Richard L. Daft, Ph.D., is the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.,
Professor in the Owen Graduate School of Management
at Vanderbilt University. Professor Daft specializes in
the study of organization theory and leadership; he is a
fellow of the Academy of Management and has served
on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management
Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Journal of
Management Education. He was the associate editor-inchief
of Organization Science and served for three years
as associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly.
Professor Daft has authored or co-authored 14
books, including The Leadership Experience (Cengage/
South-Western, 2018), Organization Theory and Design
(Cengage, 2021), The Executive and the Elephant: A
Leader’s Guide for Building Inner Excellence ( Jossey-Bass,
2010), and Understanding Management (with Dorothy
Marcic; Cengage, 2020). He has also written dozens of scholarly articles, papers, and chapters
in other books. His work has been published in Organizational Dynamics, Administrative
Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review,
Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Accounting Organizations and Society,
Management Science, MIS Quarterly, California Management Review, and Organizational
Behavior Teaching Review. In addition, Professor Daft is an active teacher and consultant.
He has taught management, leadership, organizational change, organizational theory, and
organizational behavior.
Professor Daft has served as associate dean, produced for-profit theatrical productions,
and helped manage a start-up enterprise. He has been involved in management development
and consulting for many companies and government organizations, including the National
Academy of Science, Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Cardinal
Healthcare, American Banking Association, AutoZone, Aegis Technology, Bridgestone, Bell
Canada, Allstate Insurance, Vulcan Materials, the National Transportation Research Board,
the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), State Farm Insurance, Tenneco, the U.S. Air Force,
the U.S. Army, Eli Lilly, Central Parking System, Entergy Sales and Service, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, First American National Bank, and the Vanderbilt University Medical
Center.