Organizational Status

1. Meaning of Status
Status is the social rank of a person in a group. It is a mark of the amount of recognition,
honor, and acceptance given to a person. Within groups, differences in status apparently have
been recognized ever since civilization began. Wherever people gather into groups, status
distinctions are likely to arise, because they enable people to affirm the different
characteristics and abilities of group members. Individuals are bound together in status
systems, or status hierarchies, which define their rank relative to others in the group. If they
become seriously upset over their status, they are said to feel status anxiety. Chester Barnard,
stated, !he desire for improvement of status and especially the desire to protect status appear
to be the basis of a sense of general responsibility". #ince status is important to people, they
will work hard to earn it. If it can be tied to actions that further the company$s goals, then
employees are strongly motivated to support their company. It is beneficial because it helps
people to cooperate with one another. #tatus re%uires ranking and comparison of persons in
the social system. #ome may have higher status or lower status as compared$ with others.
Individuals are bound together in a #tatus #ystem or #tatus hierarchy which defines their
relative ranks in the system. &verybody in the society makes serious efforts to raise his status.
#ome lose their status or $lose face$ in the society and its seriousness is widely recognized.
#ometimes people are very much disturbed about their status and, when they are not able to
change it in spite of their best efforts, they are said to have status'anxiety. (oss of status is a
very serious even for a person and everyone must try to develop or maintain his status. It may
be called $a sense of general responsibility. #tatus may be formal or informal. ) formal status
refers to the rank assigned to a, person by an authority in an organizational structure. Informal
status refers to social rank accorded to people because of their feelings towards them.
Informal social system awards the informal status. #tatus is an important drive for a person to
work hard to achieve it sometimes without asking for any extra remuneration or other
tangible benefits. When status is attached to some actions that further the company$s goals,
strong incentives are offered for their accomplishment. #tatus tends to be important only in a
particular social group * where the status is accorded. +rganizational status is the standing or
position of an organization in a stratification system based on social honor or esteem. !his
definition draws on ,ax Weber$s conception of status as a dimension of vertical ordering

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distinct from those of class .life chances in a market/ and power .the capacity to command
the actions of others/. Weber had in mind people, but his tripartite classification of
stratification systems is reasonably applied to organizations as well. !he concept of status in
recent organizational study is associated primarily with the writing of -odolny .0112/ , who
views it as a generalized and fungible resource enabling, in his research, leading investment
banks to charge their corporate clients higher premium for similar services. 3owever, the idea
that organizations may be ranked or stratified by status, prestige, honor, and legitimacy has
been floating around organizational theory for some time, if never commanding center stage.
-errow .0140/ saw organizations such as hospitals making claims to prestige before various
publics as a strategy of managing resource dependence. #uch claims, he suggested, were
especially likely where the organizations$ capabilities and outputs were sufficiently complex
or ambiguous that they were difficult for outsiders to assess.
2. Importance of Status
#tatus is significant to organizational behavior in several ways. When employees are
consumed by the desire for status it often is the source of employee problems and conflicts
that management needs to solve. It influences the kinds of transfers that employees will take,
because they don$t want to low status location or 5ob assignment. It helps determine who will
be an informal leader of a group, and it definitely serves to motivate those seeking to advance
in the organization. #ome people are status seekers, wanting a 5ob of high status regardless of
other working conditions. !hese people can be encouraged to %ualify themselves for high'
status 5obs so that they will feel rewarded. #ome organizations have consciously sought to
use their knowledge of the impact of status symbols to reduce these indicators 6ational Bank
of 7eorgia chose an open office layout in its new head%uarters so as to foster open
communications and consensus, !op executives at 3ome Box +ffice avoided choosing the
prestigious top .fifteenth/ floor of their new building and instead selected the eighth floor for
greater proximity to the marketing and programming departments. &xecutives at (ake
#uperior -aper Company choose to wear casual clothes .similar to those of the mill
employees/ so as to remove the potential status barrier between the two groups. ,ore and
more, organizations are removing reserved parking spots and placing everyone on an e%ual
basis in the parking lot, too. !hese illustrations provide some evidence that there has been a
backlash in our society against too many status symbols. #ome speakers argue that an

