Expert board:

• Scientific Council of RAS on economic history;
• Research and Educational Center «The economic history of Central Russia and the Middle Volga region» of Ogarev Mordovia State University;
• Center of Economic History of  Lomonosov Moscow State University

Certificate of registration

УДК 338.242.2

Alexander А. Bessolitsyn

Institute of Russian History RAS, (Moscow, Russia),

e-mail: A_Bessolitsyn@mail.ru

 

Managers – Electric Technicians and Their Participation in the Work of All-Russian Electric and Technical Congresses at the Beginning of the 20th Century

 

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of human capital quality in Russian industry became aggravated at the edge of 19th-20th centuries during the spreading economic modernization. The highest demand was with respect to management in innovative branches of industry, especially in electric and technical industry, which formed as joint stock companies. The purpose of the article is to show based on specific examples the participation of managers of these companies in the work of All-Russian electric and technical congresses, which were active at the beginning of the XX century.

Materials and Methods. The work is performed based on wide range of sources, mostly archive, as well as published Works of All-Russian electric and technical congresses and scientific literature on the topic of the research. The basic method of research is historic and genetic with the combination of chronologic and comparative-historic method.

Results. During the research the author revealed a number of top-managers of joint-stock companies of different level (founders, chairmen and members of management committees, representative directors), who took active role in the work of electric and technical congresses where the important problems of implementation of electricity and development of electric technology in the country were discussed.

Discussion and Conclusion. It was stated that the managers of joint-stock electric and technical companies, despite different age, social origin and religion, in most cases were the graduates of St. Petersburg electric and technical institute and have obtained the degree of engineer-technic upon the completion of their study. Working in the industry, they contributed to the activity of the leading professional and social organization – All-Russian electric and technical congresses. The conclusion is made that the management of electric and technical companies in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century was professional, which is proved by the topics of reports, provided on the congresses and devoted to various problems of implementation of electricity and development of electric technology in Russia.

Keywords: human capital, engineers-electricians, electric and technical congresses, joint-stock companies, founders, management board members, representative directors.

For citation: Bessolitsyn A. A. Managers – Electric Technicians and Their Participation in the Work of All-Russian Electric and Technical Congresses at the Beginning of the 20th Century. Economicheskaya istoriya = Russian Journal of Economic History. 2024; 20(3): 232–246. (In Russ.).

 

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