This jibes with an anecdote in "Peopleware". A client staffed new projects by posting them internally where anyone could apply. The authors studied how project

This jibes with an anecdote in "Peopleware". A client staffed new projects by posting them internally where anyone could apply. The authors studied how projects were chosen by applicants, because the client was worried that important (but non-interesting) projects, would not get staffed. Being friends with an existing team member was more predictive of choice than project interest, and for many of the reasons the OP's article cited (job satisfaction and trust)