Hierarchy often gets a bad rap, but it clearly has certain benefits. Research from George Mason University highlights how problems emerge when the distance between the base and the tip of the pyramid increases, tensions can arise between the various tiers, and obstacles to effective decision-making emerge.

That the perspective of those at the top and those at the bottom differs so much can often make it extremely hard to find common ground. The researchers examined this phenomenon via the US public school system.

Emotional responses

The aim was to examine how a hierarchy elicits an emotional response from people and ultimately affects education reforms in various contexts. The researchers quizzed staff from high and low in the education system across a couple of states whose education systems had very different cultures, one being known for data-driven standards and the other preferring consensus-building.

Despite the very different approaches, there was a common form of hierarchical tension in both states, with those on the front-line believing senior decision-makers were too removed from the daily realities of school life and were often more concerned with politics than improving education quality.

Such stereotyping didn’t tend to go the other way, with senior leaders seldom having pre-conceived notions of those on the frontline. The researchers believe that this is probably because nearly all of them had worked on the frontline earlier in their careers. Indeed, many drew on this personal experience in their attempt to empathize with teachers today.

As with so many stereotypes, the unflattering notion teachers have of decision-makers was not only simplistic but often unfair. What’s more, the apparent sympathy many decision makers have for teachers did little to improve matters.

Making matters better

The study found that three qualities were particularly useful in senior leaders and helped to confound the stereotypes:

• Respect, which was largely derived from making oneself available to teachers and truly listening to their ideas and concerns.
• Humility, which reinforced the belief in the unique experiences and expertise the teachers brought to any situation and ensured leaders didn’t impose decisions from afar.
• Emapthy, which was conveyed when leaders made values-based connections with educators, beyond merely referring to their past teaching experience.

The researchers believe that the findings highlight how important understanding hierarchical differences is even in the most mission-driven of fields. Without this, deep human dynamics can be exacerbated and change undermined.

“As an example, most people agree [diversity, equity and inclusion] is important in these different contexts, but it gets interpreted in different ways,” the authors conclude. “One of the things that gets in the way of making meaningful progress is that effective change would require really good and genuine efforts at least to take the perspective of people with different views and experiences.”