy and control, particularly their paradoxical interrelations, to understand their varying manifestations and to propose strategies for addressing them. Methodologically, the paper is based on a systematic literature review of the published interdisciplinary research related to agile self-managing teams, and the findings were analyzed using thematic coding. The review identifies three core paradoxes: (1) between individual autonomy and team cohesion, (2) between team autonomy and organizational control, and (3) between agile structures and team practices. These paradoxes emerge across different organizational levels. Although they appear distinct, it is important to recognize that they originate from the same fundamental paradox of autonomy and control. We suggest that understanding this core paradox is essential for identifying and managing its various dimensions. Furthermore, we argue that a key to addressing these paradoxes lies in grasping the conceptual complexity of autonomy and control. More specifically, these paradoxes often occur at multiple levels, individual, team, and organizational, and are caused by factors such as misaligned priorities, competing institutional logics, or uneven information flows. The study highlights the need to embrace paradoxical thinking and foster shared understanding and salience throughout the organization to address these paradoxes effectively. Lastly, the paper calls for further research that adopts a multilevel perspective when studying agile self-managing teams.