Administration and Managers: A Review of Concepts in the Light of History

Abstract

This paper provides a historical and documentary review of concepts and terms widely used in the academic literature, in the media and in daily practices related to business administration. Without being exhaustive, we explore the historical context in order to analyze what became understood academically and commonly as administration, examining the meanings it acquires when framed as management and direction, as well as the definitions of the concepts of leader, manager, entrepreneur, and businessman. The analysis provides a framework for rethinking economic and business history in a way that sheds light on the way the role of the administrator has been conceptualized and the tasks attributed to him. Finally, the paper contributes to the conceptualization of management understood
both as practice and as a theoretical discipline, which may be useful for teaching.