Brian Larson

Brian V. Larson, PhD

  • Associate Dean for Graduate SBA Programs & Professor
Media Expertise:
  • Business Administration
  • Communications & Marketing
  • International Relations
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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • PhD, Marketing (1999)
    Oklahoma State University (OK)

About Me

My teaching interests include marketing strategy, marketing research, and sport marketing. I am passionate about innovating, seeing global opportunities, and building relationships. I founded a world-class Sport Management Advisory Board, initiated the first international professional fan research efforts spanning multiple sport leagues and countries, and served as Department Chair where we grew the faculty ranks and started several new exciting majors. I earned a PhD from Oklahoma State University in 1999 and have published more than 20 journal articles and presented research findings at 35 conferences. My wife, Lucia, and I live with our two children in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania.

Areas of Expertise

  • Marketing
  • Brands and fan engagement
  • Consumer behavior
  • Leadership and communications
  • Event marketing
  • International marketing
  • Auto industry issues

Research Interests

My current research interests include assessing complex sport marketing service quality encounters at professional sport events. The work looks at the encounter from both the service provider's side and the event attendee's side and compares those perceptions.

Media Expertise

  • Marketing
  • Brands and fan engagement
  • Consumer behavior
  • Leadership and communications
  • Event marketing
  • International marketing
  • Auto industry issues

Publications

  • Taberner, Isaac, Albert Junca, Brian Larson, and Amin Keramati (2025), “Small but Mighty: The Influence of Small-Scale Sport Event Factors on Event and Destination Satisfaction”, Journal of Sport & Tourism, Vol. 29, No. 2.
  • Taberner, Isaac, Albert Junca, and Brian V. Larson (2022), “Small-Scale Sport Events and Destination Image on Instagram,” Journal of Physical Education and Sport (JPES), Vol. 22 (issue 2), Article 51, 408-415.
  • Yeung, Tak Ming, Shiang-Lih Chen McCain, Jeff Lolli, and Brian Larson (2021), “Importance of Proactive Customer Service When Ambient Noise Influences Customers’ Satisfaction in the Restaurant Industry,” Journal of Small Business Strategy, 31(5), 64–74.
  • Larson, Brian V. (2020), Forward to Sport, Globalization and Identity. New Perspectives on Regions and Nations. Routledge. 
  • Larson, Brian V. and Yamuna Baburaj (2020), “Alternative Multi-Mode International Learning: A Model Establishing Collaboration,” Journal of International Business Disciplines. 
  • Jensen, Ric, Ricard Haskoff and Brian V. Larson (2016), “How Does the Quality of Concessions at an NFL Game Affect Fan Satisfaction and Behavior? Analysis of Fan Perceptions. Journal of Marketing Management, ISSN 2333-6080.
  • Larson, Brian V., Jensen, Ric, and Yawei Wang (2015), “Wanted: Contagious Gameday Staff. Testing the Effect of Smiling on Fan Responses," Services Marketing Quarterly, issue 37-03
  • Jensen, Ric, Nick Bowman, Brian V. Larson, and Yawei Wang (2013), “Looking at Shirt Sponsorships from Both Sides of the Pond: Comparing Global Trends versus America's Major League Soccer,” International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship.
  • Jensen, Ric, Nick Bowman, Yawei Wang, and Brian V. Larson (May 2012), “New League, New Market and New Sponsorship:  An Exploratory Study of Attitudes towards Shirt Sponsorship in Major League Soccer" Soccer & Society, vol. 13, no. 3

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • International Academy of Business and Disciplines (IABD)
  • American Marketing Association

Awards

  • Elected to the International Academy of Business Disciplines Board of Directors, 2016
  • Recipient of the Widener University's SBA Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award, 2015
  • Research Sabbatical: NFL Fan Experience Measurement Development, 2014
  • Nicholas P. Trainer Faculty Fellowship Award (2020)
  • SBA Distinguished Service Award Winner (2021)
  • Widener University Distinguished Professor nominee (2021)
  • Lindback Outstanding University Teaching Award nominee (2021, 2022)
  • Sabbatical award – International University Collaborative Development (2022)
  • Distinguished University Professor, Widener University (2024-present)

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