The Peter Principle: A Theory of Success

There's no reason to believe that a great salesperson who knows how to negotiate deals will be a great manager. Great researchers often make for lousy department chairs, says Steve Tadellis of Berkeley. The Peter Principle had been around for half a century but no one had ever checked with real data from real companies whether Lawrence Peter was right. A few observations about car mechanic or an academic researcher turned department chair do not constitute empirical proof in the realm of management and all that airport bookstore pulp fiction.