Coursework topic: Hierarchy, a 'natural' order

by Ishita Rahman

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What is Hierarchy?

A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.

The etymology of the word hierarchy comes from the Greek, hierarchia, or “rule of a high priest”

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History of Hierarchy in human socity:

Ancient Greece and Catholic Church > Council of Trento (several degrees of the clerical polity) > French Illuminism ("Human Construct" in socity) > Modern Era, in organizational context (Structure to illustrate power, information flow etc.)

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Types of Hierarchy?

1. Traditional Hierarchy: "top-down"
2. Flatter Organizations: There is some form of hierarchy, but there are open lines present for communication and collaboration
3. Flat Organizations: No job titles, seniorities, and managerial division structure
4. Flatarchies: highly dynamic, somewhere in between traditional hierarchies and flat organizations
5. Holocratic Organizations: "Holo", meaning "whole" and "cratic" means "to rule or govern"; it is the rule of all.

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Why do we have hierarchies?

1. Hierarchies are just our way of observing and comprehending our surroundings.
2. In unrestricted dynamic random systems, hierarchies are spontaneous attractors.
3. For many optimization situations, hierarchies are the optimum answer.

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Hierarchy and Organisation:

Traditional Hierarchy

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Alternatives to Traditional Hierarchy:

Heterarchy,

organization, such as partnerships of accountants or attorneys, in which crucial decisions are made jointly by all of the partners.

Responsible autonomy,

the autonomy to determine what to do but is held accountable for the decision's consequences.

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Hierarchy and Power:

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Why is Hierarchy so complex?

1. It's a system meant to leverage control to preserve balance
2. Change cercumstances like emergerce of "New work"can unstablise it

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Is Hierarchy a "natural" order?

In my opinion, Hierarchy is not a "natural" order. I is created by humans and we can adapt Hierarchy to meet our needs in the modern era!

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My takeaway:

1. Association with religious circumstances
2. Hierarchy was introduced to maintain social stability in humans society
3. Hierarchy is an effective technique for developing and maintaining a social narrative.
4. It is used in organisations to control and organise power and information flow.
5. There are alternatives to Hierarchy. However, those concepts require further development.

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Q & A

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Thank you!

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