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REVIEWED BYENGR. MAZHAR ALIMANAGER DESIGN NTDCLE-MAIL:([email protected])
THE PETER PRINCIPLEWhy things always go wrongAUTHORS: Dr. Laurence J. Peter & Raymond Hull.
BOOK REVIEW
SEQUENCE OF PRESENTATION
ABOUT THE AUTHORS. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER WISE REVIEW OF “ THE
PETER PRINCIPLE” COMMENTS/CONCLUSION.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr.Laurence J. Peter (September 16, 1919 - January 12, 1990) A Canadian educator and author. He was University professor. He received the degree of Doctor of Education from
Washington State University in 1963. He has written more than 30 articles in
professional journals and books including Prospective Teaching.
He is best known for the formulation of ( The Peter Principle.)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Raymond Hull (Feb 27,1919, June 6,1985)
A co-author of Peter Principle He has written more than 30
TV/Stage plays. He also wrote many non-fiction
books, numerous magazine articles, short stories, and poetry.
Introduction Introduction has been written by Raymond Hull wherein
he quotes different observations of incompetent people. He narrates his meeting with Dr. Laurence J. Peter who
explained incompetence to him which led to writing of this book.
He mentions some characteristics of Peter Principle: The Peter Principle once heard cannot be
forgotten. It can help to understand incompetence in
yourself, and in others. By understanding incompetence in others, you can do
more work and can avoid painful illnesses.(Raymond Hull)
Chapter IThe Peter Principle In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to
Rise His Level of Incompetence. Laurence J. Peter formulated the principal
from analysis of hundred of cases of occupational incompetence. Few examples he quoted:
E. Tinker was a competent mechanic and when promoted as foreman, became incompetent.
A. Goodwin was a competent General. When promoted as a Field martial, he became incompetent.
Chapter IThe Peter Principle (CNTD)
So he observed that all cases had a common feature. The employee had been promoted from a position of competence to a position of incompetence.
Chapter IThe Peter Principle (CNTD)
He discovered that he has inadvertently founded a new science, Hierarchiology, the study of hierarchies.
He saw that, sooner or later, this could happen to every employee in every hierarchy.
Who Turns the Wheels? Work is accomplished by those employees
who have not yet reached their level of incompetence.
Chapter IIThe Principle in Action
In order to explain the Principle in Action, the author quoted a Distribution Theory where he saw that the teachers were distributed unevenly in three classes:
Competent Class. Moderately Competent Class (majority lies in this class) Incompetent Class.
Chapter II The Principle in Action (CNTD)
Examples (Line & Staff Promotions) The author further described the individual cases of the teachers to conclude his theory:
B.Lunt had been a competent student, teacher and departmental head but reached his level of incompetence when promoted as principal.
Miss Totland had been a Competent Student and primary teacher but reached his level of incompetence as primary supervisor.
Chapter IIIAPPARENT EXCEPTIONS
In this chapter the author explained that sometimes someone see that there are some exceptions to his Principle, so he made it clear that:
“Do Not be fooled by Apparent Exceptions”
The apparent exceptions are not exceptions. The Peter Principle applies to all employees in all hierarchies.
Chapter IIIAPPARENT EXCEPTIONS (CNTD)
Some scenarios the author quoted: The percussive Sublimation: Some employees actually get promotion on other
post just to vacate the post for suitable and relevant person. In this case promotion is awarded: To keep the hierarchy intact as the person has got
some deep roots in the hierarchy. To keep the lower staff motivated.
The Lateral Arabesque: Some new irrelevant post is created and incompetent
employee transferred to it.
Chapter IIIAPPARENT EXCEPTIONS (CNTD)
Peter’s Inversion: The person is simply follow organizational rules but
not performing efficient work.Always obeys, never decides.
Hierarchal Exfoliation: The super-competent and super-incompetent
employees are not considered suitable for organization. They win no promotion, but even dismissed from post.They are usually fired because they tend to disrupt the hierarchy.
Chapter IIIAPPARENT EXCEPTIONS (CNTD)
Chapter IIIAPPARENT EXCEPTIONS (CNTD)
The Paternal In-Step: Step into his father’s shoes. Dismissal or removal of an existing
employee or a new position with impressive title is created for his kid.
Chapter IVPULL & PROMOTION
PULL : An employee’s relationship−by blood,
marriage or Patron (known with a person above him in the hierarchy) who can help you to rise.
Winning promotion through Pull usually considered as incompetence in Co-workers due to seniority factor.
Chapter VPUSH & PROMOTION
PUSH: Abnormal Interest in study, vocational
trainings and self-improvement courses to get accelerated promotion.
However the same is unnoticeable in large hierarchies where Seniority Factor is Stronger.
Due to above, sometimes happen that a person thinks that he has achieved his final promotion. However, in fact he has several ranks and years of promotion ahead of him.
