This paper examines the role of doctoral programs in the legitimacy and status struggles of Finnish business schools from 1937 to 2024. During this period, Finnish higher education (HE) underwent reforms that reduced institutional autonomy, introducing governance models emphasizing accountability, measurable objectives, and intra-sector competition. In response to these reforms and pressures for international competitiveness, business school doctoral education shifted from lengthy, individualized academic socialization to 4-year intensive programs modeled on the American graduate school system. These programs now focus on training research professionals, with the ideal outcome being a doctoral thesis comprising articles published in top international journals. We argue that doctoral programs are central to the ongoing transformation of HE and the evolving social contract of business schools. Tracing the history of these programs, from vocational roots to elite training, offers insights into the role of business education as and for public good.
