Hierarchy Differences account for the majority of cultural differences in the world.

The word “Hierarchy” comes from the Greek hierarkhia, “rule of a high priest”, from hierarkhes, “president of sacred rites”. Read more about its origin here.

A good definition in terms of cultural difference would be:

“Level of acceptance of people, who have no power, of the unequal spread of power in their society.”

Understanding hierarchy differences is essential for understanding cultural differences. In this short video, I explain what some consequences can be when different cultures with a different score on this dimension interact or work together.

This abstract example and representation are based on input from real people.

What is your experience with differences in Hierarchy? Please leave your comments below.

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Should you want to read and/or watch more content on Hierarchy and Hierarchical differences, try these articles:

• Power Distance explained by Professor Geert Hofstede
• Hierarchy explained in a story/case.

How hierarchy has had an effect on how countries dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the article here.

An article that talks about Hierarchy in light of change by evolution or change by revolution can be found here.