Autonomy costs

Autonomy costs is a term from organizational theory and is discussed in connection with the division of labor or the distribution of tasks to different organizational units. This covers the fact that the distribution of tasks to individual functions or people results in higher costs due to autonomous and therefore not necessarily coordinated decisions.

The opposite term is coordination or reconciliation costs, which describes that when tasks and decisions are bundled, effort is incurred for a coordinated decision. Autonomy costs are also an expression of uncoordinated coordination problems ( interdependencies and potentials). Thus they arise when potentials are not used. Furthermore, they cannot be operationalized and deviate from the theoretical ideal. The higher the voting costs, the lower the autonomy costs. One tries to generate the lowest possible total costs.

The balancing of both components leads to coordination efficiency .

See also

• Matrix organization , transaction costs , transaction cost theory

Web links

• Autonomy costs - definition in the Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon
• Voting costs - definition in the Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon