Dr. Giulia Parola is Professor of International Business at Munich Business School and a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Economics and Management, University of the Bundeswehr Munich. She also collaborates with the European Center for Social Finance, a competence center affiliated with MBS that focuses on social impact and its management.
Beyond academia, Giulia works as an expert, project lead, and trainer, conducting workshops and webinars for professionals. She leads several EU-funded vocational education and training projects in areas such as social entrepreneurship, workplace wellbeing and family businesses.
Originally from Italy, Giulia has built an international profile through academic and professional experiences in Spain, Morocco, and India. Since 2014, she has been based in Germany, where she earned a Master’s degree in Life Science Economics and Policy from the Technical University of Munich and a Doctorate in Economic and Social Sciences from the Bundeswehr University Munich. Her doctoral research focused on bridging the science-practice gap in management.
Professor for International Business
Pre-Bachelor, Bachelor International Business, Master’s Programs, and MBA
Intercultural Competencies; Idea Development and Startups; Impact Investing; Critical Thinking and Media Literacy; Critical Thinking, Data, and Text Literacy, Academic Writing, Introduction to the Bachelor Thesis, Master Thesis Preparation
Parola, G. (2024). Philosophy is everywhere: A much-needed roadmap to finding it [Review of the book Philosophy and management studies: A research overview, by R. Mir & M. Greenwood]. Culture and Organization, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2024.2433460
Parola, G., Thaler, J., & Solivo, M. (2024). Metaphors in career development: Using ZMET to explore how an employment initiative changes NEETs’ mental models. Journal of Career Assessment, 32(1), 154–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727231185174
Parola, G., Spiess-Knafl, W., & Thaler, J. (2022). The butterfly effect: How academics’ and practitioners’ micro-practices shape turning points in response to paradox. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 21(3), 369–393. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2021.0235
Parola, G. (2021). Escape from parents’ basement? Post COVID-19 scenarios for the future of youth employment in Italy. Quaderni di Economia del Lavoro (Labour Economics Papers), 111, 51-71. http://doi.org/10.3280/QUA2020-111003
Parola, G. (2023). Seeing the practice light at the end of the research tunnel: Toward an integration of theory, research and practice in career management [Doctoral dissertation, Universität der Bundeswehr München].
Parola, G., & Scheck, B. (2018). Scaling trust-based partnership models to recharge youth entrepreneurship: supporting underserved communities with innovative entrepreneurship support instruments. 2nd Social Impact Investments International Conference, December 12-13, 2018, Sapienza Università Roma, Rome, Italy.
Parola, G., Thaler, J., & Weatherall, R. (2026, June 9). Counter-storytelling in feminist politics: Alternative, master, and hybrid narratives of career identity in the Writing Differently movement [Conference presentation]. 16th Annual Gender, Work & Organization Conference, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.
Parola, G. (2026, June 8). From meaninglessness to desirable futures: Reimaging higher education through utopian fiction [Conference presentation]. 16th Annual Gender, Work & Organization Conference, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.
Wolber, L., Parola, G., & Thaler, J. (2026, March 20). Misfit and emotions: An exploration through individuals’ lived experiences [Conference presentation]. 85. VHB Tagung, Göttingen, Germany.
Wolber, L., Englert, B., Thaler, J., & Parola, G. (2025, July 25–29). Volunteers’ perceived person–environment misfit [Paper presentation]. 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Copenhagen, Denmark. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2025.11481abstract
Parola, G., Thaler, J., & Weatherall, R. (2025, July 21–23). Positioning career identity through alternative narratives in neoliberal academia: The case of the Writing Differently movement [Paper presentation]. Gender, Work & Organization Conference (GWO 2025), Audencia Business School, Nantes, France.
Wolber, L., Englert, B., Thaler, J., & Parola, G. (2025, February 5–7). Volunteer management in focus: Negative experiences of volunteers [Paper presentation]. Conference “Research for Civil Protection”, Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), Bonn, Germany.
Wolber, L., Englert, B., Thaler, J., & Parola, G. (2024, July 16). Volunteers’ perceived person–environment misfit [Conference presentation]. 16th International Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research, Antwerp, Belgium.
Parola, G. (2020, September 17-18). Escape from parents' basement? Post COVID-19 scenarios for the future of youth employment in Italy. 35th National Conference of Labour Economics, Virtual Conference.
