Asst. Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD

Lecturer +43 512 2070 - 3735 desiree.wieser@mci.edu
Asst. Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD


Professional work experience
  • 03/2024 - 04/2024
    Visiting Scholar - Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan
    Research on sustainability practices across generations in Japanese family firms.
  • 07/2023 - present
    Assistant Professor - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® Department for Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
    Teaching & Research: Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Business Models, Responsible Management, Family Business Management, Education
  • 01/2023 - present
    Lecturer - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® Department for Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
    Teaching & Research
  • 01/2022 - 02/2023
    Teaching & Research Assistant - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Family Business Center
  • 01/2022 - 12/2022
    Research & Teaching Assistant - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Center for Responsible Management & Social Impact
  • 03/2017 - 07/2021
    Research & Teaching Assistant - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • 06/2015 - 02/2017
    Doctoral Student - MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Education
  • 05/2016 - 05/2016
    7,5 ECTS - Stockholm Business School (SBS), University of Stockholm
    PhD Course - Work and Career in Business Schools
  • 10/2015 - 05/2022
    PhD - University of Innsbruck
    PhD Program Management
  • 10/2013 - 07/2014
    Erasmus - Universitá degli Studi di Siena, Italy
    Erasmus
  • 10/2010 - 07/2015
    Graduate Degree “Magistra” (Mag.rer.soc.oec) - University of Innsbruck - University of Innsbruck
    Diploma Program in International Economics and Business Studies
Teaching (faculty internships etc.)
  • 10/2024 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Entrepreneurship & Current Global Issues
  • 06/2024 - 06/2024
    Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
    Entrepreneurship - Ulysseus EntreCamp 2024
  • 03/2024 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Qualitative Research Methods Bachelor Management & Law
  • 10/2023 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Family Business Management
  • 09/2023 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Responsible Management Bachelor Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
  • 06/2023 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Entrepreneurship Summer School
  • 05/2023 - present
    Ban Ki-Moon Centre & MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development Ban Ki-Moon Summer School
  • 03/2023 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Research Ethics Master Program European Health Economics & Management
  • 03/2023 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Social Entrepreneurship Master Program Social Work
  • 10/2022 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Entrepreneurship in Family Firms Winter & Summer School
  • 04/2022 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Introduction into Startup Management Summer School
  • 10/2020 - 12/2020
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Human Resource Management Bachelor Program Management, Communication & IT
  • 05/2020 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Social Entrepreneurship & Social Business Bachelor Program Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
  • 02/2019 - 07/2019
    MCI - Management Center Innsbruck
    Self-management, communication, & leadership Bachelor Program Non profit, social & health care management
  • 01/2019 - 01/2023
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Hidden Entrepreneurial Champions Career Seminar (extracurricular)
  • 01/2018 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Entrepreneurship & Business Models Career Seminar (extracurricular)
  • 10/2017 - 03/2019
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Quantitative Methods of Empirical Research & Project Assignment Bachelor Business & Management
  • 06/2017 - 07/2017
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® - JFPC China
    Assurance of Learning: Curriculum Assessment, Improvement & Evaluation Academics Training - JFPC China
  • 03/2017 - present
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Project Management Bachelor Management & Law
  • 02/2016 - 07/2018
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Scientific Work & Integrative Projects I Bachelor Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
Practice related research and developmental project
  • 01/2021 - 06/2023
    Teacher/Trainer/Researcher - EU Erasmus+ Projekt
    Ulysses - Digital Student Competition on Family Business
  • 01/2021 - 12/2023
    Teacher/Trainer/Researcher - EU Erasmus+ Project
    EICAA - Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Competences Assessment Alliance
  • 07/2019 - 12/2021
    Knowledge Transfer Center West
    WTZ Cooperation with Economy and Industry - Entrepreneurship Online Course 2.0
  • 09/2018 - 08/2021
    Lecturer/Trainer/Researcher - European Union Erasmus+
    PIETE - Partnership for Initial Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
  • 01/2018 - 12/2018
    WTZ West - Wissens/Transfer/West/
    WTZ West - Wissens/Transfer/West/ - Training Scientists - Development of an Entrepreneurship Online Course: Conceptualization, Production and Embedding an E-Lecture Series on the Topic of Entrepreneurship
  • 09/2016 - 09/2018
    Teacher/Trainer/Researcher - European Union Erasmus+
    Embedding Entrepreneurship Education
  • 07/2015 - 07/2019
    Project Lead - Tyrolean Science Fund - TWF
    Online Education & Virtual Campus
Competitive Research Award
  • 09/2022 - 09/2022
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Shortlisted for Ars Docendi Recognition Award for Excellent Teaching at Austrian Universities 2022 in the category Learning Outcome Oriented Teaching and Examination Culture.
