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Assistant Professor

University of Central Oklahoma

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Business Admin. (Marketing), New Mexico State University, 2017
  • M.B.A., Management and Marketing, University of California, Riverside, 2013
  • B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Business Admin. (Marketing), Eastern Washington University, 2010

About

Wenkai Zhou, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Previously, he was a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Zhou currently teaches in the MBA program and in the undergraduate business program at UCO. He has experience teaching Principles of Marketing, Marketing Research, International Marketing, Marketing Management and Consumer Behavior at the undergraduate level, as well as Market Driven Strategies at the graduate level. 

Originally from Xi'an, the greatest ancient capital of China, Zhou understands the essence of Chinese cultural dimensions that create an impact on their business ideologies. In contrast, he's acclimated well to international arenas through three years of childhood experience in N.S.W., Australia and many years of academic pursuit in various parts of the United States. Moreover, he has also participated in a global enterprise management seminar series held at Oxford University, the United Kingdom, to further expand his horizon and develop entrepreneurial creativity in a global context. 

Zhou's current research interests include marketing in emerging markets, digital technology adoption and organizational adaptiveness, consumer decision-making, innovative survey methodologies, marketing ethics, and marketing pedagogy. He has presented at various academic conferences and his work has appeared in journals such as Journal of Business ResearchEuropean Journal of MarketingJournal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Brand ManagementJournal of Personal Selling & Sales ManagementJournal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Marketing Intelligence & PlanningJournal of Marketing Theory and Practice, and International Journal of Emerging Markets, among others. His research has won track best paper awards at the Society for Marketing Advances annual conferences.

Zhou actively serves his academic profession and has reviewed manuscripts for journals such as Journal of AdvertisingJournal of Business EthicsEuropean Journal of MarketingInternational Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, International Journal of Market ResearchInternational Journal of Bank Marketing, Information Technology & PeopleJournal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Journal of Marketing Theory and PracticeAsia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Journal of Marketing Channels, Frontiers in Psychology, and Electronic Commerce Research and Applications; as well as for conferences such as the American Marketing Association's Academic Conferences (AMA), the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), the Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conferences (AMS), and the Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conferences (SMA). He has served as a co-guest editor for a special issue of International Marketing Review, as well as for a special issue of International Journal of Market Research. He also serves on the editorial review board of Journal of Global Marketing and Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research

Research, Published Work, and Scholarly Activities

SCHOLARLY JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Zhang, C., Vorhies, D.W., & Zhou, W. (2023 Forthcoming). An integrated model of retail brand equity: The role of consumer shopping experience and shopping value. Journal of Brand Management. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-023-00311-2

Zhang, W., Jiang, Y., Zhou, W., & Pan, W. (2023). Antecedents of knowledge-seeking intentions and efforts within new product development teams: Empirical evidence from knowledge-based Chinese companies. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(2), 356-382. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-08-2021-0617

Li, H., Wang, X., Wang, S., Zhou, W., & Yang, Z. (2023). The power of numbers: An examination of the relationship between numerical cues in online review comments and perceived review helpfulness. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing17(1), 126-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-09-2021-0239

Jiang, L., Zhou, W., Ren, Z., & Yang, Z. (2022). Make the apps stand out: Discoverability and perceived value are vital for adoption. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 16(4), 494-513. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-03-2021-0076  

Yao, Q.*, Tao, X.*, & Zhou, W.* (2022). To make your mouth water or not? How field dependence/independence and occasion-setting cues affect consumers’ food intake intention. European Journal of Marketing, 56(11), 2862-2891. *Denotes equal contribution. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-07-2021-0571  

Yao, Q., Wu, Z., & Zhou, W. (2022). The impact of social class and service type on preference for AI service robots. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 17(4), 1049-1066. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-05-2021-0804

Yao, Q., Wan, Q., Li, S., Zhou, W., & Yang, Z. (2022). Perceived power and smile intensity in service encounters. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 40(3), 372-387. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-07-2021-0216

Chen, J.*, & Zhou, W.* (2022). Drivers of salespeople’s AI acceptance: What do managers think? Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 42(2), 107-120. *Denotes equal contribution. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2021.2016058

Kostyk, A., Zhou, W., Hyman, M.R., & Paas, L. (2021). Securing higher-quality data from self-administered questionnaires. International Journal of Market Research, 63(6), 685-692. https://doi.org/10.1177/14707853211057172

Liu, R., An, E., & Zhou, W. (2021). The effect of online search volume on financial performance: Marketing insight from Google Trends data of the top five US technology firms. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice29(4), 423-434. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2020.1867478

Zhou, W., Yang, Z., & Hyman, M.R. (2021). Contextual influences on marketing and consumerism: An East Asian perspective. International Marketing Review, 38(4), 641-656. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-11-2020-0274

Hyman, M.R., Zhou, W., Taillon, B.J., & Steiner, S.D. (2021). Self-customizable online courses: One size does not fit all. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice21(3), 12-20. https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v21i3.4137

Kostyk, A., Zhou, W., & Hyman, M.R. (2019). Using surveytainment to counter declining survey data quality. Journal of Business Research95(February), 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.024

Zhou, W., Lee, Y.F.L., & Hyman, M.R. (2017). When old meets new: How China’s ‘Double-Eleven’ Day challenges Confucianism. Asian Journal of Business Research7(1), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.14707/ajbr.170029

BOOK CHAPTERS

Zhou, W. (2022). The social shopping movement in China: From TaoBao to WeChat. In A. Hanlon and T. Tuten (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Marketing. SAGE Publishing.

