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Principles of Hierarchy Explained

1) Hierarchy refers to the arrangement of positions in an organization that ensures supervision from higher to lower levels through a series of graded steps. 2) There are three key principles of hierarchy - communication should pass through proper channels, authority and responsibility should be equal at each level, and a subordinate should receive orders from only one superior. 3) While hierarchy facilitates supervision and accountability, it can also cause delays and discourage initiative among lower levels. Fayol proposed "gangplanks" or horizontal communication channels to supplement the vertical hierarchy and avoid unnecessary delays.

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Shah Jahan
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187 views8 pages

Principles of Hierarchy Explained

1) Hierarchy refers to the arrangement of positions in an organization that ensures supervision from higher to lower levels through a series of graded steps. 2) There are three key principles of hierarchy - communication should pass through proper channels, authority and responsibility should be equal at each level, and a subordinate should receive orders from only one superior. 3) While hierarchy facilitates supervision and accountability, it can also cause delays and discourage initiative among lower levels. Fayol proposed "gangplanks" or horizontal communication channels to supplement the vertical hierarchy and avoid unnecessary delays.

Uploaded by

Shah Jahan
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Hierarchy

Hierarchy is a Greek term used to identify or express  “a ruling body of Priests,
organized into ranks ”.
Literally the term Hierarchy means …
“ the control of the higher over the lower ”
 In administrative phraseology  or terminology  it means
 “ an organization structured in a pyramidical fashion with successive  steps,
interlinked with each other, from top to bottom”.
In Pub Admn Hierarchy means …
“ a graded organization of several successive steps, in which each one of the lower
level is immediately subordinate to the next higher one, and through it to the other
higher steps right up to the top ”.
Hierarchy is also called scalar chain or scalar system.
Simply  hierarchy refers to the arrangement of several individuals or positions in
an organization in such a way as to ensure the supervision of the lower by the
higher.
Hierarchy

 Definitions..
L.D. White has defined Hierarchy as…
“Hierarchy consists of the universal application of Superior‐ Subordinate
relationship through a number of levels of responsibility reaching from top to
the bottom of the structure” .
Max Weber…
“ the organization of the offices follows the principle of Hierarchy that is each
lower office is under the control and supervision of the higher one”.
Principles of Hierarchy
 There are three 3 principles of Hierarchy..
1, Principle of through Proper Channel…
That is all commands and communication should pass
through a proper channel. No intermediate level can be
skipped in transacting business.
2, Principle of Correspondence….
 it means that authority and responsibility should be co‐
equal and interlink at all levels. It is believed that
“authority without responsibility is dangerous” and
“responsibility without authority is meaningless”
3, Principle of Unity of command…
 means that a subordinate should receive orders from one
superior only.
Hierarchical structure
Advantages of Hierarchy
1, it acts as a channel of communication.
2, it enables to fix responsibility at each level.
3, it facilitates decentralization of  decision making.
4, it avoids short‐circuiting by ensuring strict adherence to procedure.
5, it facilitates delegation of authority.
6, it simplifies procedure for file movement.
7, it promotes discipline and order in an organization.

Disadvantages of Hierarchy
1, it causes unnecessary delay in the disposal of work.
2, it discourages the initiative and drive of the lower level personnel,
resulting in the indecisiveness and inefficiency.
3, it makes the organization tall (overextended), consequently the personnel
at the top lose touch with the personnel at lower level.
Note , there is only vertical communication/order and that is as a
result of Hierarchy.
Fayol’s Gangplank (a solution to the problem of delay)
First of all ….
 What is Gang? A number of people who do things
together.
Plank? A long flat piece of wood.
Gangplank? A plank placed so that people can walk into
or out of a Boat.

Fayol’s Gangplank
 to speed up the flow of business and avoid delay in the
disposal of cases, Fayol has suggested an alternate, called
gangplank.
Fayol’s Gangplank
In scalar chain or Hierarchy if F wants to communicate
with H,  it has to go through EDCBAGHIJ  and back again
the same way. on the other hand it is much simpler and
quicker to go directly from F to H, by making PH as a
Gangplank.
Fayol’s Gangplank
Thus the concept of Gangplank stands for
establishing a communication channel with an
employee of the same level…. That is a Horizontal
communication system.
However Fayol has further asserted that “ it is an error
to depart needlessly from the line of authority, but it
is even greater one to keep to it when detriment to
the business ensues”

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