Chapter VIFOLLOWERS AND LEADERS
“Good Followers may not become good leaders although they can win many
promotions” Captain N. Chatters competently worked
on all ranks on army base and obeyed orders cheerfully and exactly but when promoted to Major Rank that is an authority post, he failed to take leadership decisions. He was very good as follower but proved incompetent as leader.
Chapter VIIHIERARCHIOLOGY & POLITICS
Political Party: Political party is a group of like minded
people cooperating for their common interests, there are many lobbies and they have special interests.
The selected candidate may win an election but may be proved as incompetent as a legislator.
Chapter VIIIHINTS & FORESHADOWINGS
Poets and intellectuals reflect the present and upcoming status of people. The level of incompetency of society is particularly foreseen and quoted by their sayings:
Omar Khayyam(in his Rubaiyat) says:“The words of so-called intellectuals
cannot make me wise. I am the same as was before hearing their comments.”
Chapter IXTHE PSYCHOLOGY OF HIERARCHIOLOGY
Some persons who were exceptionally competent in their field, become incompetents when they change their field.
Macbeth, a successful military commander, became an incompetent king.
Socrates was an incomparable teacher, but found his level of incompetence as defense attorney.
Chapter XPETER’S SPIRAL
“Incompetence + incompetence = incompetence”
Peter’s Spiral: The non-progressive course followed by organizations suffering from high-level incompetence, usually produce multi-level incompetence.
Chapter XITHE PATHOLOGY OF SUCCESS
Pathology associated with placement at the level of incompetence is called Final Placement Syndrome: T. Throbmore Vice president, in charge of sales at
Clacklow office Machine Co. is frequently prevented from attending company’s weekly executive meeting by a migraine headache that occurs regularly on Monday.
The final placement syndrome victim can not win any further promotion due to his level of incompetency, the only solution to give him distraction therapy for relief. i.e. to distract him in a direction that he forget about his incompetence.
Chapter XIINON-MEDICAL INDICES OF FINAL PLACEMENT
An incompetent employee who has achieved final placement in hierarchy is can be recognized from its unusual behavior or habits. e.g.I. keeping the desk clean to show that he
completed his all work assigned to him. or
II. By keeping his desk busy with lot of files, documents to show an impression that he has lots of work to do.
Chapter XIIIHEALTH & HAPPINESS AT ZERO PQ(Promotion Quotient)
How different employees react when they reached their level of incompetence(called at PQ zero level) The employee who realizes that they reach
their level of incompetence, they try to compete the situation and rapidly falls victim to the Final Placement Syndrome.
The employee who does not realize keep themselves perpetually busy, never loses his expectation of further promotion and so remains healthy and happy.
Chapter XIVCREATIVE INCOMPETENCEPeter’s Parry:The refusal of an offered promotion is called Peter’s Parry. e.g. T.Sawyer a carpenter was very competent but
refused to accept post of foreman as promotion because he knows the responsibilities as a foreman.
Creative Incompetence is better than Peter’s parry. This is the way to avoid ultimate promotion not by refusing promotion but do activities that the promotion never offered to them.
Chapter XVTHE DARWINIAN EXTENSION
Two Ominous Signs: Hierarchal Regression
The examination system these days just passes everybody that results in educational incompetency.
Computerized IncompetenceHumans are being very much dependent on unintelligent computers rather than using their own brains.
Chapter XVTHE DARWINIAN EXTENSION
Peter’s Remedies: If you wish to survive and to have better condition then:. Peter’s Prophylactics The promotion should be refused to avoid to
reach to the level of incompetency. Avoid the useless and potentially dangerous promotion.
Peter’s Palliatives The employees already incompetent should be
kept on the same posts by giving them some other incentives.
Chapter XVTHE DARWINIAN EXTENSION(CNTD)
Peter’s Placebos( an ounce of image is worth a pound of performance)
Mrs. Vender at her level of incompetence did not spend her time in teaching Mathematics but in extolling the value of mathematics.(She has an image hence covers her performance)
Peter’s Prescription Peter’s Prescriptions offers life-quality improvement in
place of mindless promotion that leads to disregard. Cures for world ills(Develop rapid transit system
instead of going on moon i.e. very less cost as to go on moon), avoid life-incompetence.
COMMENTS/ CONCLUSION In my opinion, it is a generalized principle
and not a law or management theory. But I believe that it holds important lesson for us and everyone should at least read and think about the Peter Principle. In the last chapter, Peter has prescribed to choose life-quality-improvement in place of mindless promotion.
His research work is providing and will provide the awareness to people to recognize the incompetency in themselves and others.
COMMENTS/ CONCLUSION The latest developments of Promotion
policies, Management Science, Information Technology and latest training techniques has almost overcome the Peter Principle in the developed countries.
THANK YOU
