Welcome Associate Professor of Marketing Wenkai Zhou: A Distinguished Teacher-Scholar with a Truly Global Perspective

The Crummer Graduate School of Business is thrilled to welcome Dr. Wenkai Zhou as an Associate Professor of Marketing. Dr. Zhou joins our faculty with a distinguished record of academic and professional achievements, bringing invaluable insights from his previous roles at the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.

Hailing from Xi’an, China’s ancient capital, Dr. Zhou offers profound insights into the cultural dimensions that shape global business ideologies. His international perspective, enriched by his childhood in Australia and extensive academic experiences across the United States, equips him with a unique ability to bridge Eastern and Western business practices. Dr. Zhou is passionate about guiding individuals and organizations through the complexities of global trends, technological transformations, and cross-cultural consumer decision-making—skills that are critical for making strategic marketing decisions in today’s interconnected and unpredictable global economy.

Dr. Zhou’s research interests span the AI-marketing interface, marketing in emerging markets, digital technology adoption, organizational adaptability, consumer decision-making, and innovative survey methodologies. His scholarly work has been presented at numerous academic conferences and published in a wide array of journals, earning him multiple track best paper awards at the Society for Marketing Advances annual conferences. In 2022, his co-authored study on salespeople’s AI acceptance was honored with an honorable mention for the prestigious Marvin Jolson Award for Best Contribution to Selling and Sales Management Practice by the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. Dr. Zhou has also served as a co-guest editor for special issues of the International Marketing Review and the International Journal of Market Research, and he currently sits on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Global Marketing and the Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research.

Dr. Zhou discovered his passion for teaching about five years ago when he began instructing MBA courses. “MBA students are incredibly interactive,” he shares. “Their professional experience brings a rich dynamic to class discussions.” Crummer’s outstanding reputation in graduate business education and its recent high rankings were key factors that drew Dr. Zhou to our institution.

With his global experiences from China to Australia and beyond, Dr. Zhou will be a tremendous asset to Crummer students. He plans to share his deep understanding of global trends, particularly the technological transformations he has observed and their implications for marketing. “Business today is conducted on a digital scale far greater than a decade ago. E-commerce, online marketplaces, and social media have connected consumers across different cultures more than ever before. Understanding cross-cultural consumer behavior has become essential for global companies making strategic marketing decisions.”

A pioneer in AI research, Dr. Zhou published one of the first peer-reviewed papers on ChatGPT and marketing, titled “ChatGPT and Marketing: Analyzing Public Discourse in Early Twitter Posts.” He likens the rise of AI to the advent of the internet, noting, “Just as the internet once sparked fears of job displacement, AI is seen similarly today. Those who learn to harness AI will advance in their careers and enhance productivity. It’s not AI that will replace jobs, but those who can’t use AI effectively may be replaced by those who can.”

Dr. Zhou’s work on ChatGPT is just one example of his many contributions to the field. He takes special pride in having collaborated with a former MBA student on this project, underscoring his commitment to fostering student engagement in research. He is also passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, believing it enhances both business scholarship and practice. “Rollins’ rich liberal arts tradition provides a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary work that benefits both scholars and practitioners,” he says.

Currently, Dr. Zhou is engaged in several new research projects with various teams. One study explores sustainable consumer behavior, specifically how the use of appealing sea animals and anthropomorphic language in advertising influences pro-environmental behavior. Another examines the impact of locking up products to reduce retail theft on consumer purchasing intentions, investigating which products are most affected and identifying potential solutions for retailers.

As Dr. Zhou begins his tenure at Crummer, he is eager to contribute to the students’ learning journeys and collaborate with his new colleagues. “I’m excited to learn more about our students—their career goals, what they want to learn about marketing, and how I can support them. I’m also excited to work with my colleagues to help realize the dean’s vision. Business leaders need to be forward-thinking, and I’m eager to contribute to this process and make a meaningful impact.”

When Dr. Zhou isn’t immersed in his academic work, he enjoys spending time with his two dogs, a husky mix and a chiweenie, and traveling—having visited over forty states.

In welcoming Dr. Zhou to Crummer, we are not only gaining a distinguished teacher-scholar but also a passionate educator with a truly global perspective. His extensive marketing expertise, combined with his deep understanding of cultural dynamics and technological transformations, will be invaluable to our students and faculty. We are thrilled to have him on board and look forward to the many contributions he will make in the years to come.