Peter Principle
- “what is the peter principle”
- “why are managers bad”
- “peter principle explained”
- “is the peter principle true”
:: COMPARE ::
Peter principlevsParkinson's law
The short answer
Both began as satire of bureaucracy and both survived contact with evidence. Parkinson explains why the organisation grows. Peter explains why it grows worse.
Side by side
| Aspect | Peter principle | Parkinson's law |
|---|---|---|
| Explains | Competence decline | Headcount growth |
| Published | 1969 | 1955 |
| Intended as | Satire | Satire |
| Empirically tested | Yes | Partly |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Peter Principle rather than Parkinson's law are usually searching for phrases like “what is the peter principle”, “why are managers bad”, “peter principle explained”.
Parkinson's Law
- “what is parkinsons law”
- “does work expand to fill time”
- “parkinsons law explained”
- “how to use parkinsons law”
Which came first
Parkinson's law. 19 November 1955 — The satirical essay appears in The Economist, following a Royal Commission report on the civil service.
- 19 November 1955Parkinson's LawThe satirical essay appears in The Economist, following a Royal Commission report on the civil service.
- 1969Peter PrincipleLaurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull publish The Peter Principle. They intended it as satire.
Read either one in full