Management has always been part of human organization, but it is only in the
last two centuries or so that it has been the central driver of economic
activity, as companies have moved from family firms to hugely complex,
multinational corporations with many layers of management.
The term management is commonly used in three ways: as a process or activity; as
a structure in any organization; and as a group or class of people carrying out
certain roles in an organization. This book is the first detailed account of the
evolution of management in all three senses. The focus is mainly on the UK, but
throughout