From:
Harvard Business Review published an overview of new research by Columbia Business School Professor Bo Cowgill and his co-authors comparing traditional, manager-assigned work-placement systems with market-based internal talent markets. Drawing on findings from Stable Matching on the Job? Theory and Evidence on Internal Talent Markets, the article explains that allowing employees to bid for projects—rather than relying solely on firm-dictated assignments—significantly improves both productivity and employee happiness. Cowgill’s research shows that market-based systems better align worker skills with project needs, increase autonomy, and reduce mismatches that can lead to disengagement or turnover.
