The Pyramid Fallacy: Self-Organizing Decentralized Open Systems for Sustainable Collective Action

The ubiquity of hierarchical structure has resulted in scholars rarely focusing on its possible influence when investigating the motives and processes underlying collective action. In terms of efficiency, it is generally suggested that hierarchy is an easily accessible way of thinking, low effort, and perhaps unavoidable. The article builds on scholarship pertaining to three unique models that challenge the prevailing hierarchical structure: hunter-gatherer societies, open source projects, and transition-town initiatives. By linking the individual, collective, and organizational levels, the article suggests that in the social arena, a shift away from the prevailing hierarchical structure would result in sustainable collective action and greater potential for a cooperative society. The article offers a theoretical framework for self-organizing decentralized open systems (SODOS), prescribing the necessary conditions that effect a significant shift in human motivation stemming from the interpersonal dynamic. Avenues for implementation of the suggested framework are discussed.