What would you say about a system that improves performance but is disliked by a significant percentage of those participating in it? Conventional organizational hierarchy may be just such a system. Yet plenty of theorists—including, at times, ourselves—have concentrated on explaining the existence of hierarchy, rather than seriously examining how it could be made more likable.

How individuals feel about the structures they live and work in is just as important as the effectiveness or efficiency of these structures. In fact, the two are typically intertwined in a world where the unobservable motivation of employees matters (i.e., the real world). Therefore, we should try to accommodate people’s preferences about structures—especially if we can do so without reducing effectiveness.

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