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overemphasis pm status has created, or at least magnified, a gap between the haves and the
have. W a result, some contemporary employees re5ect traditional symbols of status when
those are available to them. !hey choose to wear clothes of their own to work9 they don$t
always drive higher'priced cars9 and they prefer to mingle other employees despite having
access to an executive dining room after receiving a promotion.
3. Benefits of Status
' It allows us to more easily get what you want in social situations
' It allows us to make friends and build alliances with a greater number of driven, successful,
high %uality individuals than you$d otherwise be able to
' It allows us to retain the attraction and loyalty of women in difficult situations : even when
not present.
On Norms and Conformity
3igh'status members are less restrained by norms and pressure to conform. #ome level of
deviance is allowed to high'status members so long as it doesn;t affect group goal
achievement.
On Group Interaction
3igh'status members are more assertive. (arge status differences limit diversity of ideas and
creativity.
On Equity
If status is perceived to be ine%uitable, it will result in various forms of corrective behavior.
Income and status
#tatus inconsistency is a situation where an individual$s social positions have both positive
and negative influences on his or her social status. <or example, a teacher may have a
positive societal image .respect, prestige/ which increases their status but may earn little
money, which simultaneously decreases their status.
Inborn and acquired status
#tatuses based on inborn characteristics, such as gender, are called ascribed statuses, while
statuses that individuals gained through their own efforts are called achieved statuses.
#pecific behaviors are associated with social stigmas, which can affect status. )scribed #tatus
is when one$s position is inherited through family. ,onarchy is a widely'recognized use of

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this method, to keep the rulers in one family. !his usually occurs at birth without any
reference as to how that person may turn out to be a good or bad leader.
Social mobility and social status
#tatus can be changed through a process of social mobility. #ocial mobility is change of
position within the stratification system. ) move in status can be upward .upward mobility/,
or downward .downward mobility/. #ocial mobility allows a person to move to another social
status other than the one he or she was born in. #ocial mobility is more fre%uent in societies
where achievement rather than ascription is the primary basis for social status. #ocial
mobility is especially prominent in the =nited #tates in recent years with an ever'increasing
number of women entering into the workplace as well as a steady increase in the number of
full'time college students. !his increased education as well as the massive increase in
multiple household incomes has greatly contributed to the rise in social mobility obtained by
so many today. With this upward mobility9 however, comes the philosophy of >eeping up
with the ?oneses that so many )mericans obtain. )lthough this sounds good on the surface,
it actually poses a problem because millions of )mericans are in credit card debt due to
conspicuous consumption and purchasing goods that they do not have the money to pay for.
4. Sources of Status
!he sources of status are numerous, but in a typical work situation several sources are easily
identified. &ducation and 5ob level are two important sources of higher status. ) person$s
abilities, 5ob skills, and type of work also are ma5or sources of status.
<igure@ ,a5or sources of status on the 5ob

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#tatus
+ther sources of status are amount of pay, seniority, age, and stock options. -ay gives
economic recognition and an opportunity to have more of the amenities of life, such as travel.
#eniority and age often earn for their holder certain privileges, such as first choice of vacation
dates, or the respect of coworkers for their longevity at work. ,ethod of pay .hourly versus
salary/ and working conditions can also provide important status distinctions, such as
distinguishing blue'collar and white'collar work. #tock options provide employees with the
opportunity to share the financial success of the firm.
We can summarize the sources of status which mentioned above as follows@
0. &ducation
8. ?ob level
2. )bilities
A. ?ob skill
B. +ccupation
4. -ay
C. #eniority
D. )ge
1. ,ethod of pay
0E. Working condition
00. Felationship with boss
08. -olitical involvement
5. Status and Heredity
7enerally, better educated parents are less likely to be obese .(in, 3uang, and <rench 8EEA/
and more likely to have children who eat healthier diets and who have lower B,Is .Gie et al.
8EE2/. Hietary fat intake decreased in adolescents with increased levels of parental education
.Gie et al. 8EE2/. Children of older mothers tend to have higher B,Is .(in, 3uang, and
<rench 8EEA/. )ge, education, and income variables are considered status variables by
sociologists. !he greater each of these is, the greater the individual;s status. !he greater the
difference in these, the greater the status difference between the parents. Blood and Wolf
.014B/ argued these differences result in a power differential favoring the person with the
higher status. ) power difference in favor of the father means that the fathers; spending

