Peter Drucker and the academy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of Peter Drucker's ideas in the academy. Design/methodology/approach – The author presents a profile of Peter Drucker, discussing his ideas and his relationship with the scholarly community. Findings – Peter Drucker was not particularly fond of the academic world and served in a non-traditional role in the academy. Yet his prolific writing and methodological rigor has impacted generations of scholars and practicing managers. His work constantly looked to the future, identified crucial emerging trends that would affect management, thought and worked in a trans-disciplinary fashion, and focused on practical implications that would make a difference. Research limitations/implications – The paper suggests new approaches to consider, to enhance academic engagement with practice. Originality/value – This paper points out the significant contributions that Peter Drucker made to management thinking and research.