Percussive Sublimaton and Lateral Arabesque

These are terms, usually recognized as first appearing in The Peter Principle and are generally defined as follows:

1. Percussive Sublimation: promotion to a position only apparently further up the hierarchy.
2. Lateral Arabesque: A new position with a longer title but no hike in rank or pay.

What is meant by Percussive in "Percussive Sublimation" and Arabesque in "Lateral Arabesque" ? I am not totally sure and I do think that Larry Peter was either when he wrote the book, but here is what I think about each. You tell me if they do not apply .

Percussive Sublimation happens all the time. A person (very commonly a relative in a family owned business) is apparently promoted but they really do not change jobs but become higher up. Although this can be good if you are grooming someone for more responsibility, in family businesses, if you are not careful it will be taken by others as just a way to give the person a bigger title and more money . Generally, the term comes from a sudden and not needed promotion and it fools no one. I think that sometimes top managers think they are fooling all the people in the company but no one is fooled or they just believe they need to move the person up to keep them. Percussive Sublimation, besides being sudden, usually carries the message that it is being done on "the sly" or "for no apparent reason". Like most things, it could be good in a case where the change occurs so a person can be evaluated at a higher level where it is in preparation for another person on the way up. Usually it isn't good though. It is just a way to not deal with reality.

Lateral Arabesque is usually when a company does not want to do the right thing. A position is created and the person moved off to the side so as not to have to fire or retrain them. In most businesses it is a person who has been there a long time and has outlived their usefulness in the job because they have not kept up with technology or have outgrown their knowledge needed for the job. Or, in family owned businesses, they will not or cannot do their job or work with others, so they are moved off to a place where their either do not interact or cannot interact. This too is usually a "chicken" approach by managers with no guts to do the right thing. Even worse, in a family business, it moves the problem and does not eliminate it. However, this too can be good. If there is a person who has a wealth of knowledge and experience and needs to be moved away to allow for a younger or more savvy person, promote him to a top job of a consultative nature until they retire or leave. I have seen it work well in both small and family owned businesses provided the business can afford it. Do not do it if you cannot financially afford it.

Read the book. The Peter Principle by Laurence Peter. It is short and very satirical but very informative and contains information that is timeless.

What do you think?