Meaning of Hierarchy (What it is, Concept and Definition)

What is Hierarchy:

A hierarchy is a structure in which different degrees of subordination are established between the elements that compose it. The word, as such, comes from the Greek ἱεραρχία (hierarchy).

The hierarchies can be established between people, animals, values, dignities, ideas, laws, etc. Generally, they follow a criterion of subordination, where each element is subordinate to the element on the scale above, except for the one above, which has the highest rank, which is not subject to any element.

The criteria for establishing hierarchical orders It can be superiority, inferiority, anteriority or posteriority of one element with respect to the other. Among humans, it can also obey other types of criteria, such as strength, power, authority, class, office, categoryetc.

Hierarchies are common in human communities and their organizational systems. In organizational contexts, for example, hierarchies determine chains of command and allow the division of tasks and responsibilities among its members.

The church, militia, police, crews, bureaucracy or corporations They are all organizations or institutions where hierarchical structures exist. Generally, these types of situations are captured in organizational charts in which you can see how the organization is structured and what the different degrees of subordination are.