Decisions Without Hierarchy: Feminist Interventions in Organization Theory and Practice

Bringing feminist and organization theory together with feminist organizational practice, Kathleen Iannello provides an insightful analysis that both illustrates and explains the successes and challenges facing non-hierarchical organizations. As Iannello makes clear, feminist theory offers a powerful tool for thinking about and constructing new organizational forms. Decisions Without Hierarchy is based on a two-year examination of three feminist organizations: a peace group, health collective, and business women’s group. From these case studies, Iannello constructs a model of organizations that, while structured, is nevertheless non-hierarchical. She terms this organization from the modified consensus model. Her case studies show that modified consensus does not give way to pressures toward formal hierarchy and that, therefore, the model merits the attention of feminists and organization theorists alike.