Price Waterhouse consists of a federal structure of devolved groups of partners.

ECONOMIST: Accounting

He argued these high-profile desertions would shake the hierarchical structure of the groups and weaken the scene from within.

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Otherwise, the social structure of badger groups broke down when some were killed, and the animals ranged further afield - infecting more cattle and leading to increased TB incidence.

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In principle, the tri-partite structure of three working groups encompassing basic science, adaptation and economics should produce a relatively coherent whole - more so, and with a more impressive imprimatur, than if each were assessed on its own, perhaps against the backdrop of turf wars.

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Much like the family structure, workplaces assemble groups of people with established hierarchies and identified skills.

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As well as proving the financial viability of its plans, Hafren Power also has to convince environmental groups of the merits of building such a large structure in the Severn Estuary.

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These side chains are groups of atoms that are not critical to a tube's structure, but can change the way it interacts with the outside world.

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Some of the organised crime groups starting to use the net had the same rigid, hierarchical structure seen in offline gangs.

BBC: NEWS | Technology | Online criminals challenge police