Rate My Professor Sami Itani

Sami Itani serves as Professor of Practice in the Department of Management Studies at Aalto University School of Business, having joined on 1 November 2021. His academic journey at Aalto began earlier; he graduated with a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration in 2012 and earned his doctoral degree in 2016. The dissertation, "A Critical Theory approach to human resource management: Mapping out the ideological evolution of HRM in the era of multinational corporations," applies a Critical Theory lens to trace HRM's development from the 1950s. Using Giddens's forms of ideology and Critical Discourse Analysis, it identifies five periods of ideological intensity in HRM practices and research, from comprehensive suppression to brief emancipatory resistance, underscoring paradigm shifts and the need for critical awareness in employment relations. The thesis contributes to metatheoretical development in HRM by illuminating ideological dimensions in scholarly work.

Itani's professional career bridges business, sports, and academia. From 2016 to 2021, he advanced at The Adecco Group, the world's leading staffing provider, holding roles including HR Director and culminating as CEO and Country Manager of Adecco Finland. Since 2019, he has been President of the Finnish Athletics Federation. A former professional decathlete with Jyväskylän Kenttäurheilijat, he set a national decathlon record of 7731 points in 2011, secured multiple Finnish championships including gold medals, and competed at events like the European Championships. His publications include the book "The Ideological Evolution of Human Resource Management" (Emerald, 2017), derived from his dissertation, and "Huipulle uusin eväin: Urheilu ja johtaminen 2020-luvulla" (Otava, 2020, co-authored with Janne Tienari) on leadership in sports and business. He also co-authored "The meaning of language skills for career mobility in the new career landscape" (2014). Current research interests encompass mergers and acquisitions, philosophy of management, critical research methods, and human resource management. He focuses on socio-cultural sustainability, particularly diversity and inclusion, and holds roles as Programme Director for International Management and CEMS MIM, and Urhea coordinator supporting elite athletes at Aalto.