This article defines the case for treating management history as a discrete subject area, although one closely related to business, accounting, labour, and industrial history. It seeks to concentrate on the nature, process, and practice of management as an activity within the organization, and to argue that it is important that modern British managers understand the intellectual and cultural roots of their profession, since without these they will tend to be swayed by short-term management 'fads'. Within the broad topic there are several identifiable sub-areas for potential exploration, including the comparative historical development of management between different countries, management institutions, managerial careers and labour markets, management structures, management skills, and management thought and theory.