hierarchy

Hierarchy is a system in which people or things have a set order of importance. Like on a ladder, the higher up you go, the closer you get to the top.

For example:

The army has a strict hierarchy or chain of command: The soldiers take orders from the officers and the officers take orders from the generals.

In our school, there is a hierarchy to follow if you don't like the way your teacher does something. First you must talk to the teacher about this. If this doesn't solve the problem, you can talk to your counselor, and if this doesn't help, you can then talk to the school principal.