David Wagner is Professor for International Business and Digital Business, Academic Director for the Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) and Vice Dean for Research at Munich Business School. He teaches, does research, and consults in the fields of digital strategy, digital innovation, and digital transformation. He is the winner of the MBS Teaching Award 2022 and the MBS Research Award 2023.
David Wagner studied management and economics at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany, and management psychology at University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He earned his doctoral degree from the joint graduate program of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder and the German Graduate School of Management and Law in Heilbronn, Germany. He was a visiting scholar at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, among others.
Besides his experience in academia, David Wagner has worked in the field of international economic development, at various technology companies, and as a consultant for digital business. In parallel to his commitments at Munich Business School, he has continued to work with high-profile organizations in both the private and the public sector.
In his research, David Wagner investigates how digital technologies create value and foster innovations. In this context, he studies which strategies and/or capabilities organizations need to develop to address technological changes. David Wagner has an extensive track record in the field of social media and online communities. He has published multiple journal papers, book chapters, and reports, and frequently speaks at conferences, workshops, and media outlets.
Professor for International Business & Digital Business; Academic Director, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA); Vice Dean, Research
Bachelor International Business, Master in Sports Business and Communication, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Business Administration
Strategic Management, International Business, Digital Business, Information Systems, Online Communities, Social Media
Idea Development & Start ups (BA), Digital Business & Innovation (BA), Product Lifecycle Management (BA), Innovative Leadership (SBC), Online Marketing (SBC), Social Media Management (SBC), Digital Sports (SBC), Master Thesis Preparation (SBC), Business Project (SBC), Digital Business Transformation (MBA), Critical Thinking in Business Administration (DBA), Contemporary Issues in Business and Management (DBA), Research Approaches and Designs (DBA)
Abeza, G., & Wagner, D. (in press). Guest editorial. Artificial intelligence in sport business: Innovation, strategy, and disruption. Sport, Business and Management.
Wagner, D., Richter, A., & Oertel, B. (2024). Wie gesund ist meine Community? – Kennzahlen zur Erfolgsmessung von Online Communities. WiST - Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Studium, (7–8), 47–50. https://doi.org/10.15358/0340-1650-2024-7-8-46
Wagner, D. (2023). A review and research agenda for brand communities in sports. International Journal of Sport Communication, 16(3), 335–343. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2023-0114
Kramer, K., Wagner, D., & Scheck, B. (2021). Reaping the digital dividend? Sport marketing’s move into esports: Insights from Germany. European Journal of International Management, 15(2/3), 339-366. https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIM.2021.113265
Wagner, D., Wenzel, M., Wagner, H.-T., & Koch, J. (2017). Sense, seize, reconfigure: Online communities as strategic assets. Journal of Business Strategy, (38)5, 27-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-09-2016-0088
Wagner, D., Vollmar, G., & Wagner, H.-T. (2014). The impact of information technology on knowledge creation: An affordance approach to social media. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, (27)1, 31-44. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-09-2012-0063
Wagner, D., & Warren, C. (2026). Sport brand communities. In J. R. Braunstein-Minkove & G. Abeza (Eds.), Sport branding: Theory and practice. Routledge.
