Last August, Karjalainen began working at the assistant professor level of the tenure track career system at the Department of Information and Service Economy. Before that, she worked three years as a teacher and a researcher in England.
Karjalainen is happy with the choice she made.
‘I always knew that at some point I would like to come back to Finland and Aalto University. Aalto is the best university in the country. When a position was open in my own field at Aalto, I was lucky enough to get to return to the School of Business. It almost feels like coming home.’
Karjalainen knows the School of Business well since she completed her master’s degree here. Karjalainen also worked as an assistant in logistics while writing her doctoral dissertation.
New ideas for teaching
After receiving her doctoral degree from the former Helsinki School of Economics in 2009, Karjalainen wanted to gain new experiences and move abroad. Her first stop was Manchester Business School. ‘One should always learn from the best, and Manchester had a top professor in the field of purchasing,’ Karjalainen says.
After two years in Manchester, Karjalainen moved to Nottingham University Business School. At both universities, Karjalainen held a position that corresponds to the assistant professor level.
‘I learned a lot about teaching while working in England, and will also apply those lessons at Aalto. For example, a course in one subject matter can be taught in many different ways. Interactivity and real-life cases are important; they enable students to learn by doing.’
Karjalainen has noticed that different people learn in different ways.
‘Not everyone learns by reading; some people remember things better by listening. I will use podcasts as a teaching tool. Smaller group sizes will allow me to try different teaching methods.’
Electronic purchasing tools require skilled users
During her time in England, Karjalainen also kept up contacts with the School of Business. Karjalainen and Professor Asta Salmi have for long cooperated as researchers and are both involved in the extensive International Purchasing Survey that comprises twelve participant countries.
‘The survey is a way of collecting information on purchasing strategies, tools, and performance in Europe and the United States. The results have indicated that, for example, the implementation of electronic tools is not in itself an advantage in purchasing. Instead, the buyers’ skills in using the tools and the organisation’s general communication climate are more important in terms of results,’ Karjalainen explains.
The first part of the survey was carried out in 2009, and studies are still published based on it. For example, Karjalainen and three other researchers from the group published a study that received a distinguished award at an international purchasing conference.
In her free time, Karjalainen plays football, and has won, among other titles, third place in the national football championship of Finnish economists. Karjalainen has also represented the football club Helsingin Palloseura for twenty years. She will make an excellent addition to the Aalto University football team.
‘In addition to work and sports, my time is taken up with renovations and gardening at our new home,’ Karjalainen says smiling.
Photo: Anni Hanen