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Laura Zizka

Dr Laura Zizka

Dr Laura Zizka

Associate Professor

Expertise

  • Communications
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Higher education (hospitality and STEM)
  • Sustainability actions, initiatives, and reporting
  • Crisis/Strategic Communication

Biography

With more than 20 years of international teaching experience, Dr. Laura Zizka has been a faculty member at EHL since 2002. As an Associate Professor, she teaches Academic Writing and Crisis/Strategic Communication to undergraduate and graduate students as well as coaching Student Business Projects and undergraduate theses. Her teaching philosophy revolves around lifelong learning, application of transferable ‘soft’ skills, and positive social change.


Dr. Zizka is the Chair of the Examination Board and is a Peer Pedagogical Coach. She animates seminars and workshops with students and staff on teaching and learning topics. Dr. Zizka is a member of the Swiss Faculty Development Network (SFDN), British Academy of Management (BAM), and Academy of Management (AOM). She has presented papers in international conferences and serves as a reviewer for several prestigious academic journals.

Awards

Received Best Developmental Paper Award at the BAM conference 2016 in the category of ‘Research Methodology’ (co-authored with Dr. Viktor Dorfler and Dr. Marc B. Stierand) with the paper entitled “Reflecting on Becoming: The Role of Savoir, Savoir-Faire, and Savoir-Être”

Education

PhD in Management, Walden University
MA in Technical and Professional Writing Specialization, Northern Arizona University
BA in French and Sociology, Xavier University

Courses Taught

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
• Academic writing
• Crisis/Strategic Communication
MASTER IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
• Academic writing

Teaching Location

EHL Campus Lausanne

Journal publications

Bernard, S., Ho, J. A., Dias, A., Zizka, L., & Singal, M. (Forthcoming). A Cross-cultural Analysis of Attributes that Influence Customers’ Hotel Experience in Green Hotels. Journal of Travel Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875251353798

Zizka, L. (Forthcoming). “It Looks Good Enough”: Recognizing the Quality of Generative AI Output in Academic Writing Tasks in Higher Education. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2025.2496663

McGunagle, D., Zizka, L., Mau, R., & Clark, P. (Forthcoming). The journey toward sustainability: positive impact of environmental, social, and governance index on transportation. Journal of Marketing Analytics. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-024-00368-1

Dias, A., Zizka, L., Bernard, S., Singal, M., & Ho, J. (2026). Conceptualizing social dynamic capabilities: Contextual embeddedness in hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 134, 104595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2026.104595

Bernard, S., Singal, M., Dias, A., Ho, J. A., & Zizka, L. (2025). Sustainable Horizons: Navigating ESG Reporting Challenges in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 49(6), 1141-1158. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251352232

Zizka, L., & Probst, G. (2024). Teaching and learning in business schools post-pandemic: a digital future. Journal of International Education in Business, 17(3), 542-555. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-12-2023-0103

Probst, G. and Zizka, L. (2024). Higher education pre- to post-COVID-19: student and faculty perceptions. Quality Assurance in Education, 32(3), 445-459. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-05-2024-0077

Zizka, L., Dias, Á., Ho, J. A., Simpson, S. B., & Singal, M. (2024). From extra to Extraordinary: An academic and practical exploration of Extraordinary (E) Pro Environmental Behavior (PEB) in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 119, 103704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103704

Zizka, L., & Chen, M.-M. (2024). ‘We are open again (and again)’: communicating during COVID-19 – opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(24), 4446-4462. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2276790

Zizka, L., & Chen, M.-M. (2024). “Sanitary measures, social distancing, safety”: The evolution of Swiss hoteliers’ Covid-19 communication through three snapshots. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(3), 463-478. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231162279

Baalbaki, J., & Zizka, L. (2024). Egyptian crises and destination brand image: The resurrection of the mummy. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(6), 887-905. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2187280

Zizka, L., & Probst, G. (2023). Learning during (or despite) COVID-19: business students’ perceptions of online learning. Quality Assurance in Education, 31(1), 60-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-12-2021-0188

Button, D., McGunagle, D., Zizka, L., & Clark, P. (2023). Airlines and corporate sustainability initiatives: Unrecognised value. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 11(3), 272-286. Retrieved from https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hsp/jdsmm/2023/00000011/00000003/art00007

Varga, P., Rouger, M. A., Terrier, L., Zizka, L., & Zivkovic, P. (2022). Welcome to My Home: Muslim Residents' Perceptions of Western Tourists. Tourism: an international interdisciplinary journal, 70(4), 571-584. https://doi.org/10.37741/t.70.4.3

