Top-down (eternal hierarchical management)

Author: Harold J. Leavitt (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Hierarchy provides us with a ladder to success, a very clear and predetermined path to status and wealth. After completing school, of course, school is also a hierarchical organization, most people begin to seek jobs in another field where they can "lead." In a hierarchical organization, employees can climb the ranks to become department managers, privates can be promoted to corporals, and parish priests can be elevated to bishops. Hierarchy is a place that can give us a sense of achievement. Personal achievement may be particularly important in the classic American hero story. There is a legend passed down from generation to generation by the elders of American tribes and handed down to us. In the 1850s, Abraham Lincoln summarized this story: Among us, no one is destined to be a permanent worker. The thrifty and poor beginners in the world work temporarily for wages to save capital to buy tools and land, and eventually hire another beginner to help them work. If some people spend their entire lives as servants, it is not the fault of the system, but rather either because they are naturally fond of it, or because they are short-sighted, foolish, or simply because of bad luck. Now, it is difficult to act according to Lincoln's advice. In today's world, the gap between ideals and reality has widened. Many people are still continuing the "servant" life. However, Lincoln's ideal of independence still genuinely motivates us to climb to the top of the pyramid. In many industrialized countries, Lincoln's words still play a role, driving countless immigrants to flock in. Not all societies incorporate such inspiring success stories into their cultural structure. Some societies tell their people that advancement and upward mobility can only be achieved through sheer luck. In other societies, family ties and connections are the primary means, rather than hard work. But in modern democratic societies, we are all taught to hope for upward mobility, and hierarchy provides us with a convenient ladder. However, which path is the upward path? The relationship between hierarchy and humanity's need for achievement warrants further exploration. First, many people no longer start from the bottom of the hierarchy. Some first strive to obtain a BA or MBA degree and then directly enter a mid-level position on the ladder to success. Others, such as highly specialized individuals, prefer to climb the ladder in a non-traditional way. For example, many scientists and technicians may not consider being "promoted" to a managerial position as a true advancement. During its heyday, Bell Labs was very sensitive to this issue, to the point where its highest leaders often had to appoint a scientist to the position of CEO. They did this to ensure that the laboratory remained under the control of the organization's definition of success in research; in management, junior assistants could accept the standards of success. Academic hierarchy is also somewhat different from the conventional one. In universities in the United States and other countries, there are only three professional ranks. Young university teachers can progress from assistant professor to associate professor finally to full professor level,