Although organizational hierarchies are often viewed from the assumption that people seek upward mobility and compete with one another, new research indicates there is more action going on between peers than might be imagined. Highly-competitive organizational cultures do exist, but even within those, "lateral deference" takes place. Management Professor John Sumanth of SMU Cox and co-authors reveal a new twist on communications in the workplace, where protecting and saving one's status is more prevalent than jockeying for position.

Lei says Dublin Bottle Works has gone overnight from a mature business back to a start-up venture. "It's certainly a blunder," he said. "It's very hard to see how it can play out in their favor, over the long-term, given the economics of the industry."