Zeeb, J., & Wagner, D. (2023). Assessing the PESO model in the German automotive industry: Results of an expert study and introduction of the content flow model. In A.-K. Langner & G. Schuster (Eds.), Holistische Social Media Strategien (pp. 143–157). Springer Gabler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-42563-0_11
Matz, L., Abeza, G., & Wagner, D. (2022). COVID-19 and the Bundesliga: A study of digital fan engagement strategies in professional soccer. In P. M. Pedersen (Ed.), Research handbook on sport and COVID-19 (pp. 301–312). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802207576.00034
Wenzel, M., Rauch, M., Adebile, A., Bogodistov, Y., Cénophat, S., Hartmann, M., Wagner, D., & Wohlgemuth, V. (2021). Dynamic Capabilities: Celebrating the Plurality of Understandings of the Concept. In T. Bayón, M. Eisend, J. Koch, A. Söllner, M. Vodosek, & H.-T. Wagner (Eds.), Dynamic Capabilities and Relationships: Discourses, Concepts, and Reflections (pp. 1–28). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83182-0_1
Wagner, D. (2021). Online Communities in Sport. In G. Abeza, N. O’Reilly, J. Sanderson, & E. Fredrick (Eds.), Social Media in Sport: Theory and Practice (pp. 57–82). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811237669_0003
Piersig, K., Pumpat, M., Wagner, D., & Eckhardt, A. (2020). Erfolgsfaktoren für die didaktische Gestaltung von Corporate MOOCs: Erkenntnisse aus dem MOOC Human Resource Management in the Digital Age der German Graduate School of Management and Law GGS. In M. Deimann & C. Friedl (Eds.), Machen MOOCs Karriere? (pp. 77-105). Springer Gabler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-59780-4_5
Wagner, D., Schnurr, J.-M., Enke, S., & Ellermann, B. (2016). Auf dem Weg zur vernetzten Organisation: Ein Plädoyer für professionelles Community Management in der digitalen Transformation. In A. Rossmann, M. Besch, & G. Stei (Eds.), Enterprise Social Networks (pp. 41-60). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-12652-0_3
Ruoff, L., & Wagner, D. (2024). Assessing the implementation of digital transformation strategies in the German sport industry: An expert study. Proceedings of the 27th GeNeMe Conference (Communities in New Media). https://doi.org/10.25368/2025.121
Zeiher, S., Richter, A., & Wagner, D. (2023). Towards domain-specific knowledge on digital transformation: The case of the furniture industry. ECIS 2023 Research Papers, Paper 317. https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2023_rp/317
Wagner, D., Happe, R., Laub, T., Paech, V., Spinks, D., & Wagenaar, K. (2021). Online Panel: Building Communities of Community Builders – An International Perspective. In T. Köhler, E. Schoop, N. Kahnwald, & R. Sonntag (Eds.), Gemeinschaften in neuen Medien. Digitale Partizipation in hybriden Realitäten und Gemeinschaften. Proceedings of the 24th Conference GeNeMe ‘21, Dresden, 07.-08.10.2021. 388-393.
Braun, M.-L., Wagner, D., & Henkel, D. (2021). Uses and Gratifications of Online Sports Communities: A Multiple Case Study. In T. Köhler, E. Schoop, N. Kahnwald, & R. Sonntag (Eds.), Gemeinschaften in neuen Medien. Digitale Partizipation in hybriden Realitäten und Gemeinschaften. Proceedings of the 24th Conference GeNeMe ‘21, Dresden, 07.-08.10.2021. 236-245.
Puschkasch, T., & Wagner, D. (2021). Managing Cloud Computing Across the Product Lifecycle: Development of a Conceptual Model. Lang, K., Xu, J., Zhu, B., Liu, X., Shaw, M. J., Zhang, H., & Fan, M. (Eds.). Smart Business: Technology and Data Enabled Innovative Business Models and Practices. 18th Workshop on e-Business, WeB 2019, Munich, Germany, December 14, 2019, Revised Selected Papers. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67781-7_13
Wagner, D., Ellermann, B., Schön, E.-M., & Kosub, M. (2020, October 7-9). Online-Panel: Conversational Platforms als strategisches Digitalisierungsinstrument. In T. Köhler, E. Schoop, & N. Kahnwald (Eds.), Gemeinschaften in Neuen Medien. Von hybriden Realitäten zu hybriden Gemeinschaften. Proceedings of the 23rd Workshop GeNeMe'20 (pp. 71-75). TUDpress. https://doi.org/10.25656/01:22408
Tykholoz, Y., Wagner, D., & Richter, A. (2020). Use Cases of Enterprise Social Software in Consulting: A Practice Perspective. In T. Köhler, E. Schoop, & N. Kahnwald (Eds.), Gemeinschaften in Neuen Medien. Von hybriden Realitäten zu hybriden Gemeinschaften. Proceedings of the 23rd Workshop GeNeMe'20 (pp. 342-352). TUDpress. https://doi.org/10.25656/01:22408
Wagner, D. (2018). Community Management in 2018: Bedeutung, Trends und Praktiken. In Communities in New Media. Research on Knowledge Communities in Science, Business, Education & Public Administration. Proceedings of 21st Conference Gemeinschaften in Neuen Medien (GeNeMe '18), Dresden, Germany (pp. 10-11).
Piersig, K., Egloffstein, M., Pumpat, M., Eckhardt, A., & Wagner, D. (2017). Designing SPOCs for student engagement: Experiences from management education. In C. Delgado Kloos, M. Pérez Sanagustín, P. Jermann, D. Seaton, S. White, D. Jansen, & M. Calise (Eds.), Proceedings of EMOOCs 2017: Work in Progress Papers of the Experience and Research Tracks and Position Papers of the Policy Track (pp. 40-46). May 22-26 2017, Leganés, Spain.
