In 1966, the legendary management consultant and business scholar Peter F. Drucker coined the term “knowledge worker” to describe employees who apply theoretical knowledge and analytical expertise to solve complex problems and provide high-quality services.

Knowledge workers, according to Drucker, include educated professionals such as accountants, attorneys, doctors, engineers, and pharmacists who acquired the necessary foundational knowledge and analytical skills to perform their jobs through higher education and advanced training. He predicted that an organization’s most valuable assets would be its knowledge workers and their ability to apply their educational and analytical expertise to provide high-quality products and services.