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priorities are emphasized9 this has generally meant that less money is spent on food, less
money invested in the children. Blumberg .01DD/ has found that the mothers who have more
status within families tend to spend more money on children;s needs. In addition, Blood and
Wolfe .014B/ found that the greater the status differences between husbands and wives, the
fewer husbands participated in household tasks. ,ore recently -resser .8EE2/ examined the
ratio of husbands; to wives; incomes and husbands; to wives; ages. In both cases, as
husbands; income or age increased relative to wives;, the fewer traditionally'female
household tasks husbands helped with. We suggest that the greater the power differences
between husbands and wives, the greater the likelihood of negative outcomes in the children.
3eredity plays an important role in children;s intakes and outcomes. !he economics and
sociological literatures indicate important variables in studying children;s nutrition and
outcomes include parents; incomes, the amount of time parents spend with their children,
parental work variables such as work stress, work to family spillover, work autonomy, work
commitment, and work flexibility, parental status and heredity factors, and children;s age,
gender, ethnicity, pubertal stage, and activity level. We will focus on children;s nutrition and
outcomes that are considered strongly related to obesity in children, namely, percent energy
from fat, percent energy from saturated fat, B,I, and waist circumference.
. Sym!ols of Status
#tatus system or hierarchy is an observable evidence with its status symbols. #tatus symbols
may be attached to person or workplace and serve as an evidence of social rank in a work'
group. #tatus symbols are visible differently with different ' levels of executive according to
their surroundings and which differ the persons in higher status with the lower status
executives in the organization structure. #uch status symbols are represented by telephone,
stapling machine, wastebasket etc. in some office while in others rugs, bookcase, curtains,
and pictures may be marked as rank symbols.
#tatus symbols seem amusing but sometimes they pose a very serious problem. If some
executives of e%ual rank or status or of higher status are lacking in or have no status symbols
in comparison to those who are lower in status or e%ually ranked, are envious to person
having such symbols. !his state of affairs sometimes leads to conflict and to provide such
symbols to all those who should have, means a heavy financial burden on the organization.

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#ince status symbols exist in every organization, so manager should be cautious to them.
-roviding such facilities may serve as a motivator or as a disruptive force and it depends
upon the skill with which the manager handles them.
It has now become a practice to have status symbols. ,anagement should consider the
approach that e%ual status holders should be provided nearly e%ual status symbols. !here may
be some variation in symbols depending upon the nature of work.
The status system reaches its ultimate end with status symbols. !hese are the visible,
external things that attach to a person or workplace and serve as evidence of social rank. !hey
exist in the office, shop, warehouse, refinery, or wherever work groups congregate. !hey are
most in evidence, among different levels of managers, because each successive level usually
has the authority to provide itself with surroundings 5ust a little different from those of people
lower in the structure.
<urniture, such as a mahogany desk or a conference table
Interior decorations such as carpeting draperies and artwork
!ocation of workplace, such as a corner office or an office having a window with a view
"acilities at workplace, such as a computer terminal or fax machine
#uality and newness of e%uipment used, such as a new vehicle or tools
Type of clothes normally worn, such as a suit.
$ri%ileges gi%en such as a club membership or company automobile
&ob title or organizational level, such as vice president
Employees 'ob assigned, such as a private secretary
(egree of financial discretion, such as authorizing up to IB,EEE expenditures
Organi)ational membership, such as a position on the executive committee
!here are a variety of symbols of status9 depending on what employees feel is important. <or
example, in one office the type of wastebasket is a mark of distinction. In another office it
might be the type of desk and telephones.
". #orruption $ Status
Corruption is the result of dishonesty. ) dishonest person may earn more money by doing
corruptions but it is not possible for him to earn status. #ome cases dishonesty may earn
status for a short period of time but this kind of status will not longer and socially he is not
acceptable even to his neighbor.

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Individuals; actions within a society are regulated by a complex system of rewards and
punishments. &conomists focus on monetary rewards that are exchanged through a market
system, while sociologists consider a broader class of rewards which emphasize social status
.Weiss and <ershtman, 011D/. Both monetary rewards and social status play an important role
in determining individual behavior. #ocial status is viewed as a substitute for money, in line
with the long'standing theory of compensating wage differences first developed by )dam
#mith, who suggested that high'status occupations would pay lower wages, ceteris paribus.
Certainly, there are a number of authors who put more emphasis on individual deeds or
characteristics as a source of social status. !hese two views imply different types of
externalities, however .<ershtman and Weiss, 0112/. In contrast, if social status were
influenced by one;s relative standing in a group, and if the degree of honesty of each
individual;s form of behavior were observable :which, certainly, is not realistic' then a civil
servant who behaves honestly might confer a negative externality on his or her colleagues
.Basu, 01D1/.
In this setup, we show that if a society uses social rewards to provide incentives for civil
servants, then the Joptimal" level of corruption, ceteris paribus, will be lower than it will be
in a society where social status is unnoticed. !his holds true because, in societies that
coordinate their efforts to use social rewards to provide incentives for civil servants, payment
schemes that prevent corruption will be less expensive and payment schemes that induce high
levels of corruption will be more expensive than they would be in societies that do not have
recourse to social rewards. !hus, there are more economies .i.e., parameter values/ for which
payment schemes that deter corruption are implemented.
,ore generally, it has been recognized in the literature that activities that affect other
members of society but that cannot be priced are not efficiently regulated by private rewards.
It was )rrow .01C0/ who first suggested the role of social norms as a mechanism for
resolving the inefficiencies arising from externalities.
%. &ducation $ Status
#ocioeconomic status .#&#/ is often measured as a combination of education, income, and
occupation. It is commonly conceptualized as the social standing or class of an individual or
group. When viewed through a social class lens, privilege, power, and control are
emphasized. <urthermore, an examination of #&# as a gradient or continuous variable reveals

