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100 years since the first professors of business administration started their work

Published: 8.11.2022

In 1922, Kyösti Järvinen began as the professor of business administration

organisaatiot ja johtaminen -aineen kirjoja / books — Järvinen's professorship is inherited to the current subject of organization and management.

Kyösti Järvinen (1869–1957) was one of the founders and the director of the Helsinki Business College. A secondary school graduate class was established at the college. In 1911, this class formed the Helsinki School of Economics, which started operating on Fabianinkatu, in January 1911. 42 students registered for the first term, and 75 students registered to listen to lectures.

Kauppakorkeakoulun ensimmäinen rehtori ja professori Kyösti Järvinen — Kyösti Järvinen

Järvinen was the first dean of the Helsinki School of Business, until 1918. In 1912–1913, he took leave of absence from his assignment to return to his research work, this time to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. In 1921, he also defended his social sciences doctoral dissertation on the history of Finnish foreign trade there.

Kyösti Järvinen prepared the original curriculum and funding programmes of the School of Economics, defined the objectives of the activities, and recruited the first teachers. He set three main goals for the school. The first was to educate business administration experts for the needs of trade, industry, banking, and insurance. The second goal was to train qualified teachers for lower-level teaching assignments and commercial educational institutions. The third long-term goal was to establish a high-quality educational institution in business and economics. During the first years, Kyösti Järvinen strived to build a solid foundation for the school, which meant close cooperation with business life.

The choice: Professorship or government assignments?

When the School of Economics received its first professorship in 1921, Kyösti Järvinen was appointed Professor of Business Administration. When being appointed professor, he served as the President of the Central Chamber of Commerce (CEO), so he was able to take the position of professor at the beginning of 1922. Järvinen's professorship is inherited to the current subject of organization and management.

Kyösti Järvinen's second term as a professor at the School of Economics was cut off by political assignments. He was a member of Parliament of the National Coalition Party, in 1924–30, and a three-time member of the Government. J.E. Sunila’s Government, in 1931–32, with Järvinen as Treasurer, saw both the overcoming of the crisis during the Great Depression and the collapse of the prohibition. Even after leaving politics, Järvinen represented Finland at several international economic conferences; to the extent that the School of Economics required its founder to choose between the professorship and governmental assignments. He chose the professorship and continued to write textbooks, for example.

Another professor of business administration was appointed at Christmas 1921. He was PhD Ilmari Kaitila. Kaitila's field of study was business accounting and balance. Kaitila also started in his position at the beginning of 1922.