Laurence Peter

Laurence J. Peter (1919–1990) was a Canadian educator and writer best known for formulating the “Peter Principle,” the idea that people in hierarchical organizations tend to be promoted until they reach a level of incompetence. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he worked in education and later became widely known through his writing and lectures on management and bureaucracy. Peter popularized his theory in *The Peter Principle* (1969), co-authored with Raymond Hull, which became an international bestseller. He also wrote other books on education and organizational life. His work remains a frequently cited critique of promotion practices and institutional inefficiency.