Zhang, R., & Zhou, W. (2018). Quantum storytelling network analysis of supply chain management: A case study. In D. Boje and M. Sanchez (Eds.), The Emerald Handbook of Quantum Storytelling Consulting. Emerald Group Publishing.

PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS & PROCEEDINGS

Wang, X., Zhou, W., & Wang, D. (2022). How e-commerce assurance mechanisms affect corporate reputation. Extended abstract published in Proceedings of the 2022 American Marketing Association Winter Academic Conference, and presented at the virtual conference.

Zhang, C., & Zhou, W. (2022). An integrated model of retail brand equity. Extended abstract published in Proceedings of the 2022 American Marketing Association Winter Academic Conference, and presented at the virtual conference.

Hyman, M.R., Zhou, W., Taillon, B.J., & Steiner, S.D. (2020). Self-customizable online marketing research course. Summary brief published in Proceedings of the 2020 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference, and presented at the virtual conference. 

Chu, C., Zhou, W., & Huang, T. (2019). Re-examination of the IKEA effect using the hedonic pricing method. Extended abstract published in Proceedings of the 2019 American Marketing Association Summer Academic Conference, and presented in Chicago, IL.

Kostyk, A., Zhou, W., & Hyman, M.R. (2019). Use of surveytainment elements in knowledge-assessment tests. Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2019 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, and presented in Vancouver, Canada.

Chu, C., Huang, T., & Zhou, W. (2019). How can second-degree price discrimination inform product bundling arrangements? Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2019 Marketing Management Association Annual Conference, and presented in Chicago, IL.

Gai, L., Zhou, W., & Li, Y. (2018). Could the superheroes save retail? Summary brief published in Proceedings of the 2018 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference, and presented in West Palm Beach, FL. (Best Paper in Retailing Track)

Bansal, G., & Zhou, W. (2018). Web-Image Signifier Congruency Theory (WISC): Conceptualization and examination in an online donation context. Complete research published in Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2018), and presented in New Orleans, LA.

Chu, C., Huang, T., & Zhou, W. (2018). The pricier the merrier: How the Law of Demand informs value-based pricing. Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2018 Academy of Marketing Science World Marketing Congress, and presented in Porto, Portugal.

Zhou, W. (2018). Exploring the structure of Chinese consumers' attitudes toward genetically modified foods. Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2018 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, and presented in New Orleans, LA.

Jiang, J., Huhmann, B.A., & Zhou, W. (2017). Emerging male gender portrayals in Chinese advertising. Summary brief published in Proceedings of the 2017 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference, and presented in Louisville, KY.

Zhou, W., Hyman, M.R., & Leonhardt, J. M. (2017). Examining online Chinese buyer-seller relationships: Understanding e-guanxi. Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2017 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, and presented in Coronado Island, CA.

Zhou, W., Hyman, M.R., & Jiang, J. (2016). Managing emotions in buyer-seller relationships: Enhancing sales performance through proactive presales service. Summary brief published in Proceedings of the 2016 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference, and presented in Atlanta, GA.

Kostyk, A., Zhou, W., & Hyman, M.R. (2016). Surveytainment: A possible solution to declining survey data quality. Summary brief published in Proceedings of the 2016 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference, and presented in Atlanta, GA. (Best Paper in Marketing Research Track)

Zhou, W., Lee, Y.F.L., & Hyman, M.R. Is e-commerce transforming sales in Confucian culture? Implications of China's Double-Eleven Day. Presented at the poster session of the 2016 American Marketing Association Summer Academic Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Zhou, W., Lee, Y.F.L., & Hyman, M.R. (2016). How China’s ‘Double-Eleven’ Day challenges Confucianism. Abstract published in Proceedings of the 2016 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, and presented in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE

  • Co-Guest Editor, special issue of International Journal of Market Research (August 2019- October 2021). Link to the Special Issue: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/mre/63/6
  • Lead Guest Editor, special issue of International Marketing Review (February 2018- June 2021). Link to the Special Issue: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0265-1335/vol/38/iss/4
  • Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Global Marketing, (January 2019 - Present)
  • Global Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research, (March 2019 - Present)

Classes Taught

  • Market Driven Strategies (MBA)
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Marketing Research
  • International Marketing
  • Marketing Management
  • Consumer Behavior

The views expressed by UCO faculty and staff on their personal websites and social media pages do not necessarily reflect the positions of the University of Central Oklahoma. UCO faculty and staff are advised to follow the university’s social media guidelines and are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with policies outlined in UCO’s Employee Handbook and/or Faculty Handbook.