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ine%uities in access to and distribution of resources. #&# is relevant to all realms of
behavioral and social science, including research, practice, education, and advocacy.
(ow #&# and its correlates, such as lower education, poverty, and poor health, ultimately
affect our society as a whole. Ine%uities in wealth distribution, resource distribution, and
%uality of life are increasing in the =nited #tates and globally. #ociety benefits from an
increased focus on the foundations of socioeconomic ine%uities and efforts to reduce the deep
gaps in socioeconomic status in the =nited #tates and abroad. Behavioral and other social
science professionals possess the tools necessary to study and identify strategies that could
alleviate these disparities at both individual and societal levels.
Fesearch indicates that children from low'#&# households and communities develop
academic skills more slowly compared to children from higher #&# groups .,organ, <arkas,
3illemeier, K ,aczuga, 8EE1/. Initial academic skills are correlated with the home
environment, where lowliteracy environments and chronic stress negatively affect a child;s
preacademic skills. !he school systems in low'#&# communities are often underresourced,
negatively affecting students; academic progress .)ikens K Barbarin, 8EED/. Inade%uate
education and increased dropout rates affect children;s academic achievement, perpetuating
the low'#&# status of the community. Improving school systems and early intervention
programs may help to reduce these risk factors, and thus increased research on the correlation
between #&# and education is essential.
'. Status $ OB ( )elation *
Status *elationship+ ) group consists of high status and low status persons. !he high'status
persons en5oy more powers from their group9 participate more in significant group activities9
interact more with their seen. In this way high status gives people opportunities to play more
important role in an organization in comparison with low status persons. )s a result low
status person think themselves isolated from the main stream. It is also against the
e%ualitarian values in a democratic society.
#ometimes people think that status is dysfunctional to the social system which is not true.
Hifferent people perform different functions and levels of work in an organization, so, status
difference is a must. #tatus, therefore, provides a system
,
by which people relate to each other
in group work. +bviously, it contributes to the group because it increases their ability to
cooperate efficiently without much waste of time. Causes of status differences are unlimited
as each situation is different. #ome of the causes are organizational level, type of work,
skill working conditions, pay and seniority etc.

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+riginally, +rgan .01DD/ defined organizational behavior as any acts that are discretionary'
and not explicitly or directly recognized by the formal system of performance management'
that tends to enhance the functioning and performance of the organization. ,ore recently,
however, +rgan .011C/ refined this definition, conceptualizing organizational behavior as any
form of performance that supports the social or psychological environment in which the work
tasks are embedded'a definition that more closely corresponds to contextual performance, as
defined by Borman and ,otowidlo .0112, 011C/. !his definition is intended to distinguish
organizational behavior from the performance of core tasks. In addition, this definition
overcomes the complication that many organizations now strive to reward such behaviors.
+rganizational behavior is positively related to 5ob satisfaction. 6evertheless, the precise
relationship differs between affective and cognitive 5ob satisfaction. In particular, researchers
sometimes distinguish affective and cognitive 5ob satisfaction. In the study conducted by
,oorman and Blakely .011B/, participants completed a series of scales, some of which
assessed affective 5ob satisfaction, cognitive 5ob satisfaction, and organizational behavior.
!heir analyses showed that organizational behavior was more strongly related to cognitive,
rather than affective, 5ob satisfaction. 6evertheless, as (ee and )llen .8EE8/ showed, distinct
forms of organizational behavior do not relate to the same measures of 5ob satisfaction. In
particular, these researchers distinguished two clusters of organizational behaviors@
organizational behaviors directed at individuals and organizational behavior directed at
organizations. When both forms of 5ob satisfaction were included in the same analysis, only
affective 5ob satisfaction, as represented by affect that is elicited by the 5ob, was positively
associated with organizational behaviors directed at individuals. In contrast, only cognitive
5ob satisfaction, gauged by a measure of 5udgments about work, was positively associated
with organizational behavior directed at organizations. -resumably, positive feelings motivate
organizational behaviors directed at individuals. In contrast, the explicit belief that helpful
acts might be reciprocated could motivate organizational behavior directed at organizations.
+ther determinants of discretionary behaviors might be levels of pay. !hat is, many
organizations offer pay that exceeds the levels of remuneration that are expected in the
market. +rganizational behavior tends to be negatively related both to intentions to leave the
organization and to actual departures .e.g., Chen, 8EEB9 ,ossholder, #ettoon, K 3enagan,
8EEB/. Conceivably, the abstention from organizational behavior might reflect a form of
withdrawal, which tends to predict turnover .Chen, 8EEB9 Chen, 3ui, K #ego, 011D/ and may
be related to absenteeism as well. In addition, the extent to which these participants help

