Out of interest, where does the chain of command lie? I've worked with people in the past that respect the chain o' command to such a degree that they will fol

Out of interest, where does the chain of command lie? I've worked with people in the past that respect the chain o' command to such a degree that they will follow everything a more senior member of staff will say, but will both ignore and undermine what people on their level or below say. I've also noticed a trend where they will respect the "workers" of the office, but have little respect for Project Managers or anyone they don't perceive to be battling on the front lines. In the past, a good way to get around this was to ensure that everything that needed doing was in writing. This way, everyone knew what was expected of them, and it was much harder for someone to be confrontational or condescending if any of this was in writing.