A hierarchy ( in Greek : Î Î Ï Î Ï Ï Î Î ; this comes from Î Î Ï Ï Ï - hieros , sacred , and Î Ï Ï Ï - arkho , rule ) is a way of ranking and organizing things or people . Beneath the top of the hierarchy , each part of it is below some other part . A hierarchy ( Greek : hierarchia ( á 1\/4 Î Ï Î Ï Ï Î Î ) , from hierarches , `` leader of sacred rites '' ) is an arrangement of items ( objects , names , values , categories , etc. ) in which the items are represented as being `` above , '' `` below , '' or `` at the same level as '' one another .