Depending on the size of the company, some things just seem unavoidable, such as politicking. Maybe a dozen people can all get along fairly, but it is near impossible to not have some strife between coworkers at all different levels of the field as more people are added. At the end of the day it's up to you guys to decide on the model, but some of the goals are utopian at best. Different positions require different skills and/or knowledge with added difficulty, thus making certain people start thinking they deserve more.