  • 11/2019 - 11/2019
    MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®
    Nomination for Ars Docendi - State prize for excellent teaching 2019: Entrepreneurship Teaching Toolkit
Positions in professional/academic societies
  • 04/2024 - present
    Researcher - Entrepreneurship, Cooperatives and Social Economy Management and Corporate Sustainability - EMPRECOOP - Universitat de València
  • 01/2022 - 10/2022
    Conference Organizer and Member of the Program Committee - MCI - 9th Responsible Management Education Research Konferenz
Peer reviewed journal article
  • Zehrer, A., Glowka, G., Wieser, D., Pirhofer, C. (2025). Coping with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk - a crucial future competence in entrepreneurship education. International Marketing Journal of Culture and Tourism, 6, 48-54. https://doi.org/10.33001/18355/IMJCT0817
  • Wieser, D. (2020). Integrating technology into the learning process of higher education: A creative inquiry. Industry and Higher Education, 34(3), 138-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422219895773.
Editorial-reviewed journal
  • Wieser, D., & Zehrer, A. (2023). Führung und Verantwortung in Familienunternehmen. TourismusWissenQuarterly, 34, 15-19.
  • Wieser, D. (2020). The Entrepreneurial School® as a role model to foster entrepreneurship education in initial teacher education. PIETE Magazine, September 2020, p. 8-11. https://www.entrepreneurialteachers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/PIETE_ezine_Sept2020_updated.pdf
  • Wieser, D. (2018). Fostering entrepreneurship education: The entrepreneurship teaching toolkit developed by MCI Management Center Innsbruck. University Industry Innovation Magazine - Embedding Entrepreneurship in Education, 11-15.
Research monographs
  • Wieser, D (2021). The role of technology in higher education : an interdisciplinary perspective.
Textbooks
  • Obexer, R., Wieser, D., Baumgartner, C., Fröhlich, E., Rosenbloom, A., & Zehrer, A. (2024). Innovation in Responsible Management Education - Preparing the Changemakers of Tomorrow. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited. https:/doi.org/978-1-83549-465-3
Chapters in books
  • Wieser, D., Obexer, R. and Rosenbloom, A. (2024), "Innovation and Social Impact in Responsible Management Education", Obexer, R., Wieser, D., Baumgartner, C., Fröhlich, E., Rosenbloom, A. and Zehrer, A. (Ed.) Innovation in Responsible Management Education, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 269-276. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-464-620241016
  • Obexer, R., Waldegger, J., Wieser, D., Windbichler, R. (2024). Embracing Sustainability in Higher Education: Key Insights from Organizing an Academic Conference. In: Leal Filho, W., Sima, M., Lange Salvia, A., Kovaleva, M., Manolas, E. (eds) University Initiatives on Climate Change Education and Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25960-9_100-1
  • Seeler, J.-M., Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., & Six-Daniell, K. (2021). Change or be changed - online education and organizational culture at universities. In: Herberger, T., & Dötsch, J. (eds.), Digitalization, Digital Transformation and Sustainability in the Global Economy - Risks and Opportunities. Wiesbaden, Springer, pp. 115-125.
