Structure:

Introduction:  Define what is hierarchy and what is its importance in public administration.

Body: List out the points of the merits and demerits of Hierarchy in public administration.

Conclusion:  by saying that hierarchy is a basic principle of Organisation in public administration but the reforms are required for effective administration.

Supporting points:

Hierarchy is ranking of positions of authority, often associated with a chain of command and control. it is difficult to conceive organisation without some sort of Hierarchy, so is public administration.  Organisation is essentially the division of functions among the given number of persons.

Hierarchy was emphasized by all the classical thinkers like Max Weber, Henri Fayol, Lydall Gulick, L. Urwick, J. D. Mooney and Reiley as an important principle of public administration. Henri Fayol referred to it as the scalar chain, while Mooney and Railey called it the scalar process. Mooney stated that hierarchy is a universal phenomenon.

 In this sense hierarchy is grouping of units into a larger unit for direction and control of activities and function and responsibilities of organisation. In hierarchy authority command and control in an organisation passed from top downwards step-by-step to the bottom. Hierarchy depends on the type of Organizational structure. The level of Hierarchy is less in Flat Organizational  structure which includes no middle level management and its more in Matrix organizational structure which is combination of 2 or more organizational structures.

Merits:

1. Hierarchy provides the much-needed channels of communication in the organisation both upwards and downwards.
2. It serves as an instrument of integration and coherence in an organisation.
3. Hierarchy simplifies the procedure of file movement.
4. It is based on the principle of delegation of authority and responsibility.
5. It enables us to fix up responsibility at each level and at each post in an organisation.
6. Hierarchy helps to decentralized decision-making and prevents congestion of business at top
7. In this system the principle of unity of command that one man should be subordinate one person only finds full application.

Demerits of Hierarchy:

1. The system of Hierarchy creates superior subordinate relationship  which hampers the effective and emotive coordination between superior and subordinate.
2. Problems of procedure through proper channel, redtapeism and delay in disposal of cases exist in the system of Hierarchy.

However, Hierarchy performs very useful purpose in an organisation. It provides the much-needed channel of communication in the organisation from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top. It is also built in device to achieve consensus in the organisation and also it facilitates the delegation of authority. It acts as inevitable device in all firms though the level of its presence vary. In Traditional Firms it persists in stronger  form  ( For Eg in Government institutions)  but it reduces in modern innovative firms (For Eg IT industry).  According to Paul H Appleby,  it is the means by which resources are apportioned,  personnel selected and assigned, operations activated, reviewed and modified.