the pecking order
pecking order
The hierarchy within a group or organization. There's definitely a pecking order in this company, and you're not going to do well if you don't know your place.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
the pecking order
COMMON The pecking order in a group is the order of importance of the people or things within that group. Offices came in 29 sizes, according to your place in the company's pecking order. The British Medical Association issued a warning that doctors may be forced to draw up a pecking order of operations. Note: When groups of hens are kept together, a `pecking order' tends to form. This means that a stronger bird can peck a weaker bird without being pecked in return.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
a/the ˈpecking order
(informal, often humorous) the way a group is organized, with some members being more important or powerful than others: You don’t get a company car unless you’re pretty high up in the pecking order.This expression was first used by a scientist in the 1920s after studying groups of birds; he noticed there was an order when birds were feeding, with the strongest birds eating first.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017