New Perspectives on Hierarchical Roles in Groups and Organizations: Beyond High Rank vs Low Rank

Abstract

Research on hierarchy has exploded in recent years. In this work, management scholars have largely focused on high- and low- rank roles within a hierarchy and how high and low rank can drive individual, group, and organizational processes and outcomes. However, recent work has begun to move beyond the study of traditional high- versus low- rank roles in hierarchies to instead consider other consequential hierarchical roles in groups and organizations. In this symposium, we highlight this emerging area of research on alternative perspectives on hierarchical roles, bringing together a set of five cutting-edge papers. These papers all offer new perspectives on the roles of different hierarchical ranks, including developing theory on the role of various high-ranking members in alliances (first paper), unpacking the consequences of a common yet overlooked rank: the second-in-command rank (second paper), identifying how middle and low-ranking group members can emerge as informal leaders (third paper), challenging whether high ranks matter at all considering high rank does not automatically confer authority (fourth paper), and understanding the experience of rank ‘losers’ (fifth paper). The five papers across this symposium move beyond traditional studies of high- versus- low ranked roles in hierarchies and demonstrate that these other perspectives on hierarchical roles can also have profound influences on individual, group, and organizational processes and outcomes. Following the presentations, Dr. Drew Carton will facilitate a group discussion about these papers and future research on alternative views on hierarchical roles. Team Leadership Through an Inner Circle: How a Dominant Alliance Can Encourage Coordination and... Presenter: Jieying Xu; ZHEJIANG U. OF FINANCE AND ECONOMICS Presenter: Xu Huang; Hong Kong Baptist U. Presenter: Erica Xu; Hong Kong Baptist U. Presenter: Gerben S. Van Der Vegt; U. of Groningen Presenter: Stuart Bunderson; Wash U. Do Teams Need a Second Fiddle? The Opportunities (and Perils) of the Second-in-Command Rank in a... Presenter: Elizabeth Trinh; U. of Michigan, Ross School of Business Presenter: Lindred L. Greer; U. of Michigan, Ross School of Business Second in Command or Second Opinion? Testing a Dual-path Model of Informal Leader Emergence Presenter: Edward McClain Wellman; Arizona State U. Presenter: Min Yu; Arizona State U. Presenter: Luke Hedden; Boston College Presenter: Beth Schinoff; Boston College How Managers Produce Authority During Backstage Repair: Evidence From Flash Teams Presenter: Melissa Valentine; Stanford U. Presenter: Michael Bernstein; Stanford U. “I’m Kind of (Disappointed I Did Not Become) a Big Deal”: Status Disappointment, Future Work... Presenter: Eric Anicich; U. of Southern California Presenter: Merrick Osborne; USC Marshall School of Business Presenter: Andrea Villafuerte; USC Marshall School of Business