Incompetence as promotion mistakes, or the Peter Principle

Occupational incompetence is everywhere. Every organization contains a number of persons who could not do their job. Have you noticed it? Probably we all have noticed it.

We see indecisive politicians posing as resolute statesmen. Limitless are the public servants who are indolent and insolent, and governors whose innate servility prevents their actually governing. In our sophistication, we virtually shrug aside the immortal cleric, corrupt judge, incoherent attorney, author who cannot write and English teacher who cannot spell. At we are often droning lectures from inaudible or incomprehensible instructors.

Seeing incompetence at all levels of every hierarchy – political, legal, educational and industrial – I hypothesized that the cause was some inherent feature of the rules governing the placement of employees.

For my scientific data hundreds of case histories were collected, and all of them had a common feature. The employee had been promoted from a position of competence to a position of incompetence. Sooner or later, this could happen to every employee in every hierarchy – an organization whose members are arranged in order of rank, grade or class.

Many of them may win a promotion or two, moving from one level of competence to a higher level of competence. But competence in that new position qualifies them for still another promotion. For each individual the final promotion is from a level of competence to a level of incompetence. In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties.

But you will rarely find a system in which every employee has reached his or her level of incompetence. And work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence.

(On the basis of “The Peter Principle” by Lawrence J. Peter & Raymond Hull // Rethinking of Public Administration, pp. 15-16)

F. Discussion

Ex. 1. Express your viewpoint on the following statements:

1. "Merit systems were designed for the most part to keep out the grossly incompetent, not to attract the highly qualified".

2. "By supplying a continuing record of performance, such evaluation can protect employees from capricious actions".

Ex. 2. Speak on the following problems. List your pros and cons:

1. Specific skills, education and experience are required to perform government jobs.

2. Civil servants are rarely dismissed during a probationary period and after it.

G. Writing

Write your own CV according to the example given below:

The aim of your application is to get you an interview; the aim of interview is to get you the job.

The first thing to do is to draw up a personal information chart or curriculum vitae (CV). This should contain clearly separated sections, setting out:

– personal details – full name, address, phone number, date of birth, marital status;

– your work experience, beginning with your present job and working backwards – give the dates for each post held, the organizations you worked for, a brief description of your responsibilities, and a list of your achievements in each. Don’t leave out any period of time;

– your educational background – the schools and colleges you went to (with dates) and the examinations you passed. Mention any professional qualifications that you have, and any professional associations you belong to;

– details of any training;

– finally, add any personal particulars which are relevant (foreign languages, voluntary work, interests and so on).

Curriculum Vitae

Name	Viola Hathaway
Address	Flat 2, Midsummer Court. Primrose Gardens. Charchester. CH8 3UB
Date of Birth	13/12/65
Education	Northam Comprehensive Appleby School of Commerce
Qualifications	CSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) in English, Math, Biology, French, Appleby School of Commerce Diploma in shorthand and typing
Experience	None
Interests	travel, dancing, music
Reference	Mrs Angela Appleby, B.A. Appleby School of Commerce, High Street. Charchester. Ch2 4AY

Write a short summary giving some ideas of how to carry out the evaluation of employee performance.