Again, Paul continues to advance through the company despite his failures. In fact, it becomes clear in this scene that he has, on a certain level, been actively trying to “disqualify[]” himself from the Pittsburgh promotion. This makes sense, considering that he’s unhappy in his current job. If he fully withdrew his name from consideration, though, he would upset Anita, who is obsessed with upward mobility. As a result, he has tried to make himself look bad. He has, however, failed to do so, since Kroner still wants to promote him—suggesting that it’s not as easy as one might think to escape corporate life.