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Laws That Aren't Laws

Laws That Aren't Laws: The Peter Principle

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The Peter Principle

BBC Radio 4 - Laws That Aren't Laws, The Peter Principle

Comedian Robin Ince explores laws that govern our lives that really aren't, but should be.

"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence." Robin Ince asks if there's any truth to Lawrence J Peter's satirical analysis of hierarchical structures

In 1969, Canadian educationist Lawrence J. Peter developed an unorthodox concept that became known as The Peter Principle: “In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence". His satirical insights into business struck a chord with many subordinates across a range of organisations. Peter went on to develop his theory further, claiming that "in time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out his duties".

So how is any work achieved? Are companies giant machines for sorting people into precisely the jobs they can't do? And to what extent are brilliant people really promoted until they become awful managers? Robin Ince decodes the humorous jargon that ensured Peter's book remained on best seller list for months after its publication. He hears from Yale Professor of Finance Kelly Shue, who offers the first empirical evidence for the Peter Principle in action, and Prof Robert Sutton of Stanford University on how to evade this law of hierarchy and dodge ever reaching your level of incompetence.  
 
Producer: Adrian Washbourne

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Comedian Robin Ince explores the laws that aren't really laws, but are the hidden truths which nonetheless preside over our lives.

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