Shuradze, G., Wagner H.-T., & Wagner, D. (2015). Technological platforms and innovation: Review, integration, and extension. Proceedings of the 21st Americas Conference on Information Systems (4821-4833). Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems.
Wenzel, M., Wagner, D., Wagner, H.-T., & Koch, J. (2015). Digitization and path-disruption: An examination in the funeral industry. Proceedings of the 23rd European Conference on Information Systems. Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems.
Wagner, D., Richter A., Trier, M., & Wagner, H.-T. (2014). Toward a conceptualization of online community health. Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Information Systems. Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems.
Wagner, D. (2014). Developing social capital in online communities: The challenge of fluidity. Proceedings of the 20th Americas Conference on Information Systems. Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems.
Richter, A., & Wagner, D. (2014). Leadership 2.0: Engaging and supporting leaders in the transition towards a networked organization. Proceedings of the 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (574-583). Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2014.78
Wagner, D., & Wagner, H.-T. (2013). Online communities and dynamic capabilities: A cross-case examination of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguration. Proceedings of the 19th Americas Conference on Information Systems. Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems.
Wagner, D., Brock, J., Breese, R., Koleva, P., Louis, D., & Pellegrini, E. (2026, July 15–18). Co-creating value and impact through professional doctorates: Sharing good practices [Conference presentation]. Engaged Management Scholarship Conference 2026, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Spain.
Warren, C., Achen, R., Clavio, G., & Wagner, D. (2024, November 6–8). Development and validation of a sport brand community engagement survey [Conference presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Sport Marketing Association, St. Louis, USA.
Bartunek, J., Miller, J., Pellegrini, E., Stephenson, K., & Wagner, D. (2024, August 9). Maximizing the impact of professional doctorates [Workshop]. 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, USA.
Wagner, D. (2022, June 4). Social media as an agent of change in sport [Panel discussion]. North American Society for Sport Management Conference, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Braun, M.-L., Wagner, D., & Henkel, D. (2021). Uses and Gratifications of Online Sports Communities: A Multiple Case Study. GeNeMe 2021, Gemeinschaften in neuen Medien, Jahreskonferenz, TU Dresden.
Wagner, D., Happe, R., Laub, T., Paech, V., Spinks, D., & Wagenaar, K. (2021, October 7). In Online Panel: Building Communities of Community Builders - An International Perspective. Digitale Partizipation in hybriden Realitäten und Gemeinschaften, 24th Conference GeNeMe ‘21, Dresden, 07.-08.10.2021.
Wagner, D. (2018, October 25). Community Management in 2018: Bedeutung, Trends und Praktiken. 21st Conference GeNeMe, Dresden, Germany.
Wagner, D., & Di Bella, J. (2016, September 20). Real-Life Learning as a Pedagogical Approach in Business Schools. Annual meeting of the Strategic Management Society, Berlin, Germany.
Wagner, D., Wenzel, M., Wagner, H.-T., & Koch, J. (2016). Exploring the strategic impact of online communities: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Paper presented at the 21st IAMB Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Moser, C., Wagner, D., Dahlander, L., Faraj, S., Majchrzak, A., & Yuqing Ren, Y. (2015). Online Communities Research: Quo Vadis? Perspectives on Knowledge Work, Collaboration, & Innovation. Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2015.10019symposium
Rauch, M., & Wagner, D. (2015, August 7-11). Dynamic capabilities: Bridging diverging conversations. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Vancouver, Canada. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2015.11255symposium
Reischauer, G., & Wagner, D. (2014, August 1-5). Dynamic capabilities and path dependence: Organizational adaptability in turbulent environments. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Philadelphia, PA. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2014.10036symposium
Clauss, A., Collet, S., Laub, T., Lämmer, S., Schnurr, J.-M., & Wagner, D. (2020). Profilinterviews zu den BVCM-Berufsbildern. Nordkirchen: Bundesverband Community Management e. V. für digitale Kommunikation und Social Media.
