Bio
Dr. Lara Khabbaz is an assistant professor of marketing at the Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB). She holds a doctorate in business administration from Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (IAE Lyon), a Master of Science in international business from the triple-accredited KEDGE Business School in France, and an Executive MBA from Notre Dame University–Louaize (NDU), Lebanon.
Prior to joining AKSOB, Dr. Khabbaz served as Director of the Marketing Office at NDU, where she led strategic communication initiatives and institutional branding efforts. She also headed the Lifelong Learning Center, designing and implementing executive education and capacity-building programs. In parallel, she taught marketing courses as a part-time faculty member in the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
Her research interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurial marketing, women’s empowerment, and crisis resilience, with a particular focus on social impact and community-based value co-creation. Her approach is interdisciplinary and action-oriented, emphasizing participatory methods that bridge academic inquiry with practical relevance. She is especially committed to research in fragile and under-researched contexts such as Lebanon.
Dr. Khabbaz’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Her academic contributions are grounded in addressing real-world challenges and promoting inclusive economic development.
In addition to her academic role, she is the co-founder and managing partner of INSIGHTS for Consultancy, a boutique firm specializing in strategic marketing and organizational capacity building. She also serves as Production Director at KHABBAZ Production s.a.r.l., a family-run performing arts management company.
Teaching Interests
- Introduction to Marketing
- Consumer behavior
- Integrated marketing communication
- International marketing
- Sales management
- Strategic Marketing
- Marketing management
Research Interests
- Go to Market Strategies
- Entrepreneurial Marketing
- Sustainability
- Consumer Behavior and Brand Management
- Organizational Development and Change Management
- Female Entrepreneurship Resilience and Coping Strategies
Publications
Articles in Academic and Trade Journals:
Kuran, O., & Khabbaz, L. (2025). Women entrepreneurs in challenging contexts: the role of purpose and coping strategies in building resilience. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies.
Khabbaz, L., & Kuran, O. (2025). Storytelling for Legitimacy and Brand Building: Insights from Lebanese Social Enterprises. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 1-28.
Kuran, O., & Khabbaz, L. (2025). Leveraging social media marketing and AI to enhance social performance in women-led microenterprises. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1-26.
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & Nehme, Z. (2025). Leading change: practical and contextual approaches. International Journal of Organizational Analysis.
Khabbaz, L., Kuran, O., & Youness, H. (2025). Crafting Value in Challenging Times: The Value Proposition Development of Lebanese Microbusinesses. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2025, No. 1, p. 15411). Valhalla, NY 10595: Academy of Management.
Kuran, O., & Khabbaz, L. (2024). Stakeholder dynamics in rural Lebanese women’s entrepreneurship. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 18(5), 1098-1125.
Khabbaz, L., & Kuran, O. (2024). Empowering rural Lebanese female entrepreneurs: A resource-based perspective. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 29(01), 2450002.
Khabbaz, L., & Datry, F. (2024). Storytelling-based Socio-economic Interventions for Theaters. In A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling Set 1: Corporate and Business Strategies of Business Storytelling Volume 5: Business Storytelling of Socioeconomics (pp. 163-179).
Kuran, O., Bassil, D., & Khabbaz, L. (2023). Capítulo 18. La gestión socioeconómica en un contexto transcultural. In Tratado de gestión socioeconómica: teoría y prácticas (pp. 236-244). McGraw Hill España.
Kuran, O., Bassil, D., & Khabbaz, L. (2021). Chapitre 18. SEAM in Cross-Cultural Context. In Traité du management socio-économique (pp. 274-282). EMS Editions.
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & El Hage, U. (2019,). The Contribution of Dual Structure to the Enhancement of Higher Education Institutions. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2019, No. 1, p. 11560). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & Nehme, Z. N. (2017). Internal Intervener, Hidden Leader. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2017, No. 1, p. 17190). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Khabbaz, L. (2017). The SEAM Contribution to the Management of Theatrical Performances: Case of Chateau Trianon–Lebanon. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2017, No. 1, p. 13744). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Chapter in a book
Khabbaz, L., & Datry, F. (2024). Storytelling-based Socio-economic Interventions for Theaters. In A World Scientific Encyclopedia of Business Storytelling Set 1: Corporate and Business Strategies of Business Storytelling Volume 5: Business Storytelling of Socioeconomics (pp. 163-179).
Kuran, O., Bassil, D., & Khabbaz, L. (2023). Seam in Cross-Cultural Context. Socio-Economic Approach to Management Treatise: Theory and Practices, 185.
Kuran, O., Bassil, D., & Khabbaz, L. (2023). Capítulo 18. La gestión socioeconómica en un contexto transcultural. In Tratado de gestión socioeconómica: teoría y prácticas (pp. 236-244). McGraw Hill España.
In refereed conferences
Khabbaz, L., Kuran, O., & Youness, H. (2025). Crafting Value in Challenging Times: The Value Proposition Development of Lebanese Microbusinesses. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2025, No. 1, p. 15411). Valhalla, NY 10595: Academy of Management.
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & El Hage, U. (2019, July). The Contribution of Dual Structure to the Enhancement of Higher Education Institutions. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2019, No. 1, p. 11560). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Kuran, O., Khabbaz, L., & Nehme, Z. N. (2017). Internal Intervener, Hidden Leader. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2017, No. 1, p. 17190). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Khabbaz, L. (2018). The SEAM Contribution to the management of theatrical performances: the case of Château Trianon–Lebanon. DBA dissertation. University Jean Moulin, Lyon, 3.
Zardet, V., Sorensen, P., Yaeger, T., Franz, D., Khabbaz, L., Nehme, Z., … & Basil, D. (2017). Management Consulting Practices in Cross-cultural Contexts, Professional Development Workshop. In Academy of Management Annual Meeting.