The hierarchy of the original classification system however imperfect or incomplete gave Bordeaux a measurable sort of prestige, not to mention marketing power, that no other regional system has managed to duplicate.

WSJ: Getting to the Bottom of Bordeaux Wines | On Wine by Lettie Teague

The Bombay (Mumbai) meeting is likely to see the anti-globalisation activists focusing on Hinduism's centuries-old social hierarchy, or the caste system, which relegates nearly one-sixth of India's one billion population to the status of low castes known as Dalits, or the oppressed.

BBC: NEWS | South Asia | Activists gather for Bombay forum

In theory, a new personnel system, a flatter hierarchy and the elimination of duplication and overlap should increase federal productivity.

WSJ: Paul Light: The Sequester Is an Overhaul Opportunity

Therefore, resources tend to be managed at the executive level, often through a sophisticated hierarchy and a well-developed information system.

FORBES: HR Analytics And Competitive Advantage

Their lives continue to be influenced by the ancient Hindu caste system, which assigns each person a place in the social hierarchy.

BBC: India profile

For sex offenders, who occupy the bottom of the prison power hierarchy, the Butner unit was a safe haven in the federal prison system.

NEWYORKER: The Science of Sex Abuse