[skyshine]

You really should read up on the work of Clare Graves. Whether people work better independently or with a boss is dependant on their dominant 'values' system - this can change but does so slowly. As people grow through life we develop through psychological states that oscillate between 'we' centred and 'I' centred. There are four main values systems that a programmer is likely to be inhabiting. In the first(DQ) a boss is essential. The second(ER) will work very well as their own boss. The third(FS) craves peer support - but not a boss. The fourth(GT) can work in either way - as long as they don't get board because they are out of there if they do.

(in reality people are complicated and can be inhabiting multiple values systems - but most have a dominant one.)