Beyond formal managerial hierarchy: Reimagining HRM in self-managing organisations

Self-managing organisations (SMOs) radically decentralise formal authority, fundamentally challenging traditional models of Human Resource Management (HRM). Drawing on a systematic literature review of 75 articles and adopting a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) lens, this paper examines how HRM is enacted in the absence of formal managerial hierarchy. We analyse the reconfiguration of HRM actors, roles, and practices, revealing that people management in SMOs emerges through ongoing interactions rather than formal mandates. Specifically, HRM operates as a human-centred, relational, and adaptive ecosystem. As formal managerial hierarchies disappear, employees and teams become the primary HRM actors, replacing hierarchical control with caring practices and peer-based governance. Furthermore, we identify key contingencies and inherent tensions that challenge the long-term sustainability of these HRM ecosystems. By challenging four foundational HRM assumptions, we highlight both the potential and the paradoxical nature of self-managing practices. Ultimately, these insights advance theoretical understanding of the nexus between organisational design and people management, offering critical implications for HRM research and the future of the HR profession.