So pervasive is the influence of these patriarchs, that the technology of
management varies only slightly from firm to firm. Most companies have a roughly
similar management hierarchy (a cascade of EVPs, SVPs, and VPs). They have
analogous control systems, HR practices and planning rituals, and rely on comparable
reporting structures and review systems. That’s why it’s so easy for a CEO to jump
from one company to another—the levers and dials of management are more or less the
same in every corporate cockpit.