Clauss, A., Collet, S., Laub, T., Lämmer, S., Schnurr, J.-M., & Wagner, D. (2019). Social-Media- und Community-Management in Deutschland 2018. Bundesverband Community Management e. V. für digitale Kommunikation und Social Media. https://www.bvcm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/BVCM-Studie-2018.pdf
Ellermann, B., Enke, S., Laub, T., Lämmer, S., Schnurr, J.-M., & Wagner, D. (2016). Social-Media- und Community-Management in 2016. Nordkirchen: Bundesverband Community Management e.V. für digitale Kommunikation und Social Media. https://www.bvcm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Report-Studie-2016.pdf
Wagner, D., Schnurr, J.-M., Ellermann, B., Laub, T., Enke, S., & Lämmer, S. (2015). Zum Status von Social-Media- und Community-Management in D-A-CH. Nordkirchen: Bundesverband Community Management e. V. für digitale Kommunikation und Social-Media. https://www.bvcm.org/studie-zum-status-von-social-media-und-community-management-download-des-reports/
Dornis, A., Scherer, B., Wagner, D., Vollmar, G., Kimmich, M., Peter, G., & Dückert, S. (2011). Positionspapier: Wissensmanagement und Enterprise 2.0. Frankfurt am Main: Gesellschaft für Wissensmanagement.
Wagner, D. (2024, December). Like Wikipedia and Firefox, it’s time to embrace the opportunity of community. I by IMD, 31–34.
Wagner, D., Kramer, K., & Rittmann, C. (2024). Neue Wege gehen - Warum E-Sports und Gaming immer interessanter für Marken werden und wie erfolgreiche Aktivierungen gelingen: Eine Marketingagenda in neun Punkten. Markenartikel, 5(2024), 100–103.
Wagner, D. (2017). Eine Chance für Kultur: Community Management im Kulturmarketing. Kultur und Management im Dialog, 121, 17-22.
Wagner, D., & Schirmer, H. (2016). Digitales HRM – „Gestalten oder Verwalten?“. personal manager, 2, 32-35.
Wagner, D. (2016). Community Management als Kernkompetenz in der digitalen Transformation. GGS Quarterly, 1, 5-8.
Wagner, D., Wagner, H.-T., & Ellermann, B. (2016). Online Communities als Quelle von Ideen und Innovationen. Ideen- und Innovationsmanagement, 1, 7-11. https://doi.org/10.37307/j.2198-3151.2016.01.04
Wagner, D. (2015). Zwischen den Zeilen: Digitale Geschäftsstrategien für den Wettbewerb in einer vernetzten Welt. GGS Quarterly, 1, 16-17.
Wagner, D. (2025). Community Centricity – Ein neues Leitbild für Organisationen. In T. Laub (Ed.), Community: Menschen befähigen. Potenziale entfalten. Transformation gestalten. Vom Publikum zur erfolgreichen Community (pp. 53–56). Independently published.
Zagst, M., Richter, A., & Wagner, D. (2014). Überzeugen, Sensibilisieren und Coachen von Führungskräften. In A. Richter (Ed.), Vernetzte Organisation (260-270). de Gruyter Oldenbourg.
Wagner, D. (2021, July 27). Ist Customer Engagement über Social Media überhaupt (noch) möglich? #d2mtalk Marathon, Munich, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2021, April 27). Trends im Customer Engagement und Community Management. #d2mtalk, episode 55, Munich, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2018, December 12). Social-Media- und Community-Management in Deutschland 2018. 84th Mercedes-Benz Social Media Night, Stuttgart, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2018, October 24). Social Media im Sportmanagement. MedienCampus Bayern, Munich, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2017, March 14). Aufbau und Management von Brand Communities. Gesellschaft für angewandtes Markenwissen e.V., Berlin, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2016, March 2). Zum Status von Social Media und Community Management in D-A-CH. 53rd Mercedes-Benz Social Media Night, Stuttgart, Germany.
Wagner, D., Schnurr, J.-M., Ellermann, B., Laub, T., Enke, S., & Lämmer, S. (2015, October 24-25). Zum Status von Social Media und Community Management in D-A-CH. CommunityCamp, Berlin.
Wagner, D. (2015, October 20). Zum Status von Social Media und Community Management in D-A-CH. Social Business Club/IBM Connect, Cologne, Germany.