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colleagues, demonstrate initiative, and show loyalty''forms of organizational behavior''were
assessed by their supervisors. <inally, participants completed a series of other measures, such
as the degree to which they value compassion, e%uality, and altruism, as well as the extent to
which they feel that socially responsible behaviors are integral to their role. In general, if
participants perceived their organization as responsible, they were more likely to demonstrate
organizational behavior. !his relationship, however, was observed only in participants who
value compassion, e%uality, and altruism. -resumably, employees seek cues in the
environment to ascertain which behaviors are suitable. When the organization is responsible,
employees feel that ethical and supportive behaviors will be rewarded. !hey even perceive
organizational behaviors are central to their role at work. !hey naturally engage in these
helpful behaviors, especially if they value such altruism. In particular, researchers have
investigated whether of organizational behavior culminate in positive conse%uences for the
individuals themselves, such as performance evaluations and rewards, as well as for the
organizations, as gauged by productivity and profitability, for instance. In most instances,
behavior is positively related to the wellbeing of individuals and the functioning of
organizations. 6evertheless, some exceptions have been unearthed in specific settings. <or
example, organizational behavior can be associated with role overload and conflicts between
work and family .Bolino K !urnley, 8EEB/. <urthermore, -odsakoff and ,ac>enzie .011A/,
in a study of insurance agencies, showed that helping behaviors of agents were inversely
related to the performance of that agency.
1+. Means for earning status
#ocial status, the position or rank of a person or group within the society, can be determined
two ways. +ne can earn their social status by their own achievements, which is known as
achieved status. )lternatively, one can be placed in the stratification system by their inherited
position, which is called ascribed status. )scribed statuses can also be defined as those that
are fixed for an individual at birth. )scribed statuses that exist in all societies include those
based upon sex, age, race ethnic group and family background. <or example, a person born
into a wealthy family characterized by traits such as popularity, talents and high values will
have many expectations growing up. !herefore, they are given and taught many social roles
as they are socially positioned into a family becoming e%uipped with all these traits and
characteristics. )chieved statuses meaning also what the individual ac%uires during his or her

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lifetime as a result of the exercise of knowledge, ability, skill andLor perseverance.
+ccupation provides an example of status that may be either ascribed or achieved, it can be
achieved by one gaining the right knowledge and skill to become socially positioned into a
higher position of that 5ob9 building persons social identity within the occupation.
11. Models for Status
Social class refers to a group of people with similar levels of wealth, influence, and status.
#ociologists typically use three methods to determine social class@
!he ob'ecti%e method measures and analyzes Jhard" facts.
!he sub'ecti%e method asks people what they think of themselves.
!he reputational method asks what people think of others.
Fesults from these three research methods suggests that in the =nited #tates today
approximately 0B to 8E percent are in the poor, lower class9 2E to AE percent are in the
working class9 AE to BE percent are in the middle class9 and 0 to 2 percent are in the rich,
upper class.
The lower class
!he lower class is typified by poverty, homelessness, and unemployment. -eople of this
class, few of whom have finished high school, suffer from lack of medical care, ade%uate
housing and food, decent clothing, safety, and vocational training. !he media often stigmatize
the lower class as Jthe underclass," inaccurately characterizing poor people as welfare
mothers who abuse the system by having more and more babies, welfare fathers who are able
to work but do not, drug abusers, criminals, and societal Jtrash."
The working class
!he working class is those minimally educated people who engage in Jmanual labor" with
little or no prestige. =nskilled workers in the classMdishwashers, cashiers, maids, and
waitressesMusually are underpaid and have no opportunity for career advancement. !hey are
often called the working poor. #killed workers in this classMcarpenters, plumbers, and
electriciansMare often called blue collar workers. !hey may make more money than
workers in the middle classMsecretaries, teachers, and computer technicians9 however, their
5obs are usually more physically taxing, and in some cases %uite dangerous.

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The middle class
!he middle class are the Jsandwich" class. !hese white collar workers have more money
than those below them on the Jsocial ladder," but less than those above them. !hey divide
into two levels according to wealth, education, and prestige. !he lower middle class is often
made up of less educated people with lower incomes, such as managers, small business
owners, teachers, and secretaries. !he upper middle class is often made up of highly
educated business and professional people with high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers,
stockbrokers, and C&+s.
The upper class
Comprising only 0 to 2 percent of the =nited #tates population, the upper class holds more
than 8B percent of the nation$s wealth. !his class divides into two groups@ lower'upper and
upper'upper. !he lower,upper class includes those with Jnew money," or money made from
investments, business ventures, and so forth. !he upper,upper class includes those
aristocratic and Jhigh'society" families with Jold money" who have been rich for
generations. !hese extremely wealthy people live off the income from their inherited riches.
!he upper'upper class is more prestigious than the lower'upper class.
Wherever their money comes from, both segments of the upper class are exceptionally rich.
Both groups have more money than they could possibly spend, which leaves them with much
leisure time for cultivating a variety of interests. !hey live in exclusive neighborhoods, gather
at expensive social clubs, and send their children to the finest schools. )s might be expected,
they also exercise a great deal of influence and power both nationally and globally.
#ocial stratification describes the way people are placed in society. It is associated with the
ability of individuals to live up to some set of ideals or principles regarded as important by
the society or some social group within it. !he members of a social group interact mainly
within their own group and to a lesser degree with those of higher or lower status.
7roups@
Wealth and Income .most common/@ !ies between persons with the same personal income
7ender@ !ies between persons of the same sex and sexuality
-olitical #tatus@ !ies between persons of the same political viewsLstatus
Feligion@ !ies between persons of the same religion
&thnicityLFace@ !ies between persons of the same ethnicLracial group

