How “Levelist” is Your Organization?

Many business organizations provide training and resources intended to further the inclusion of diverse groups such as women, racial minorities, LGBT, and the differently abled. Yet, few organizations explicitly recognize an “ism” that is embedded in the structure of the organization itself: “levelism,” or the differential treatment accorded employees based on job level.

In traditional, bureaucratic organizations, those who rise to certain levels and functions have more decision-making power than those who report to them; this segmentation is considered essential to effective functioning. But in some organizations , informal norms may support rank-based mistreatment. For example, those who are senior in rank may publicly belittle a junior colleague and face no repercussion, while a junior colleague behaving similarly toward a senior person may be reprimanded or fired.

At what point do rationally-based differences in rank morph into disrespectful treatment? How can organizations work to forge civil environments, in which there is a base level of respectful treatment expected of everyone regardless of level?

And finally, how levelist is your organization?