Starting of Business School in Europe

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the industry an increasingly complex affair. The size and complexity of businesses grew as technological innovation, globalization and complicated financial systems were introduced. It meant that smaller companies could not on their own to face the challenges of industrialization entailed. At that time, many large companies that we know today started, mainly in technical areas: General Electric, Philips, Ford and Shell.

The size of these companies created a need for people who were able to successfully lead companies. Specialized management training did not exist and the managers who were often had an economic or legal background. Some universities in the United States saw an opportunity. a Master of Business Administration Program (MBA). The concept had potential managers offer a curriculum that would make them familiar with the tasks and challenges in their new, large companies would wait. A two year MBA program was geontroduceerd following on their doctoral training. This admission requirement was later slightly adjusted to students who already had gained work experience, also admit.

When the Second World War had many managers in large companies in the United States to a Business School studied. Many U.S. companies were seen as very successful, both in the large U.S. market and worldwide. 
Yet there was also criticism of the business schools in general and the executive MbA programs in particular. The criticism came after the war, focused on the rigidity of the programs and the relevance to business. This led to a reorientation of the business schools in the United States. 
More attention was paid to close cooperation with industry, and a thorough scientific basis. This gives the business schools of the prestigious reputation that they still enjoy today.

After the Second World War led similar developments in the United States to the rise of business schools in Europe. In the fifties emerged in France and England business schools. In the Netherlands, this was started in the mid sixties by a group of companies as Philips and Shell. Soon arose significant differences between schools in the United States and Europe. Due to the large variety and the international nature of the industry in Europe, the European business Schools have developed different models of business.