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#ocial Class@ !ies between persons born into the same group
,ax Weber$s three dimensions of stratification
!he 7erman sociologist ,ax Weber developed a theory proposing that stratification is based
on three factors that have become known as the three p$s of stratification@ property, prestige
and power. 3e claimed that social stratification is a result of the interaction of wealth,
prestige and power.
-roperty refers to one$s material possessions and their life chances. If someone has control of
property, that person has power over others and can use the property to his or her own
benefit.
-restige is also a significant factor in determining one$s place in the stratification system. !he
ownership of property is not always going to assure power, but there are fre%uently people
with prestige and little property.
-ower is the ability to do what one wants, regardless of the will of others. .Homination, a
closely related concept, is the power to make others$ behavior conform to one$s commands/.
!his refers to two different types of power, which are possession of power and exercising
power. <or example, some people in charge of the government have an immense amount of
power, and yet they do not make much money.
,ax Weber developed various ways that societies are organized in hierarchical systems of
power. !hese ways are social status, class power and political power.
#ocial #tatus@ If you view someone as a social superior, that person will have power over you
because you believe that person has a higher status than you do.
Class -ower@ !his refers to une%ual access to resources. If you have access to something that
someone else needs, that can make you more powerful than the person in need. !he person
with the resource thus has bargaining power over the other.
-olitical -ower@ -olitical power can influence the hierarchical system of power because those
that can influence what laws are passed and how they are applied can exercise power over
others.
,ax Weber also developed the idea of status groups. #tatus groups are communities that are
based on ideas of proper lifestyles and the honor given to people by others. !hese groups
only exist because of people$s ideas of prestige or dishonor. )lso, people in these
communities are only supposed to associate with people of like status, and all other people
are looked at as inferiors.
-ierre Bourdieu$s theory on class distinction

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!he <rench sociologist -ierre Bourdieu developed theories of social stratification based on
aesthetic taste in his work Histinction. Bourdieu claims that how one chooses to present one$s
social space to the world, one$s aesthetic dispositions, depicts one$s status and distances
oneself from lower groups. #pecifically, Bourdieu hypothesizes that these dispositions are
internalized at an early age and guide the young towards their appropriate social positions,
towards the behaviors that are suitable for them, and an aversion towards other lifestyles.
Bourdieu theorizes that class fractions teach aesthetic preferences to their young. Class
fractions are determined by a combination of the varying degrees of social, economic, and
cultural capital. #ociety incorporates symbolic goods, especially those regarded as the
attributes of excellence, NOasP the ideal weapon in strategies of distinction. !hose attributes
deemed excellent are shaped by the interests of the dominating class. 3e emphasizes the
dominance of cultural capital early on by stating that differences in cultural capital mark the
differences between the classes. )esthetic dispositions are the result of social origin rather
than accumulated capital and experience over time. !he ac%uisition of cultural capital
depends heavily on total, early, imperceptible learning, performed within the family from the
earliest days of life. Bourdieu hypothetically guarantees that the opinions of the young are
those that they are born into, the accepted definitions that their elders offer them.
3e asserts the primacy of social origin and cultural capital by claiming that social capital and
economic capital, though ac%uired cumulatively over time, depend upon it. Bourdieu claims
that one has to take account of all the characteristics of social condition which are
.statistically/ associated from earliest childhood with possession of high or low income and
which tend to shape tastes ad5usted to these conditions.
)ccording to Bourdieu, tastes in food, culture and presentation, are indicators of class,
because trends in their consumption seemingly correlate with an individual$s fit in society.
&ach fraction of the dominant class develops its own aesthetic criteria. ) multitude of
consumer interests based on differing social positions necessitates that each fraction has its
own artists and philosophers, newspapers and critics, 5ust as it has its hairdresser, interior
decorator or tailor.
Bourdieu does not wholly disregard the importance of social capital and economic capital in
the formation of cultural capital. In fact, the production of art and the ability to play an
instrument presuppose not only dispositions associated with long establishment in the world
of art and culture but also economic meansOand spare time. 3owever, regardless of one$s

