The existing system of status stratification is itself a fundamental

source of the ambition to climb the managerial ladder.

Professor Burns of Edinburgh University suggests that the dislike and rejection of

subordination, especially in organic or developing working organizations, created some

of the discrepancies in job descriptions he found in his detailed today. He suggests with

Stalker that reductions of status differentials will improve industrial communications by

breaking down some of these barriers. Status differentials can apply also to whole

departments. The British Institute of Works Managers comments on a large poll of their

members: ‘The relationship between production, design and sales evoked considerable

comment; it was suggested that production is not held in the same esteem as the others

and sales are allowed too much authority.

While the status of age is a factor over which an organization has little control, it still can

cause problems. Sociologist Dalton, who has worked ‘undercover’ in a number of plants

to collect information for his popular book Men Who Manage, f01,md the older line

officers disliking what they regarded as instructions from the younger staff officers.

These factory specialists were typically younger, better educated, and ‘smoother’ than

the production staff.