The Dilbert Principle
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The Dilbert Principle refers to a 1990s satirical observation by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams stating that companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management (generally middle management), in order to limit the amount of damage they're capable of doing. In the Dilbert strip of February 5, 1995 Dogbert says that “leadership is nature's way of removing morons from the productive flow.”
Adams explained the principle in a 1995 Wall Street Journal article. Adams then expanded his study of the Dilbert Principle in a satirical 1996 book of the same name, which is required or recommended reading at some management and business programs.[1][2][3][4][5] In the book, Adams writes that, in terms of effectiveness, use of the Dilbert Principle is akin to a band of gorillas choosing an alpha-squirrel to lead them. The book has sold more than a million copies and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 43 weeks.
Although academics may reject the principle's veracity, noting that it is at odds with traditional human resources management techniques, it originated as a form of satire that addressed a much-discussed issue in the business world.
The Dilbert Principle is a variation of the Peter Principle. The Peter Principle addresses the practice of hierarchical organizations (such as corporations and government agencies) to use promotions as a way to obtain greater advantage from employees who demonstrate competence in their current position. It goes on to state that, due to this practice, a competent employee will eventually be promoted to, and remain at, a position at which he or she is incompetent. The Dilbert Principle, on the other hand, claims that incompetent employees are intentionally promoted to prevent them from doing harm (such as reducing product quality, offending customers, offending employees, etc.) The Dilbert Principle draws upon the idea that in certain situations, the upper echelons of an organization can have little relevance to the actual production and the majority of real, productive work in a company is done by people lower in the power ladder. It is possible for both Principles to be simultaneously active in a single organization.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Management
- Peter Principle
- Peter Parkinson's Principles for promotion in large organisations [1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://mot.berkeley.edu/Berkeley_Students/Students/Courses/Course_Descriptions/proj_mgmt_syll.pdf
- ^ Readings for CSCI 3308 - Software Engineering Methods and Tools
- ^ http://www.ume.maine.edu/~pubadmin/kn/words/400syl1.htm[dead link]
- ^ Syllabus - SW Project Mgt - CSE5315 - 1998
- ^ EM 501 Management of Organizations
[edit] References
- The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams, HarperBusiness 1996 ISBN 0-88730-858-9
- 2002 interview with Scott Adams, Funny Business, BizEd, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, November/December
- Adams, Scott. "Manager's journal: The Dilbert principle. " Wall Street Journal [New York, N.Y.] 22 May 1995, Eastern edition: A12. Wall Street Journal.