  • Wieser, D., & Seeler, J. M. (2019). Online, not distance education: The merits of collaborative learning in online education. In The Disruptive Power of Online Education: Challenges, Opportunities, Responses (pp. 125-146). London: Emerald Publishing Limited. ISBN: 9781787543263
  • Altmann, A., Ebersberger, B., Mössenlechner, C., & Wieser, D. (2018). Introduction: The Disruptive Power of Online Education: Challenges, Opportunities, Responses. In The Disruptive Power of Online Education: Challenges, Opportunities, Responses (pp. 1-4). Emerald Publishing Limited. 978-1-78754-326-3
Peer reviewed academic/professional meeting proceedings
  • Kim, R.; Wieser, D.; Shinohara, Y.; & Zehrer, A. (2024). We are a family, not a business: can't family businesses be sustainable across generations? Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings. Chicago, USA. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2024.19979abstract
  • Floris, M., Zehrer, A., & Wieser, D. (2024). Embodying Sustainability into Small and Medium Tourism Family Firm Strategies. An exploratory study. TTRA Conference "Tourism Matters: Navigating Sustainable Futures", April, 21-24, 2024, George, South Africa, pp. 29-32.
  • Zehrer, A., Wieser, D, Glowka, G., & Pirhofer, Ch. (2023). Speed dating with tourism family firm entrepreneurs to foster enterprising literacy. EuroCHRIE "Changing Realities. New Opportunities", October 3-6 2023, Vienna, Austria. EuroCHRIE 2023, Book of Abstracts, p. 36.
  • Zehrer, A., Wieser, D, Glowka, G., & Pirhofer, Ch. (2023). Speed dating with tourism family firm entrepreneurs to foster enterprising literacy. EuroCHRIE "Changing Realities. New Opportunities", October 3-6 2023, Vienna, Austria. EuroCHRIE 2023, Book of Abstracts, p. 36.
  • Wieser, D.; Zehrer, A.; Glowka, G.; & Pirhofer, C. (2023). Entrepreneurship Education Best Practice: Speed Dating to improve Enterprising Literacy. G-Forum: Die Kraft der Resilienz für Innovation und Entrepreneurship, Darmstadt, Deutschland.
  • Zehrer, A.; Wieser, D., Glowka, G.; & Pirhofer, C. (2023). Putting EICAA into practice - Speed Dating with Family Firm Entrepreneurs to Foster Enterprising Literacy in Entrepreneurship Education. EAIR Forum Linz.
  • Seeler, M., Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., & Sixl-Daniell, (2020). Online education at universities: a cultural change. Conference on "Digitalisierung, Digitale Transformation und Nachhaltigkeit in der globalen Ökonomie", October 1-2, 2020, Budapest, Hungary.
  • Wieser, D., & Degischer, D. (2019). Investigating the Effects of Ethical Leadership: Implications on Negative Behavioural Reactions. Academy of Management Global Proceedings, Slovenia(2019): 363. Academy of Management.
  • Degischer, D., & Wieser, D. (2018). An Experimental Approach to Sabotage Activity in Mergers and Acquisitions, British Academy of Management (BAM) Annual Conference 2018, September 4-6, Bristol, United Kingdom
  • Wieser, D., Seeler, M., Sixl, K., & Zehrer, A. (2018). Assessing the study experience in online education and the relevance of expectations: Seeing the successful implementation of online education in a new light. In Research in Action. University of Iceland, Reykjavík: European Academy of Management. ISBN 9782960219500
  • Wieser, D., Seeler, J.-M., Sixl-Daniell, K., & Zehrer, A. (2017). Anticipated challenges of online degree programs: A study of bachelor students in business administration. In Making Knowledge Work. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: European Academy of Management. ISSN 2466-7498
  • Wieser, D., Seeler, J.-M., Sixl-Daniell, K., & Zehrer, A. (2017). Online students ' expectations differ : The advantage of assessing students ' expectations in online education. In 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances, HEAd'17 (pp. 1113-1120). Valencia. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/HEAd17.2017.5525
Presentation of a paper at a conference, workshop or seminar
  • Wieser, D ., Zehrer, A., Shinohara, Y., Pham T., Kim, R., (2025). Dynamics of Sustainability in Family Firms in Japan's and Austria - A Transgenerational Study. EURAM, 22.-25. Juni, Florenz, Italien
  • Zehrer, A.,Wieser, D.,Pfitscher, A.,Assenmacher, M. (2025). Sustainable Leadership across generations in family firms. IFERA2025 10.-14. Juni 2025, Zadar, Kroatien.
