Some say that the divide between boss and employee is collapsing. In the modern workplace, it isn’t uncommon to see employees walk by their boss and converse with them comfortably and somewhat casually. Certain channels of the media and much of the newest entering workforce would agree that the corporate hierarchy is transitioning into a more open relationship between employees and employers. However, according to Stanford’s organizational behaviour professor, Jeffrey Pfeffer, office politics and rank still rule many corporate systems. As he states in this article, the reason this traditional power framework still exists is because it has been a successful system for years and it still effectively promotes organizational citizenship behaviour.
A short analysis of some of the world’s largest companies shows that hierarchy is still heavily intertwined in modern business. That is, the higher ranking your position is, the more benefits and control you have, and the more intense the competition is for your job. There are some definite benefits to this system, most notably, increased productivity from people trying to out-do their colleagues. However, this type of productivity is simultaneously met with the deterioration of teamwork, an underrated danger that outweighs the benefits of the traditional workplace hierarchy.
The key to teamwork lies in trust. It is nearly impossible to build a great team if each member cannot rely on other members to value the overall well being of the team. It requires trust to effectively delegate tasks, give honest feedback, and maximize productivity as a team. One of the largest advantages to working in teams is the ability to give team members positive feedback and suggestions for improvement, both of which are instrumental to maintaining, and more importantly raising, high performance standards. Instead of promoting employee cooperation that will raise output and expectations, hierarchy encourages a toxic environment of selfishness. For example, by helping a peer improve their work, you give them a better chance at promotion and decrease your own chances. While this may encourage people to try and outperform their colleagues and work harder, it is ultimately producing a lower work standard since not everyone is performing as well they could with teamwork.
Even though the majority of companies say they value people with good teamwork skills, teams are substantially less effective under the ranked power system. There needs to be an increased focus on creating a system that rewards helping your colleagues instead of penalisation. It is clear that a change in this outdated system is essential to fixing the lack of teamwork in companies.
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