Dive Brief:

• The act of "pulling rank" gets its roots from the military, when a superior officer overrules someone of lower-rank. In the workplace, such a practice is called "rankism," and it can be a deeply destructive force, according to the Los Angeles Times. 
• The Times reports that Robert W. Fuller's book, "Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank," coined the phrase, which he describes as treating someone poorly by abusing title and power – a form of workplace bullying.
• In the workplace, "rankism" manifests itself in many ways, including competition elimination, exploitation, and abusing a position of power by hiding behind tenure or insulting or humiliating people of lower rank within an organization. Workplace rankism can cause decreased morale and productivity, disgruntled workers and in extreme cases, talent loss. 

Dive Insight

Rankism prevents people from being focused on work. According to Joyce E. A. Russell, senior associate dean at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, research proves that it's a serious roadblock to an "inclusive workplace." Those pummeled by rankism are often afraid to blow the whistle for many reasons, including the specter of job loss.

Russell offers some strategies to eliminate rankism, noting that intolerance of the practice by senior leaders is a mandatory first step. Another preventative measure is listening, as in actively listening to workers at every level. Companies should also adhere to the "principle of management by walking around," asking people how things are are going and what they have to say. The key, however, is to act on what you hear, because just listening won't cut it.

In an ironic twist, Russell suggests that a maybe good way to address it is for a C-Suite exec to "pull rank" on the person pulling rank on a subordinate to ensure the behavior disappears.