This is beautifully detailed. I've focussing lately on teamwork and culture and reflecting on my 22 years working with teams. My two cents on the matter:

Sink or Swim: I have witnessed that this approach works in certain corporate cultures. But the net gain seems to be less teams building and more individual's strengthening. There is a place, for such for sure , but I've never personally seen an environment where it was impressive internally.

Split And Absorb: Most likely what I have embraced for the most part of my journey so far. It is rewarding on the long term, it helps build a strong bond, and bring out talents. I found it to be dependent on a solid strong internal culture before hand. Unless a confident culture exist, welling to keep adapting and staying true to its mission, this could really back fire by creating disconnected silos.

Absorb and Split: I am looking at this in more theoretical lens here, given it is my least experienced approach. But I can see a place where early on this could beneficial for a team, but maybe overly dependent on single leadership point!

Anyway, this was amazing. Glad I came across it, and will be digging into your other articles as well. Keep creating.