Herbert Woratschek named Emeritus of Honour at the University of Bayreuth

Over the course of more than 25 years, Professor Woratschek established the field of Service Management at the University of Bayreuth and shaped it far beyond the boundaries of the university. In 1996, he took over as Chair of Marketing & Service Management at Bayreuth and led the department until April 2022. Countless students have learned the “Logic of Successful Services”, a concept he developed further, and continue to apply his research findings and theories in their professional careers. In this way, his work at the University of Bayreuth has had a lasting impact on real-world practice. Numerous alumni still describe his lectures as formative for their careers and professional development.

The consistently high ratings of his teaching by students were impressively confirmed in 2007 when he received offers from the universities of Leipzig and Innsbruck: the student councils of Sport and Business launched the “We want Woratschek” campaign, complete with petition, posters and a Zeppelin carrying a slogan banner. In the end, Woratschek chose to remain at the University of Bayreuth.

Woratschek also played a key role in enhancing the international profile of the Faculty of Law, Business & Economics. He was instrumental in establishing the Visiting Professorship Programme, which quickly became a cornerstone of the faculty’s internationalisation strategy in research and teaching. He also successfully launched a Double Degree Master’s programme in Sport Management in partnership with Ohio University in the United States. Since 2010, he has served as academic director of the MBA Sport Management programme, which holds a leading position among sport management MBAs in both German-speaking countries and across Europe.

Within the academic communities of Marketing and Sport Management, Woratschek enjoys an outstanding reputation for his innovative research. His article “The sport value framework – a new fundamental logic for analyses in sport management”, in which he presents a new conceptual framework for sport management research and practice, is among the most frequently cited publications in the field. He remains active in the German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB), where he once chaired the Marketing section. For over a decade, he also served on the board of the European Association for Sport Management (EASM), including seven years as Vice President. In 2017, he was the first-ever recipient of the EASM Distinguished Service Award. In 2024, he was honoured with the EASM’s most prestigious award, the EASM Chelladurai Award.

“I am truly delighted to receive this award – it is not only a great honour but also a motivation for me to continue supporting the University of Bayreuth in an advisory role,” says Woratschek. “In particular, I am passionate about supporting young researchers and fostering international exchange in research and teaching. The ‘Logic of Successful Services’ and the principle of value co-creation that we have developed offer a valuable foundation for working with young academics and industry partners to develop forward-looking concepts.”