Hierarchy and Organisation : Toward a General Theory of Hierarchical Social Systems

Diefenbach, Thomas

ISBN 10: 0415843928 / ISBN 13: 9780415843928

Editore: Routledge, 2013

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Titolo: Hierarchy and Organisation : Toward a ...

Casa editrice: Routledge

Data di pubblicazione: 2013

Legatura: Rilegato

Condizione: New

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto:

Most people take the conditions they work and live in as a given, believing it to be normal that societies are stratified and that organisations are hierarchical. Many even think that this is the way it should be - and are neither willing nor able to think that it could be otherwise. This book raises the awareness of hierarchy, its complexity and longevity. It focuses on a single but fundamental problem of social systems such as dyads, groups, organisations and whole societies: Why and how does hierarchical social order persist over time? In order to investigate the question, author Thomas Diefenbach develops a general theory of the persistence of hierarchical social order. This theory interrogates the problem of the persistence of hierarchical social order from very different angles, in multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary ways. Even more crucially, it traces the very causes of the phenomenon, the reasons and interests behind hierarchy as well as the various mechanisms which keep it going.

This is the first time such a theory is attempted. With the help of the theory developed in this book, it is possible to interrogate systematically, comprehensively and in detail how mindsets and behaviours as well as societal and organisational structures enable the continuation of hierarchy

Recensione:

"This book opens up a fascinating and informative vista in which hierarchies are everywhere being established, and, sooner or later, dismantled. Thomas Diefenbach presents a detailed and insightful analysis of what hierarchy means in today’s world, especially in the contemporary workplace. This book is essential for students and researchers interested in the way power and domination solidifies into hierarchies in organizations and society." – Peter Fleming, University of London, UK

"Diefenbach’s Hierarchy in Organisations is a timely investigation into a social issue affecting the everyday life of everyone. It is an exciting and exquisite look into the pathologies of hierarchies explaining why hierarchies have persisted for thousands of years. Diefenbach’s work makes one reflect on something we have, perhaps unconsciously, grown accustomed to. He shows that life devoid of hierarchies remains an important option in advancing the ‘human condition.’" – Thomas Klikauer, University of Western Sydney, Australia