pecking order; peck order
Refers to the social hierarchy within a group, originally from the behavior of chickens. Used figuratively for human organizations.
In the company, the pecking order is clear.
Newcomers start at the bottom of the pecking order.
Standard kana-mixed spelling; the kanji 順位 is clear and common.
Kanji spelling using 突き; less common but still seen. The reading つつき is not the most common reading of 突き, so the kana-mixed form is preferred.
From つつき (pecking) + の (possessive particle) + 順位 (order, rank). The term is a direct translation of the English 'pecking order', which originated from observations of chicken social behavior.