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 0B
ability to act upon one$s preferences, Bourdieu specifies that respondents are only re%uired
to express a status'induced familiarity with legitimate... culture.
N!asteP functions as a sort of social orientation, a $sense of one$s place$, guiding the
occupants of a given... social space towards the social positions ad5usted to their properties
and towards the practices or goods which befit the occupants of that position. !hus, different
modes of ac%uisition yield differences in the nature of preferences. !hese cognitive
structuresOare internalized, $embodied$ social structures, becoming a natural entity to the
individual. Hifferent tastes are thus seen as unnatural and re5ected, resulting in disgust
provoked by horror or visceral intolerance .$sick'making$/ of the tastes of others.
Bourdieu himself believes class distinction and preferences are most marked in the ordinary
choices of everyday existence, such as furniture, clothing or cooking, which are particularly
revealing of deep'rooted and long'standing dispositions because, lying outside the scope of
the educational system, they have to be confronted, as it were, by naked taste. Indeed,
Bordieu believes that the strongest and most indelible mark of infant learning would
probably be in the tastes of food. Bourdieu thinks that meals served on special occasions are
an interesting indicator of the mode of self'presentation adopted in $showing off$ a life'style
.in which furniture also plays a part/. !he idea is that their likes and dislikes should mirror
those of their class fractions.
Children from the lower end of the social hierarchy are predicted to choose heavy, fatty
fattening foods, which are also cheap in their dinner layouts, opting for plentiful and good
meals as opposed to foods that are original and exotic. !hese potential outcomes would
reinforce Bourdieu$s ethic of sobriety for the sake of slimness, which is most recognized at
the highest levels of the social hierarchy, that contrasts the convivial indulgence
characteristic of the lower classes. Hemonstrations of the tastes of luxury .or freedom/ and
the tastes of necessity reveal a distinction among the social classes.
!he degree to which social origin affects these preferences surpasses both educational and
economic capital. In fact, at e%uivalent levels of educational capital, social origin remains an
influential factor in determining these dispositions. 3ow one describes one$s social
environment relates closely to social origin because the instinctive narrative springs from
early stages of development. )lso, across the divisions of labor economic constraints tend to
relax without any fundamental change in the pattern of spending. !his observation
reinforces the idea that social origin, more than economic capital, produces aesthetic
preferences because regardless of economic capability consumption patterns remain stable.

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 04
12. ,uidelines for Status Builders ( -uture *
It$s more than 5ust something you get or don$t get, have or don$t have. (ots of people don$t see
it that way, though9 they tend to think of social status as simply a dividing line between the
people who are in and the people who are out.
!here are the people who seem to step around conventional social status entirely9 the ones
who exude intrinsic status and can flow seamlessly among groups and be included %uickly
and easily wherever they see fit. !hese are the people we$re talking about when we talk about
ultimate social calibration9 these are the folks who$ve stepped off the ladder and come up with
a different way for moving socially. -eople don$t usually stop an analyze these thoughts
though, of course9 they 5ust have them. Beliefs about the nature of social status are among the
core beliefs that most people never stop and consider. It$s %uite rare to hear someone in met
cognition inspecting his own views on status9 our position socially and our view on our status
and that of others is so core to how we identify ourselves that we rarely %uestion it. <or most
people, their view of social status is 5ust how things are, and any view anyone else might
hold to the contrary is, of course, clearly misguided. But the world, as it turns out, isn$t black
and white, and neither is social status. Social status isn-t good and it isn-t bad. It$s 5ust a
tool, and it$s a tool that, if we know how to use it properly, we can maximize its benefits
while minimizing its drawbacks.
3ere are the benefits of social status we;ll want to maximize@
' It allows us to more easily get what you want in social situations
' It allows us to make friends and build alliances with a greater number of driven, successful,
high %uality individuals than you$d otherwise be able to
' It allows us to retain the attraction and loyalty of women in difficult situations : even when
not present.
)nd here are the drawbacks of social status we$ll want to minimize@
' It$s stressful and lends itself to constant monitoring of one$s status in comparison to others$
status.
' It leads to falling outs between friends and lovers over status'related issues .such as
perceived insults, condescension, or status'5ockeying/
' It leads to out'group resentment and in'group envy
!here are two basic kinds of social status@ e/trinsic and intrinsic.