Parola, G., & Spiess-Knafl, W. (2020, February 5). Putting a man in the labour market: Academic-practitioner collaborations in career management. Kolloquium des Forschungsschwerpunkts Management öffentlicher Aufgaben, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg, Deutschland.
Parola, G. (2019, September 10-12). Explaining and linking institutional trust to job search self-efficacy: a cross-sectional study. Dynamic Capabilities & Relationships (DCR) Conference, Heilbronn, Germany.
Parola, G. (2019, September 2). Explaining and linking political trust to job search self-efficacy in three disadvantaged regions in Europe: a cross-sectional study. 11th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), The Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Parola, G. (2019, September 2). Explaining and linking political trust to job search self-efficacy in three disadvantaged regions in Europe: a cross-sectional study. 11th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), The Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Parola, G., Lavano, V., Vita, N., Di Giacomo, E., Bovio, F., Franco, C., Barrios, M., Schabereiter, W., Schabereiterand, R., Pompaeva, Z., & Medrea-Mogensen, D. (2024). Rethinking wellbeing at workplaces in the European SMEs. STAY OK Project.
Parola, G., & Blazy, C. (2021). Multi-method, iterative and user-centered needs assessment for the next generation of social enterprises [BEYOND CAPITAL project report]. BEYOND CAPITAL.
Parola, G., Alexopoulos, Y., Perifanos, I., & Solivo, M. (2021). YES! Impact Assessment Report 2021 (1): Italy. EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.
Parola, G., Alexopoulos, Y., Perifanos, I., Migon, A., & Mucha, O. (2021). YES! Impact Assessment Report 2021 (1): Poland. EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.
Parola, G., Alexopoulos, Y., Arís, G., & Bejarano, A. (2021). YES! Impact Assessment Report 2021 (1): Spain. EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.
Parola, G., Alexopoulos, Y., Perifanos, I., & Chalatsis, T. (2021). YES! Impact Assessment Report 2021 (1): Greece. EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.
Parola, G. (2019). Thinking Space No.22. Creating an impact assessment framework. Retrieved from: https://youngentrepreneurssucceed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Thinking-Space-No22_Creating-an-impact-assessment-framework.pdf
Parola, G. (2019). Thinking Space Paper No.34: Italy’s citizens’ income scheme. Retrieved from: https://youngentrepreneurssucceed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Thinking-Space-No34_Italys-Citizens-Income-scheme.pdf
Parola, G. (2019). Thinking Space Paper No. 21: Developing a Theory of Change. Retrieved from: https://youngentrepreneurssucceed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Thinking-Space-No21_Developing-a-Theory-of-Change.pdf
Parola, G. (2023). Collaborating in European Projects: Many Hands (Don't Always) Make Light Work.
Parola, G. (2024, October 24). Second update on the implementation status of the ERASMUS+ project STAY OK. Munich Business School Insights. https://www.munich-business-school.de/insights/en/2024/second-update-on-the-implementation-status-of-the-erasmus-project-stay-ok/
Parola, G. (2020, July 31). Is youth a key trait of successful entrepreneurs? Iceland Liechtenstein Norway grants. https://youthemploymentmag.net/2020/07/31/is-youth-a-key-trait-of-successful-entrepreneurs/
Parola, G. (2026, July 14). 16th Gender, Work and Organization (GWO) Conference in Astana: Impressions from the Qazaq steppe! [Presentation]. Xchange@Lunch, Munich Business School, Munich, Germany.
Parola, G. (2025, February 26). From ideas to impact: EU-funded collaborations at MBS and its research center. Xchange@Lunch, Munich Business School.
Parola, G. (2022, June 7). How to successfully publish journal articles – The Copenhagen Business School's view [Presentation]. MBS Lunch Talk, Munich Business School.
Parola, G., & Tülü, M. (2021, November 16). Doing Research With Real-world Impact Through Project Grants. Science@Lunch, Munich Business School.
Parola, G., & Scheck, B. (2019, February 12). Social Finance at MBS: Engaging in Impact-Focused Projects. MBS Brown Bag Seminar, Munich Business School.
Parola, Giulia (2023): Podcast guest appearance “#85 Collaborating in EU projects: A book conversation w. guest Giulia Parola”, The Grant Podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WLIt51jX0otxX7j87OtXy.
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80687 München Germany