Peter Drucker on the Profession of Management (Harvard Business Review Book Series) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Peter Ferdinand Drucker (Author), Nan Stone (Editor) "NOT in a very long time-not, perhaps, since the late 1940s or early 1950s-have there been as many new major management techniques as there are..." (more)
Key Phrases: pension fund socialism, traditional cost accounting, cost stream, United States, World War, General Motors (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
No one has influenced the practice and study of management more than Peter Drucker. Ever since the publication of his first management book in 1946, Concept of the Corporation, which was based on his study of General Motors, Drucker has devoted his career to shaping and developing the art of professional management. In fact, Concept of the Corporation is considered to be the first book on management, period.

On the Profession of Management is a compilation of Drucker's work that has appeared in the Harvard Business Review over the last 30 years. Review editor Nan Stone has organized 13 articles into two sections. The first, "The Manager's Responsibilities," focuses on the work of management, making decisions, and practicing innovation. The second section, "The Executive's World," looks at how managers should manage in a knowledge-based economy--indeed Drucker was one of the first to consider the implications of knowledge economies.

If you think Drucker has lost anything over the years, the book's insightful and provocative preface, "The Future That Has Already Happened," will surely change your mind. On the Profession of Management is an insightful and informative read, a tribute to one of the finest minds of the 20th century.

From Booklist
Drucker, the indefatigable management guru who is now nearing 90 and who has 29 books to his credit, can be permitted an encore or two. In 1996, The Executive in Action brought together Managing for Results (1964), Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985), and The Effective Executive (1966)--two of which were written before some of today's executives were even born. This year will also see Jack Beatty's The World According to Peter Drucker, a biography and grand summation of Drucker's writings. The Harvard Business Review has been one of Drucker's primary venues; since 1950, 32 articles written by him have appeared there. Now Harvard Business Review editor Nan Stone has selected 13 of the most significant of those articles. Together, here, they demonstrate how the fundamental work of management has remained constant but also how the "knowledge economy" has added new challenges. David Rouse

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 201 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Press; 1 edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875848362
• ISBN-13: 978-0875848365
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #859,971 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classics Combined, January 6, 2000

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a collection of articles written, over a period of many years, for the Harvard Business Review and now published by the Harvard Business School Press. They were selected and organized by Nan Stone. Each is a classic.

Other business books three times greater in length offer about a third of what this anthology does in terms of substance. In Part I, Drucker examines "The Manager's Responsibilities" and in Part II, "The Executive's World." When nearing his 90th birthday, Drucker observes that he is "not comfortable with the word manager any more, because it implies subordinates." This is a revealing comment in light of what the word profession literally means: "to make a public declaration or vow." For Drucker, professionals are those who have crystal clear, non-negotiable values and make a total commitment to them. Drucker may have doubts about the word "manager" but certainly has no doubts about the absolute importance of having impeccable integrity.

He reaffirms his conviction that the "fundamental task of management remains the same: to make people capable of joint performance by giving them common goals, common values, the right structure, and the ongoing training and development they need to perform and to respond to change."

Are there any predictions in Peter Drucker on the Profession of Management? No. Rather, Drucker examines the implications of a future "that has already happened." Only time will tell who prove equal to the challenges he has so eloquently identified. Authentic professionals are those who combine talent and skill with character. The challenges which await them will surely test their talent and skill but must never be allowed to compromise their character.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master of Management on the profession of management, February 6, 2001

By	Gerard Kroese (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Peter F. Drucker is known as the "management guru's management guru". The articles in this book explain the reason. Each article is a landmark in the field of management.

In the preface Drucker shows why he has become so famous. He shows his strength of recognising trends and how these trends will affect business, people, and society. This preface is followed by a short introduction from the editor.

The book consists of two Parts, The Manager's Responsibilities and The Executive's World, with each consisting of 6 Harvard Business Review-articles (out of 32 articles and growing). The book also includes an interesting preface, an introduction by Harvard Business Review-editor Nan Stone, and an interview with Peter Drucker.

In Part I - The Manager's Responsibilities, the articles discuss the managerial responsibilities of the manager, although Drucker prefers the term "executive". The articles discuss general management such as the decision-making process, effective management, strategic management, and innovation.

Part II - The Executive's World, Drucker discusses the history of management, the transformation from the traditional command-and-control model to knowledge-based organizations, information technology, and non-profit management.

The book concludes with an interview with Peter Drucker, which is based on his 1995-book 'Post-Capitalist Society'.

The book deserves the five-star rating since each article is fantastic. Perhaps some of them overlap, but it is amazing that some of the articles written in the 1960s are still very valid today. Drucker's writing style is simple US-English.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Teaches you how to become a well-rounded manager., October 9, 1999

By	Ahsen Abro (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book comprises a series of articles by the author in the Harvard Business Review. The articles will tell you useful insights from the essentials of management to using information as a tool to manage more effectively.

This is not a how-to book or a hi-tech book. Rather it's an invaluable classic with time-tested observations. The book does lack, however, the way internet is going to change the profession of management, which is disappointing, considering it was edited recently.

Peter is a witty and profound writer, though. If you haven't read any of his books, this is a good place to start.