Hierarchies are good when you want to distribute decision making across a large number of actors. Some actors can integrate the decisions of others around them and repeat them back so that other nearby actors have a better understanding of the larger scale situation without paying attention to it themselves. Similarly actors with long distance relationships can coordinate decisions for a large number of actors across very large groups.
This leads to a natural form of heirarchy with some actors being more central/abstract/supportive for a particular task or goal with other actors being more peripheral/direct or immediate/active.
Heirarchies work when the central, detectched actors serve to spread the decisions and needs of the peripheral, immediately involved actors.
Heirarchies fail when the central actors use their increased access to obtain resources, power, additional access, divide other actors to make themselves more important, etc.
Hierarchies are good when you want to distribute decision making across a large number of actors. Some actors can integrate the decisions of others around them and repeat them back so that other nearby actors have a better understanding of the larger scale situation without paying attention to it themselves. Similarly actors with long distance relationships can coordinate decisions for a large number of actors across very large groups.
This leads to a natural form of heirarchy with some actors being more central/abstract/supportive for a particular task or goal with other actors being more peripheral/direct or immediate/active.
Heirarchies work when the central, detectched actors serve to spread the decisions and needs of the peripheral, immediately involved actors.
Heirarchies fail when the central actors use their increased access to obtain resources, power, additional access, divide other actors to make themselves more important, etc.