  • Zehrer, A., Wieser, D., Pfitscher, A., Assenmacher, M. (2025). Sustainable Leadership across generations in family firms. IFERA, 9.-13. Mai 2025, Zadar, Kroatien
  • Zehrer, A., Glowka, G., Wieser, D., Pirhofer, C. (2024). Coping with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk - a crucial future competence in entrepreneurship education. EuroChrie "Hospitality and Tourism in a New Era: Building Bridges and Overcoming Challenges", November 4-7 2024, Doha, Qatar.
  • Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., Shinohara, Y., Kim, R.C., & Ackaradejruangsri, P. (2024). Sustainability across Generations in Family Firms. IECER Conference, September 18-20 2024, Innsbruck, Austria.
  • Kim, R.C., Wieser, D., Shinohara, Y. & Zehrer, A. (2024). We Are a Family, Not a Business: Can't Family Business Be Sustainable "Across" Generations?", "Academy of Management, August 9-13, 2024, Chicago, Illinois.
  • Shinohara, Y., Wieser D., Kim, R.C., Zehrer, A., & Ackaradejruangsri, P. (2024). Sustainable Development of Family Firms on the example of the hotel industry in Japan. across Generations"? APU CIL Conference "Inclusion X Sustainability", June 1-2 2024, Osaka, Japan.
  • Campos, V., Zehrer, A., Ejarque, A.T., Wieser, D., Saurwein, L. (2024). Sustainable supply chain transformation in family firms, the role of sustainable leadership. EIASM 39th Workshop on Strategic Human Resource Management, April 18-19, 2024. Barcelona, Spain.
  • Zehrer, A., Wieser, D, Glowka, G., & Pirhofer, Ch. (2023). Speed dating with tourism family firm entrepreneurs to foster enterprising literacy. EuroChrie "Changing Realities. New Opportunities", October 3-6 2023, Vienna, Austria.
  • Campos, V., Zehrer, A., & Ejarque, A. T., Wieser, D., Sanchis, J.R., & Saurwein, L. (2023). Sustainability leadership development in the family firms of the tourism industry - an exploratory comparative case study. 18th EISAM Workshop on Family Firm Management Research "Balancing financial and non-financial wealth". October 2-3, 2023, Naples, Italy.
  • Wieser, D.; Zehrer, A.; Shinohara, Y.; Kim, R.C.; Ackaradejruangsri, P. (2023 October 4-5, conference presentation extended abstract). Inclusive and sustainable leadership in family firms: a cross-cultural approach among Japan and Austria. COMPASS Conference Transferable Skills for Research & Innovation, Helsinki, Finland. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/852085/Compass2023_Topic4_archived.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
  • Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., Glowka, G. & Pirhofer, Ch. (2023). Entrepreneurship Education Best Practice: Speed Dating to improve Enterprising Literacy. 26. Interdisziplinäre Jahreskonferenz zu Entrepreneurship, Innovation und Mittelstand (G-Forum), September 27-29, 2023, Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Wieser, D., Shinohara, Y., Kim, R.C., Zehrer, A., & Ackaradejruangsri, P. (2023). Inclusive and sustainable leadership in family firms: A cross-cultural study between Austria and Japan RMER Conference "Sustainable and Responsible Management: A decade of Integrating Knowledge and Creating Societal Impact through Innovation and Entrepreneurship", September 26-27, 2023, Lissbon, Portugal.
  • Zehrer, A., Wieser, D, Glowka, G., & Pirhofer, Ch. (2023). Putting EICAA into practice - Speed Dating with Family Firm Entrepreneurs to Foster Enterprising Literacy in Entrepreneurship Education. 45th EAIR Forum "Shaping the World of Change - Higher Education as a Key Enabler", September 3-6, 2023, Linz, Austria.
  • Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., & Glowka, G. (2023). Inklusives und nachhaltiges Führen in Familienunternehmen. FIFU DACHLI 30. Juni - 1. Juli, 2023, Hamburg, Deutschland.
  • Wieser, D.; Zehrer, A.; & Glowka, G. (2023). Inklusives und nachhaltiges Führen in Familienunternehmen. FIFU 2023.
  • Inclusive Leadership in Family Firms: A Cross-Cultural Study. International Family Business Research Day MCI, ESCA and The American University of Cairo, School of Business.
  • Wieser, D., Zehrer, A., Shinohara, Y., & Chunghee Kim, R. (2023). Inclusive and sustainable leadership in family firms: a cross-cultural approach. International Family Business Research Day, March 14, 2023 online.
  • Wieser, D. (2019). The phenomoneon of integrating technology in the learning process of higher education: a literature review. In Exploring the Future of Management. ISCHTE Business School, Lisbon: European Academy of Management.
  • Wieser, D., Seeler, J.M., Sixl-Daniell, K., & Zehrer, A. (2017). Online education and expectancy theory: Success-strategies of first semester Bachelor students. Oxford: Business & Economics Conference (OBEC).
Other intellectual contributions
  • A. Altmann, B. Ebersberger,C. Mössenlechner and D. Wieser (Eds). The Disruptive Power Of Online Education. challenges, Opportunities, Responses. Emerald Publishing. 2019.
  • Ebersberger, B., Pirhofer, C., & Wieser, D. (2018). Teaching Toolkit for Entrepreneurship Education. Embedding Entrepreneurship Education - Erasmus+. https://www.mci.edu/phocadownload/allgemein/Forschung/EEE_TTK_2018-5.pdf
Supervised bachelor theses
  • Mizrak Semanur (2025): Wie können soziale Unternehmen Mitarbeiter:innen der Generation Z nachhaltig binden?
  • Quintus Mariella (2025): Motivationsfaktoren von Gründer:innen im Social Business: Eine qualitative Untersuchung von Social Businesses in Tirol
  • Gvozdenovic Ljerka (2025): Innovationsgestaltung an Hochschulen der DACH-Region: Externe Kooperationen und Netzwerke als Schlüsselfaktoren
  • Cabar Acelya (2025): Navigating Gender Biases: Strategies Employed by Women Leaders
  • Reichholf Selina (2024): Interne und externe Treiber von ökologischen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien und -praktiken in KMUs der Beherbergunsbranche
  • Berg Jesper (2024): What Different Generations Perceive of and Expect From Remote Working.
  • Fink Jule Marie (2023): Digital Transformation and its Effect on Organizational Culture - A Case Study of a German Tax Consulting Firm
  • Krüger Lara (2021): Ein Vergleich zwischen dem Social Business Modell und dem For- Profit Business Modell unter den Aspekt Nachhaltigkeit
  • Meier Julia (2019): Success Factors for Educational Technology in Developing Countries
  • Wanninger Valentin Josef (2017): How to Satisfy and Motivate Students in Online Courses
  • Haueis Siegfried Eduard (2017): Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Higher Education: Major Challenges
  • Chou Sarah (2017): Using Gamification and Mobile Technologies to Create an Engaging Learning Experience
  • Bloemen Manon (2017): The Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends of E-Learning in Developing Countries
  • Lehmann Louis Jens (2017): The Impact of Educational Technology on Social Competencies and Interpersonal Communication Skills
  • Meier Julia (2017): Opportunities and Challenges for the Implementation of Educational Technology in Developing Countries
  • Pichler Judith (2017): Cross-Generational Learning - Higher Education, Multiple Generations and how the Concept of Blended Learning Facilitates the Development of Graduates From Different Age Groups
  • Piber Jeanine (2017): Methods and Techniques of the Blended Learning Approach to Maintain Commitment and Motivation of Students
  • Mair Alexander (2017): Combination of Competency Based Learning in Adaptive Online Learning Systems and its Effects on the Educational Industry
  • Lalic Aleksa (2017): The Influence of EdTech on Student Performance, Engagement and Learning
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