[wool_gather]

Great point; this kind of codification is absolutely in service of HR-type requirements. It reminds me of the book Seeing Like a State; the entire premise is the way that various administrative forces elide or even erase complex on-the-ground details and nuance in order to make the subject more manageable in some way.

Not to say this is categorically bad or wrong, but it's useful to recognize its purpose. In my current role I have a position as a technical lead, with someone who formally outranks me on my team. In practice all it means is that I'm the one that management comes to for scheduling. :) We work together as equals on any given task. I don't think either of us would ever try to pull rank.