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Witness History: The Peter Principle

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peter new crop.jpg

17/09/2021 GMT

The Peter Principle

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Peter Principle

In 1969 a satirical book, The Peter Principle, suggested that promotion led to incompetence. Written by a Canadian Professor of Education, Dr Laurence J. Peter and playwright Raymond Hull, the book was a parody of management theory but it's core message struck a chord with many. It became an instant classic, selling millions of copies around the world. We present a rare archive recording of Dr Peter, explaining his theory that “In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence".
Photo: Dr Laurence J. Peter on the BBC in 1974 (BBC)

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