Against Workplace Heirarchies

Hierarchies crumble apart, especially when the organization functions as a pyramid in the traditional hierarchical sense--mandates come from the top. No one questions them, which causes a rise in "yes men" or people who go along with whatever their boss says. Given this, promoting a non-hierarchical model in our workplace may reduce employee friction with both themselves and the theoretically non-existent boss. Managers, for example, have a direct impact on the employee experience, and their influence is arguably the essential aspect of how workers view their jobs.

The labor industry is moving towards democratic organizations where laborers are valued and have rights in the workplace. Officevibe's statistics show that 75% of people who quit their job do so not because of money or a new job but because of their boss. According to Zenefits' 2018 report, The State of Flexible New Arrangements, 73% of employees also said that having flexible work arrangements increased their work satisfaction, which relates to the harshness of the working times that are put in place by bosses originally.

In fact, in 2016, Harvard Business Review found that only 46% of employees have "a great deal of trust" in their bosses in the first place. And in a 2017 Gallup study, 23% of employees also describe their boss's performance as either "poor" or "very poor." CareerBuilder's job satisfaction statistics further accentuate the idea that employees who are disgruntled with their bosses think they don't make an effort to listen to employees or even attempt to address employee morale, with those being the leading pet peeves of critics. They were four times as likely to apply for other positions if they didn't like their boss.

In fact, in one 2017 study run by Stanford professor Lindred Greer, Drexel University's Daan Van Knippenberg, and The University of Amsterdam's Lisanne Van Bunderen, had two teams with different organization tactics to see how they reacted in a team environment. The Hierarchical groups that felt like they were competing against other teams performed far worse, while egalitarian and equitable teams performed better. The primary difference between the two teams was that one was hierarchal, with a strict guideline on who to listen to and who to order; members of these teams received positions: senior consultant, consultant, junior consultant, etc.; The other team lacked hierarchy and instead worked together as a group and achieved more success than the hierarchal group.

In hierarchical structures, managers and bosses offer little flexibility. They are unapproachable for the average worker, and it creates a culture that pushes employees to look elsewhere, where they will be valued. The main gimmick in hierarchical structures is that Employees' roles and authority levels are established and structured by power levels. These hierarchies might not seem too impactful, but they can be a killer when it comes to workplace rights and democracy. A power structure can stifle employees and lead them to struggle under the work of an often corrupt authority figure.

Hierarchies crumble apart, especially when the organization functions as a pyramid in the traditional hierarchical sense--mandates come from the top. No one questions them, which causes a rise in "yes men" or people who go along with whatever their boss says. Given this, promoting a non-hierarchical model in our workplace may reduce employee friction with both themselves and the theoretically non-existent boss. Managers, for example, have a direct impact on the employee experience, and their influence is arguably the essential aspect of how workers view their jobs.

The labor industry is moving towards democratic organizations where laborers are valued and have rights in the workplace. Officevibe's statistics show that 75% of people who quit their job do so not because of money or a new job but because of their boss. According to Zenefits' 2018 report, The State of Flexible New Arrangements, 73% of employees also said that having flexible work arrangements increased their work satisfaction, which relates to the harshness of the working times that are put in place by bosses originally.

In fact, in 2016, Harvard Business Review found that only 46% of employees have "a great deal of trust" in their bosses in the first place. And in a 2017 Gallup study, 23% of employees also describe their boss's performance as either "poor" or "very poor." CareerBuilder's job satisfaction statistics further accentuate the idea that employees who are disgruntled with their bosses think they don't make an effort to listen to employees or even attempt to address employee morale, with those being the leading pet peeves of critics. They were four times as likely to apply for other positions if they didn't like their boss.

In fact, in one 2017 study run by Stanford professor Lindred Greer, Drexel University's Daan Van Knippenberg, and The University of Amsterdam's Lisanne Van Bunderen, had two teams with different organization tactics to see how they reacted in a team environment. The Hierarchical groups that felt like they were competing against other teams performed far worse, while egalitarian and equitable teams performed better. The primary difference between the two teams was that one was hierarchal, with a strict guideline on who to listen to and who to order; members of these teams received positions: senior consultant, consultant, junior consultant, etc.; The other team lacked hierarchy and instead worked together as a group and achieved more success than the hierarchal group.

"The egalitarian teams were more focused on the group because they felt like 'we're in the same boat, we have a common fate,'" says van Bunderen. "They were able to work together, while the hierarchical team members felt a need to fend for themselves, likely at the expense of others." In many modern world markets, egalitarian tendencies support employee cooperation and improve performance, especially those in highly competitive markets. The research proves that often, people leave managers and the suffocating hierarchy that bosses, managers, and people in business have put on us, not the job. 

Petition: http://chng.it/SP7WWrbH

(Note: While I understand petitions are inherently reformist, this is also for helping those unaware notice the everlasting oppression occurring in the workplace. It's also challenging to do more revolutionary aspects of abolishing hierarchy as an American teen wherein it's difficult even to go outside.)■

Geno Aube