In Australia we are very intolerant of people who "put on airs". Tall poppies get cut down to size very quickly here so it would make sense to me that our units were more "democratic" for cultural reasons. Probably partly to colonial heritage but also because Australia was a very unforgiving place back in those days. Being a pompous idiot and not listening to reason and experience in an environment where you can walk for days without finding water... well you can see how that would end.