The only thing that capitalism brings to hierarchy is an abstraction layer.
You get the same dysfunctions in any organisation where the management levels are staffed by narcissists and sociopaths who need hierarchy to feel a sense of self, and need to enforce it to self-soothe.
There are political structures even more hierarchical than US corporations, and some of them punish status infractions + perceived failures with violence or death.
The problem is the dysfunctional psychology of hierarchy. The more upper levels tend to performative hierarchy and status plays, the worse everything gets.
> Customers are customers because of capital.
Do you mean that in general, or only in this specific situation?
In general it's obviously not true.
> Management represents the owners (capital.)
Only insofar as any employee represents the owners.
> Any other framing is delusional.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_proble...
The only thing that capitalism brings to hierarchy is an abstraction layer.
You get the same dysfunctions in any organisation where the management levels are staffed by narcissists and sociopaths who need hierarchy to feel a sense of self, and need to enforce it to self-soothe.
There are political structures even more hierarchical than US corporations, and some of them punish status infractions + perceived failures with violence or death.
The problem is the dysfunctional psychology of hierarchy. The more upper levels tend to performative hierarchy and status plays, the worse everything gets.