In a typical national voluntary organization you can clearly see these levels of structure. First there are people grouped together locally. These local chapters may be very diverse in size and structure. Local groups form into regional associations. National coalitions form out of regional associations.
International alliances grow from national coalitions.
Here, action at each level is important. Grassroot decisions can lead to national and international policies. Networks are clustered and multi-leveled. In this respect, they are like social hierarchies. Level structure is critical to understanding the potential of networks of the future, as flexible forms of complex organizations.