American Management Association

American Management Association
Name	American Management Association
Abbreviation	AMA
Formation	1923
Type	Nonprofit educational organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region	United States; international operations
Leader title	President and CEO

American Management Association

The American Management Association is a nonprofit professional association established in 1923 that provides training, development, and management education to business professionals. Founded during the interwar period, the organization has engaged with corporate executives, labor leaders, academic institutions, and government agencies to shape practices in leadership, operations, and organizational behavior. Over its history the association has intersected with figures and institutions across New York City, Washington, D.C., Harvard University, Columbia University, Stanford University, and multinational corporations such as General Electric, IBM, AT&T, and Ford Motor Company.

History

The association traces roots to the early 20th-century efficiency movement and the legacy of management thinkers who worked with industrial firms like Bethlehem Steel, U.S. Steel, Westinghouse Electric Company, and DuPont. In the 1920s and 1930s its programs reflected debates involving leaders associated with Frederick Winslow Taylor, Henry Ford, Alfred P. Sloan Jr., and consultants who advised Rockefeller Foundation projects and municipal reformers in Chicago. During World War II the organization worked alongside agencies in Washington, D.C. and industrial partners such as Bethlehem Steel and United States Navy contractors to support workforce training. Postwar expansion saw collaborations with business schools at Harvard Business School, Wharton School, and Kellogg School of Management and connections to management scholars influenced by Peter Drucker, Chester Barnard, and Herbert A. Simon. In the late 20th century the association internationalized with programs in London, Tokyo, Toronto, and Singapore, engaging multinational firms including Siemens, Toyota, and Sony.

Mission and Activities

The association’s stated mission emphasizes developing managerial competence and organizational performance through executive education, leadership development, and workplace skills training. Its activities have included public seminars, corporate workshops, certification programs, and partnerships with trade groups such as National Association of Manufacturers and professional societies like Project Management Institute and Society for Human Resource Management. It also engages with policymakers and standards bodies in Washington, D.C. and international forums such as meetings connected to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and International Labour Organization-related initiatives.

Programs and Services

Programs have historically ranged from short courses and certificate tracks to customized corporate training for clients including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, and Deloitte. Offerings include leadership development programs influenced by frameworks from John Kotter, Jim Collins, Stephen Covey, and Daniel Goleman, technical skills workshops drawing on practices from Lean manufacturing proponents at Toyota, and change-management interventions aligned with consultancies such as Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company. Services include online learning platforms, in-person conferences held in venues like Javits Center and hotel conference centers in New York City and San Francisco, custom consulting engagements, and assessment tools used by corporate human resources teams and executive search firms like Korn Ferry.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The association is governed by a board of directors composed of corporate executives, former government officials, and academic leaders from institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Chief executives have included former corporate officers and industry executives with ties to firms such as General Electric and AT&T. Senior leadership teams often draw from alumni of programs at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and London Business School and recruit talent with experience at multinational consultancies including McKinsey & Company and Accenture. Regional operations have been led by directors based in hubs like Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Toronto.

Publications and Research

The association has published management guides, white papers, and periodicals used by practitioners and academics, often citing scholarship from researchers at Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management, and policy analyses referencing work from Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation. Its materials have reflected trends documented in studies by scholars connected to Academy of Management conferences and articles appearing in journals such as Harvard Business Review and Sloan Management Review. Research topics have included leadership, organizational change, workplace diversity initiatives aligned with advocacy groups like Catalyst (nonprofit), and productivity analyses referencing data from agencies in Washington, D.C..

Criticism and Controversies

The organization has faced criticism typical of professional training providers: debates over the efficacy of short-form executive education compared with degree programs at Harvard Business School and Wharton School, scrutiny of ties to corporate sponsors including General Electric and IBM, and discussion of pricing and access relative to nonprofit and public-sector training offered by institutions such as Community Colleges and governmental workforce programs. Critics have also questioned the evidence base of some proprietary curricula compared with peer-reviewed research from outlets like Academy of Management Journal and the transparency of corporate partnerships similar to controversies seen around consultancies such as McKinsey & Company and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Category:Professional associations based in the United States