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 0C
E/trinsic social status is status dependent upon outside influences9 one$s external social
circumstances. &xtrinsic social status is what the ma5ority of people go for, because it seems
easier, more tangible, and more readily achievable.
The path is straightforward the goal understandable+ make it to the top. !o become
popular the work of a person should be as expected by the people surrounded himLher.
0ut there are some strong drawbacks that come with e/trinsic social status as well.
Because securing that top spot in the extrinsic social hierarchy doesn$t the meaning of win,
victory is not forever assured, and we should not be in rest. !he man heading up that certain
group needs to keep heading it up, organizing things, and ensuring that hisLher group is the
top group, and the man dating the beautiful high society girl needs to make sure he keeps
dating her and that she stays as desired as ever.
)ll the while, the man with top extrinsic value is fighting a losing battle to hold off the
competition and stay relevant. 0ecause one truth that-s absolute in life is that we can
ne%er stand still1 we are always either getting better or getting worse.
)nd when we;ve made it to the top of a social hierarchy, there$s nowhere else to go but down.
Intrinsic social status is the kind of status that extends beyond external social hierarchies
and circumstances. Intrinsic social status comes from the indi%idual himself not from his
e/ternal social rank. In other words, it$s personality'dependent, rather than situation'
dependent.
!he 6otorious B.I.7., one of the world$s top rap artists until his murder in 011C, mentioned in
an interview wanting to develop the kind of personality that would have people respect him
and think of him as a cool, likeable guy even if he hadn$t put out an album in years. 3e didn$t
want to end up being one of those washed up performers one day that people showed no
respect to because his extrinsic status had dried up and disappeared. 2e was talking about
being the kind of person that other people 'ust respond to. The man with intrinsic social
status is the one people respect and admire e%en if he doesn-t lead any groups or ha%e a
high society girlfriend.
!he man with intrinsic social status can flow effortlessly between groups. ) man with
intrinsic social status maintains the status %uo. -eople will like being around him.
"urthermore it-s something one can always impro%e upon+ one can always get a little
better at meeting new people a little better at making good first impressions a little
better at getting to know new acquaintances.

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 0D
=nlike with external social hierarchies, there$s no ceiling limiting how far one can go when
heLshe is developing hisLher intrinsic status. !he only limit is hisLher imagination, and heLshe
will change.
Warmth is disarming and makes others want to accept himLher right away9 they feel as if they
already know himLher and have a good relationship with himLher. It makes getting to know
them once they$re talking to them immensely easier .because there$s no wall of
unfamiliarity there like there is usually with strangers/, and it makes them want to get to
know himLher. Interest in others. !he man who excels at winning over new people is the
man who$s genuinely interested in them. "orcefulness $ower and Coolness. Check out the
posts on spre))atura and the !aw of !east Effort for an understanding of the underlying
dynamics of how people assess coolness. Basically, when most people try to accomplish
things socially, they do so in a way that ends up with them expending too much effort to do
so : and thus come off less forceful, less powerful, and less cool. If someone work to develop
an air of effortless about himself, he$ll find people come to like and respect him all the more,
because they view him as a man worthy of their respect and admiration. Con%ersational
3bility. #ucceeding at all things social re%uires some degree of success as a
conversationalist. It$s impossible to come across a high status man without being able to
communicate one$s interests, get to know others, and relate and be relatable. Heveloping your
skill as a conversationalist is an imperative for any man who aspires to embody and use
intrinsic social status. (irectness. 7etting to the point in one$s dealings with others is a very
high status trait. (ower status individuals tend to beat around the bush, hesitate, and stall.
2igh status people 'ust get to it. "undamentals. ,uch of what people respond to in
intrinsically high status individuals is nonverbal@ body language, posture, eye contact, facial
expressions. Qoice tone is another one that$s incredibly important. Intrinsically high status
people ha%e high status fundamentals. It$s the primary way that others assess their intrinsic
status upon first meeting them. 4en and women both are e/traordinarily attuned to the
signatures of status and that includes both high and low status.
!he benefits of developing intrinsically high status man are far reaching and well worth the
effort. "or this e%erybody should show up and be sociable and be meeting new people
and everybody will find him get treated well and others appreciate having him around.
&xtrinsic social status isn$t bad9 there$s certainly nothing wrong with being successful and
en5oying some of the benefits of that success. 0ut for the long haul for creating lasting
social status that doesn-t peel and chip with time and a changing social landscape focus

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 01
e%eryone attention on the intrinsic side of things : they$ll end up with a much deeper,
much more genuine respect from others, and one that translates far outside the reach of any
situational status they could develop instead.
13. .ips for Status Builder (-uture*
' <irst of all status builder should try to build his status from intrinsic or for himself.
' 3eLshe should be honest
' 3eLshe should be well educated
' 3eLshe should mix up with new people.
' 3eLshe must have interest on others.
' 3eLshe should be forceful
' 3eLshe should be powerful
' 3eLshe should have coolness
' 3eLshe should be direct while talking to people
' 3isLher conversational ability should be remarkable.
14. /uestion0

!erm -aper .Organizational Status/ 8E
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