Mia Larson, Professor of Business Administration

Mia Larson was born and raised in Kungälv, where she chose the economy programme for her upper secondary school studies. Her academic career began at the university in Sundsvall, where she studied for the first two years of the economics study programme. After that, she studied for a Degree of Master of Science in Business and Economics with a specialisation in marketing, at Uppsala University. She then started her doctoral studies at Gothenburg School of Economics and publicly defended her theses in Business Administration in 2003, called “Evenemangsmarknadsföringens organisering: Interaktion mellan aktörer på ett politiskt torg” (The Organisation of Special Events Marketing: The Interaction Between Different Actors in a Political Market). She worked for many years as an Associate Professor at Lund University, and since April 2021 she has been employed as a Professor at Karlstad University.

"My research has mainly been focused on tourism and experiences. For example how tourism destinations and events are created in collaboration between different companies and organisations and how development and innovation work within these networks. I am also interested in how digital marketing and social media shape the experience economy, for example how pop culture phenomenon such as movies or tv series create new consumption patterns and destinations. I am especially curious about the sharing economy and the changes it has brought to business models and consumption. I am also interested in how the pandemic has paved the way for new phenomenon such as digital experiences and “staycation”."

Mia Larson says that it is important that research keep up with the times, in order to create knowledge that is relevant for the challenges that society is facing.

"Climate change, digitisation, the corona pandemic and such events makes for drastic changes in the conditions that businesses operate under, and consumers are faced with new choices. The digitisation is developing very fast, for better or worse, with new business models based on the personal information of the users. The new digital platforms are often based around social surveillance. They create gig economies that take individual responsibility for granted. It is important that research within Business Administration is quick to identify new, growing economies, types of companies and markets and examines them through the lens of sustainability."

The research projects are often conducted in collaboration with companies and can in this way have a direct influence. New research results are integrated into the education of new students, who in turn become better equipped to make good decisions and reflect on them based on perspectives of ethics, equality and sustainability in their future professions.

"This also contains a side track in my research, which has been gender issues within academia. I want to emphasise how important it is for all of us to do our part in removing the obstacles that are still reproduced, in order to make it easier for women to have successful careers as researchers. My research is, to put it simply, being used to contribute to a positive development in society."  

When Mia Larson is not working, she is usually in her summer cabin in Askim or her house in Höganös with her partner Richard, unless they are out on some exciting trip.