Zizka, L. (2022). Sustainability in Top Hospitality/Leisure Management Programs: Teaching for a Sustainable Future? Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 34(1), 57-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2020.1868316

Zizka, L., & Probst, G. (2022). Teaching during COVID-19: Faculty members’ perceptions during and after an “exceptional” semester. Journal of international education in business, 15(2), 202-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-12-2020-0099

Stirnimann, A., & Zizka, L. (2022). Waste not, want not: Managerial attitudes towards mitigating food waste in the Swiss-German restaurant industry. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 25(3), 302-328. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2021.1942749

Scheiwiller, S., & Zizka, L. (2021). Strategic responses by European airlines to the Covid-19 pandemic: A soft landing or a turbulent ride? Journal of Air Transport Management, 95, 102103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2021.102103

Chen, M.-M., Zizka, L., Girardin, F., & Zhang, E. R. (2021). Explaining viewer affect with imagery diagnosis model. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100814

Zizka, L., & Varga, P. (2021). Teaching sustainability in higher education institutions: Assessing hospitality students’ sustainability literacy. Journal of hospitality & tourism education, 33(4), 242-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2020.1726771

Zizka, L., McGunagle, D.-M., & Clark, P.-J. (2021). Sustainability in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs: Authentic engagement through a community-based approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279, 123715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123715

Martin-Rios, C., Zizka, L., Varga, P., & Pasamar, S. (2020). KITRO: Technology solutions to reduce food waste in Asia-Pacific hospitality and restaurants. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(10), 1128-1135. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1773513

Terrier, L., Varga, P. Scaroni, A., & Zizka, L. (2020). To go or not to go, that is the question: Using social influence to reduce hot beverage cup waste, Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 23(4), 350-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2020.1768041

McGunagle, D., & Zizka, L. (2020), Employability skills for 21st-century STEM students: the employers' perspective. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 10(3), 591-606. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-10-2019-0148

Plews, R., & Zizka, L. (2020). Hospitality Faculty Member Perceptions of the Role of Faculty Development for Their Teaching. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 32(1), 55-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2019.1654885

Worwag, S., Varga, P., & Zizka, L. (2019). Tourists’ Ethical Concern for Dumbo: Elephant Tourism in Thailand. Journal of Travel, Tourism and Recreation, 1(2), 17-27. Retrieved from https://www.sryahwapublications.com/journal-of-travel-tourism-and-recreation/volume-1-issue-2/

Zizka, L., McGunagle, D., & Clark, P. (2019). Sustainability in STEM Higher Education: Making Social Change Together. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 18(7), 121-132. https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v18i7.269

McGunagle, D., & Zizka, L. (2018). Meeting Real World Demands of the Global Economy: An Employer's Perspective. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research, 27(2), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.15394/jaaer.2018.1738

Zizka, L. (2018). Hospitality Students’ Perceptions of Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainability. The International Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 24(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7955/CGP/v24i04/1-12

Zizka, L. (2017). The (mis)use of social media to communicate CSR in hospitality: Increasing stakeholders' (dis)engagement through social media. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 8(1), 73-86. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-07-2016-0037

Zizka, L. (2017). Corporate Reputation Rankings 2016: And the Winner is? Advances in Economics and Business, 5(3), 137-154. https://doi.org/10.13189/aeb.2017.050303

Zizka, L. (2017). Student perceptions of ethics, CSR, and sustainability (ECSRS) in hospitality management education. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 17(4), 254-268. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2017.1399497

Zizka, L. (2017). From Campfire to Classroom: An Application of Talking Circles and Storytelling in Hospitality Management Education. Journal of Hospitality &Tourism Education, 29(1), 44-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2016.1266944

McGunagle, D. M., Button, D., & Zizka, L. (2016). The impact of corporate social responsibility communication on corporate reputation. I-Manager’s Journal of Management, 10(4), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.26634/jmgt.10.4.5907

Zizka, L. (2016). Digital natives and perceived technology skills: Bridging the digital divide between natives. Journal of Communication and Media Studies, 1(3), 15-23. https://doi.org/10.18848/2470-9247/CGP/v01i03/15-23

Stierand, M., & Zizka, L. (2015). Reflecting on hospitality management education through a practice lens, Quality Assurance in Education, 23(4), 353-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-04-2015-0013