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How it all began
Until 1974, the education in business administration at the University of Stuttgart in the context of Studium Generale (General Studies) was carried out by two professors (Prof. Bierfelder: Organization, Prof. Rembeck: Marketing). In 1974, the University of Stuttgart decided to set up a degree program in business administration and a business administration institute. It started with three chairs (Prof. Rembeck, Prof. Bierfelder and Professor Endress: Industrial Sociology). The first newly appointed colleague after the foundation of the institute was Prof. Ackermann (appointed 1975) with the department Human Resources. Spatially, the newly founded BWI was located in the city center of Stuttgart (Herdweg).
The second newly appointed colleague Prof. Zahn (specializing in planning) joined in the winter semester 1976/77. This was followed by the further expansion of the BWI with the establishment of new subject areas and chairs. In 1981, the Chair of Controlling was created and filled with Prof. Horváth. At the beginning of the 1980s, the BWI moved into its still-used location in Stuttgart city center, the K II Building, at Keplerstr. 17. Since 1988 the Department of Organization is occupied by Prof. Reiß (successor to Prof. Bierfelder). The further expansion of the BWI was carried out by establishing a Chair of Information Systems (Professor Heilmann, appointed 1986), a Chair of Finance (Prof. Trautmann 1988-1990, Prof. Jokisch 1991-1996), a chair of Research and Development (Prof. Bürgel, appointed 1992), a Chair of Investment Goods Marketing and Procurement Management (Prof. Arnold, appointed 1992), a Chair of Corporate Finance (Prof. Schäfer, appointed 2001) and of two chairs of Information Systems (Prof. Kemper, 2001 and Prof. Herzwurm, 2003). As of 2005, the following colleagues were appointed due to retirements (emeriti), chair reclassifications, and newly created positions: Prof. Pedell for the subject of Management Accounting and Controlling (2005), Prof. Burr for the Department of Innovation & Service Management (2007), Prof. Large for the Department of Procurement Management, in particular Logistics (2008 appointed), Prof. Oesterle for the Department of International and Strategic Management (2011), Prof. Bornemann for the Department of Marketing (2013-2017), Prof. Renzl for the Department of Organization (2015) and Prof. Größler for the Department of Operations Management (2016). Over the years, the BWI has grown to ten chairs of business administration. The essential core subjects of a business education are represented at the BWI today: Innovation and service management, organization, financial management, service management, in particular logistics, controlling, marketing, information systems, international and strategic management as well as operations management.
Where we are today
The BWI sees itself as an institution of basic research, which investigates and explains fundamental questions of business activity with scientific methods and theories. At the same time, the BWI conducts applied research, which is carried out in close cooperation with selected practitioning partners (companies, associations) and other research institutions.
In teaching, the business education of the BWI at the University of Stuttgart is characterized by the fact that the business subject contents are closely interlinked with basic teaching contents of the engineering sciences of the University of Stuttgart. As a result, the study course in Business Administration offers its graduates a qualification for professional fields of work, especially in fields of work in which the cooperation of business managers and engineers is important.
What lies ahead
The BWI sets as goals for the future a further expansion of the business management institute at the University of Stuttgart and the further internationalization of the research and teaching activities. For more in-depth cooperation with business management facilities at other universities and engineering or scientific research facilities in the Stuttgart area, the BWI is open, provided that benefits can be achieved for all concerned.
Andreas Größler
Prof. Dr.Chairholder