The Drucker Lectures: Essential Lessons on Management, Society and Economy

PART VI1990s

In 1990, Peter Drucker published the book Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices. Although best known for advising top executives from Sears, General Electric, Citicorp, and other major corporations, Drucker also counseled numerous social-sector organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Salvation Army, and CARE. His advice was wide ranging but, more than anything, he forced these organizations (and many, many others) to tackle five fundamental questions that every enterprise—profit or nonprofit—should be required to answer: What is our mission? Who is our customer? What does the customer value? What are our results? What is our plan? Drucker had worked closely with nonprofits beginning in the 1940s. But his interest ...