How to navigate the hierarchical dynamics in workplace: Insights from Stanford G...

How to navigate the hierarchical dynamics in workplace: Insights from Stanford GSB professor

In a world that is increasingly striving for equality, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Deborah H. Gruenfeld explores the contradicting human tendency to form hierarchies in various organizational settings.

She delves into the psychology behind these dynamics, discussing how they can be navigated effectively in contemporary workplaces.

Preference for Established Hierarchies

Research indicates that people tend to prefer partners with whom they’ve established a hierarchy without any verbal agreement or conflict.

This underscores the importance of agreeing on a hierarchy in fostering cooperative relationships.

Reconciliation with Equality

Despite natural inclination towards hierarchies, there is an evident desire for more equality among humans.

One way this can be reconciled is through flexible hierarchies where responsibilities are divided equally across different domains but not necessarily within them.

Power Dynamics in Organizations

In organizational settings, leaders can exercise their authority while creating space for bottom-up influence by allowing subordinates to make decisions during meetings but maintaining control over when those meetings start and end.