command hierarchy
Who reports where
A command hierarchy is the structured chain of authority in an organization, particularly military or corporate, establishing who gives orders and who receives them.
Information and directives flow downward through ranks while reports and requests move upward: The command hierarchy broke down during the crisis.
The term implies clear lines of accountability and subordination.
- rankPosition in hierarchy
- echelonLevel within hierarchy
- rank and fileOrdinary members collectively
- centralizationUnifying control in one place
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
power dynamics · organizational chart · executive suite · pecking order · delegation · span of control · direct report · accountability · order · compliance · yes sir · marching orders · reporting · decision-making · need to know · oversight · officer corps · authoritarianism
command hierarchycollective
Jointly organized group
adhocracy · cooperative · peer network · worker cooperative · distributed team
command hierarchyegalitarianism
Philosophy of universal equality
shared leadership · direct democracy · grassroots organization · self-governance · power sharing
command hierarchyanarchy
Disorder from absent authority
chaos · disorganization · leaderlessness · disorder · structurelessness