Peter Drucker Challenge Essay Contest 2021

Welcome to the 12th edition of the International Drucker Challenge Essay Contest, on

 

WHAT CRISIS DEMANDS OF THE MANAGER 

It was the rare organization that did not find itself in a crisis this past year. Most workplaces, whether private or public sector, small or large, had to scramble as the pandemic hit in early 2020, and they still have to. The young are often left to their own devices, be it at school, university or on first career steps. New priorities asserted themselves, long-established ways of doing things proved unworkable, and in a complex and fast-shifting environment, reliable information was hard to come by. It is in such situations that a manager’s mettle is tested. 

Your essay should share an insight – based on your experience as manager, entrepreneur or student, or on the observation of an institution you know well – about responding effectively to crisis. 

What manager or (educational) institution did you see having positive impact? How, and in what way? As you describe their decision-making or behavior, you might also engage with other questions: Why is it hard for others to do the same in similar situations? Is it a matter of traits or training? How could managers be better developed in “normal” times to be more capable of dealing with the next trauma? 

And finally, could this also be the moment for the younger generation – digital natives who unlike their elders have grown up with societal disruption – to step up and show the way forward? If so, tell us how the younger generation – your generation – could be better (uniquely?) equipped to move us through this crisis and its aftermath. 

PRIZES 

First Prize Winners of the Drucker Challenge 2021 

(Those who are ranked nr. 1 in the Student or Professional category)

• A cash prize of 1.500 EUR 
• Complimentary virtual respectively in-person pass for the 13th Global Peter Drucker Forum, to be held as fully digital event with provision for additional in-person sessions on November 18 afternoon and November 19, if health and travel regulations allow 
• Invitation to attend the virtual Gala event with Awards ceremony on November 18 
• Opportunity to win the Special Recognition Award for the most original essay  
• Certificate with ranking  
• Invitation to join the exclusive Drucker Challenge Alumni Community on social media networks  
• One-year-all-access subscription to the Harvard Business Review  
• Ranking list and link to your essay on www.druckerchallenge.org, Drucker Forum Newsletter, and social media Your essay may be re-published by your university/company with credits given to Peter Drucker Society Europe  
• Funding of travel expenses: If health regulations allow you may consider to travel to Vienna. Your international travel and accommodation costs for attending the Forum will than be reimbursed based on our travel process & policy. 

Second and Third Prize Winners 

(Those who are ranked nr. 2 or nr. 3 in the Student or Professional category) 

• A cash prize of 800 EUR  
• Complimentary virtual respectively in-person pass for the 13th Global Peter Drucker Forum, to be held as fully digital event with provision for additional in-person sessions on November 18 afternoon and November 19, if health and travel regulations allow  
• Invitation to attend the virtual Gala event with Awards ceremony on November 18  
• Opportunity to win the Special Recognition Award for the most original essay  
• Certificate with ranking  
• Invitation to join the exclusive Drucker Challenge Alumni Community on social media networks  
• One-year-all-access subscription to the Harvard Business Review  
• Ranking list and link to your essay on www.druckerchallenge.org, Drucker Forum Newsletter, and social media  
• Your essay may be re-published by your university/company with credits given to Peter Drucker Society Europe  
• Funding of travel expenses: If health regulations allow you may consider to travel to Vienna. Your international travel and accommodation costs for attending the Forum will than be reimbursed based on our travel process & policy.  

Finalists Ranked Places 4 to 10  

• Complimentary virtual respectively in-person pass for the 13th Global Peter Drucker Forum, to be held as fully digital event with provision for complementary in-person sessions on November 18 afternoon and November 19, if health and travel regulations allow  
• Invitation to attend the virtual Gala event with Awards ceremony on November 18  
• Opportunity to win the Special Recognition Award for the most original essay  
• Certificate with ranking.  Your essay may be re-published by your university/company with credits given to Peter Drucker Society Europe  
• Invitation to join the exclusive Drucker Challenge Alumni Community on social media networks  
• One-year-all-access subscription to the Harvard Business Review  
• Ranking list and link to your essay on on www.druckerchallenge.org Your essay may be re-published by your university/company with credits given to Peter Drucker Society Europe  
• Funding of travel expenses: If health regulations allow you may consider to travel to Vienna. Your international travel and accommodation costs for attending the Forum will than be reimbursed based on our travel process & policy.  

Places 11 to 15 (all equal without ranking)  

• If you qualified for the Second Round of judging without being selected as one of the 10 finalists, you will be provided with a complimentary virtual respectively in-person pass for the 13th Global Peter Drucker Forum. You must make your own arrangements for travel and accommodation in order to attending the Forum in person. However, you will be eligible to win the Special Recognition Award for the most original essay  
• Certificate  

RULES 

Check your eligibility in order to participate in the contest, you must meet both the general requirements and essay category requirements. 

General requirements 

• You must be 18-35 years old (inclusive of both ages)  
• You must have been selected no more than once (or not at all) among the top 10 since 2010  

Essay category requirements  

• You can submit one essay to participate as either a student or a professional (please mention your main occupation in the submission form)  

Student category 

• You are a part-time or full-time student (bachelor, master, MBA, or PhD) or you are seeking your first opportunity after the completion of your last degree 

Professional category 

You are a 

• manager of people, projects, budgets, and/or processes  
• an entrepreneur or business owner  
• licensed professional  
• social volunteer or community leader  

Keep to the essay format for submission  

• Words: 1500 to 3000 (excluding footnotes and any graphics) as PDF or word document  
• Font size: 12 points  
• Language: English  
• Deadline:  June 7, 2021 at 16:00 CET (4:00 PM CET)  
• Anonymity Your name must not be included anywhere in the essay  
• Exclusivity Entries must be produced exclusively by you (no group work) for the specific purpose of this competition, and must not have been published elsewhere  

Topic-related questions: The suggested questions on the landing page are meant to trigger the thinking process, and not to be exhaustive. While you can write to one of these questions, you may also craft a question or topic of your own choosing that fits within the larger theme.  

To submit your Essay, Visit https://www.druckerchallenge.org/submission/ and fill in the form and upload your essay. In case you encounter problems with uploading, please send your file and information to essay@druckerchallenge.org BEFORE June 7, 2021, 16:00 CET (4:00 PM CET) 

Please note: 

NO entry fees to be paid  

Authors from all around the world are invited