This definition of bureaucracy as a type of organization overlaps with other ways in which the word is used. Bureaucracy can be used as a synonym for a hierarchical mode of social coordination – a usage based on the hierarchical nature of such organizations. It can be used as a synonym for the public administration – a usage that suggests the public sector is the archetype of a hierarchical organization. It can be used to refer to the people who work in the public sector or other large, hierarchical organizations; these people are bureaucrats. And it can be used to describe conduct that rigidly applies general rules to particular cases – a type of conduct associated with officials in hierarchical organizations.