Wagner, D. (2023, July 6). Community-Driven Business: Sieben Handlungsfelder für die Professionalisierung des Community Managements. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/community-driven-business-sieben-handlungsfelder-fuer-die-professionalisierung-des
Wagner, D. (2023, May 23). ChatGPT als Teammitglied – hybride Zusammenarbeit von Mensch und AI. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/chatgpt-als-teammitglied-hybride-zusammenarbeit-von-mensch-und-ai
Wagner, D. (2023, January 5). So wichtig ist Rating- und Review-Management für Unternehmen. Muuuh! Next.
https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/so-wichtig-ist-rating-und-review-management-fuer-unternehmen
Wagner, D. (2021, December 16). Vertrauen im B2B Outsourcing. Muuuh! https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/vertrauen-im-b2b-outsourcing
Wagner, D. (2021, September 9). The long tail of influencer marketing - Zielgenau im Mikrokosmos. Reachbird. https://www.reachbird.io/magazin/de/the-long-tail-of-influencer-marketing/
Wagner, D. (2021, September 1). Communities im Sport - Was Marketeers aller Branchen vom Sport lernen können. Muuuh! https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/was-marketeers-aller-branchen-vom-sport-lernen-koennen
Wagner, D. (2021, August 18). Studie: Outsourcing im Bereich Marketing und Kommunikation immer beliebter - Community Management an eine Agentur auslagern? Muuuh! https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/outsourcing-im-bereich-marketing-immer-beliebter
Wagner, D. (2021, March 26). Management Tools für erfolgreiche kundenzentrierte Kommunikation. Muuuh! Newshub. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/management-tools-fuer-erfolgreiche-kundenzentrierte-kommunikation
Wagner, D. (2021, February 11). Community Management - Make or buy? Muuuh! Newshub. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/community-management-make-or-buy
Wagner, D. (2021, January 15). Social Media: ein Blick auf Trump und Business Leader. Muuuh! Newshub. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/social-media-ein-blick-auf-trump-und-business-leader
Wagner, D. (2020, October 7). Conversational Platforms als strategisches Digitalisierungsinstrument. Muuh! Newshub. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/conversational-platforms-als-strategisches-digitalisierungsinstrument
Wagner, D. (2020. September 3). Social CRM und Firmentypen in der Praxis. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/social-crm-und-firmentypen-der-praxis
Wagner, D. (2020. July 22). #Instagram #Markenaufbau #PremierLeague: Social Media in Fußballclubs. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/instagram-markenaufbau-premierleague
Wagner, D. (2020, July 10). Community Management - Eine Chance für mehr Nähe und Unabhängigkeit. Kultur Management Network. https://www.kulturmanagement.net/Themen/Community-Management-Eine-Chance-fuer-mehr-Naehe-und-Unabhaengigkeit,4162
Wagner, D. (2020, May 20). Storytelling und Community Management in den Hunger Games. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/storytelling-und-community-management-den-hunger-games
Wagner, D. (2020, April 30). Communities können sehr viel, wenn man sie lässt. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/communities-koennen-sehr-viel-wenn-man-sie-laesst
Wagner, D. (2020, March 26). IT-Crowd und Community Management. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/it-crowd-und-community-management
Wagner, D. (2020, January 16). Schicksalsgemeinschaft – Online-Communities im Gesundheitssektor erfolgreich managen. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/schicksalsgemeinschaft-online-communities-im-gesundheitssektor-erfolgreich-managen
Wagner, D. (2019, November 11). Heavy User in einem Luxusartikel-Forum - Brand Community Engagement. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/heavy-user-in-einem-luxusartikel-forum
Wagner, D. (2019, October 4). Was ist Brand Community Engagement und wie kann man es messen? Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/was-ist-brand-community-engagement
Wagner, D. (2019, August 22). Trends im Social-Media- und Community-Management: Die BVCM-Studie. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/trends-im-social-media-und-community-management-die-bvcm-studie
Wagner, D. (2019, May 19). Online Communities als Kernbestandteil von Digitalstrategien. Muuuh! Blog. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/online-communities-als-kernbestandteil-von-digitalstrategien
Wagner, D. (2019, April 18). Digital Transformation Framework: 11 Fragen für Entscheider. Muuuh! Newshub. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/next/digital-transformation-framework
Wagner, D. (2019, March 23). Zur Strategischen Nutzung von Online Communities. Muuuh! Next. https://www.muuuh.de/hub/zur-strategischen-nutzung-von-online-communities
Westner, M., & Wagner, D. (2024, December 13). DBA/advisor collaboration: Building successful partnerships and publishing achievements [Presentation]. Xchange@Lunch, Munich Business School.
Wagner, D. (2022, November 22). WordPress with Wagner. Xchange@Lunch, Munich Business School.
Wagner, D. (2021, February 19). Use Cases of Enterprise Social Software in Consulting: A Practice Perspective. Science@Lunch, Munich Business School.
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