Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The first story was based on the Peter Principle, which is failing upward.
Cheech & Chong Tommy Chong 2008
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The first story was based on the Peter Principle, which is failing upward.
Cheech & Chong Tommy Chong 2008
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* The Peter Principle is the theory that, in the work-place, through progressive achievement “one rises to his level of his incompetence”, where he stops, and that position is poorly filled by him thereafter, and he advances no further, which in turn of course degrades the company and him.
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The Peter Principle is the principle that "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence."
WordPress.com News 2009
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The Peter Principle personified; promoted far above his level of competence.
If Republicans take the House in 2010, a possible Obama pivot to center? 2010
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Bettman IS the poster boy for the Peter Principle.
Winnipeg’s NHL dreams dashed again - Need to know - Macleans.ca 2010
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Moraymint is right: Brown is the ultimate proof of the Peter Principle.
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This is a woman who has essentially been in mulitple headlong collisions with the Peter Principle from the moment she slipped the womb.
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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Whereas in the Peter Principle, a person rises to a level of incompetence and can't improve, in the Patty Principle, a woman rises to her level of intolerance and can't go on.
Marcia Reynolds: Diversity Programs Don't Stop Mad Men Sexism 2010
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Michael A in reply to a comment from Peter Principle
Obama Campaign: Hillary Has Virtually No Chance Of Catching Us Now 2009
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