As a corporate training and consulting group, it provides a variety of educational and management development services to businesses, government agencies, and individuals.

It came to life at a convention held at the New York University on January 24, 1913, at which a constitution was adopted, officers were elected and provision were made for the appointment of working committees.

Some of the founders of the American Management Association were Meyer Bloomfield,[10] Henry S. Dennison,[11] William J. Graham[12] and the first president Sam A. Lewisohn (1884–1951).

With World War II the American Management Association began to advocate greater equality of treatment at work.

During these war years the American Management Association brought together a large number of business leaders, and was very close to the political power.

After the war the influence of American Management Association remained high, and they successively published recommendations on the quality of financial reporting in 1946, and on cooperation with the trade unions in 1948.

In 1963, the American Management Association established the Operation Enterprise, a program designed for high school and college students.