Expertise:
Hospitality Management, Human Resource Management, Service Operations, Tourism Management, Sharing Economy, Sustainability, Social Media, Service Marketing, Online Reviews, Hotel Sales, Market Analysis, Home-SharingProfessor Kwok’s research interests include hospitality trends, social media, information technology, service marketing, and service operations. His research work often appears in high-impact journals in the field, and he serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Hospitality Management (a corresponding editor), Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Between 2010 and 2022, he received over $155,000 in internal and external grant funds to support his scholarly work. He has presented more than 60 authored/co-authored papers at conferences and conducted over 10 invited presentations on pedagogical strategies, dinner etiquette, and research methods. His research work has won numerous best paper awards in academic conferences.
Selected Publications:
- With M.S. Lin, Green food packages’ effects on consumers’ pre- to post-consumption evaluations of restaurant curbside pickup service (International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Aug. 15, 2023)
- Labor shortage: A critical reflection and a call for industry-academia collaboration (International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2022).
- Should hotels offer Airbnb’s new split-stay booking options too? (HospitalityNet.org, June 2022)
- Curbside pickup in the post-COVID era? (Hospitality News Magazine, May 2022)
- “Want to win in future competitions? Invest in data-driven decisions now.” (Hotel-Online.com, Dec 2021)
- “Merger and acquisition: A growth opportunity in the pandemic crisis” (Today’s Hoteliers, an official publication/magazine of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, May, 2021)
- Crisis communication on social media: What types of COVID-19 messages get the attention? (Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 2021)
- Do job seekers’ social media profiles affect hospitality managers’ hiring decisions? A qualitative inquiry (Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2021)
- The 7Ps marketing mix of home-sharing services: Mining travelers’ online reviews on Airbnb (International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2020)
- Green attributes for restaurants: Do owners, managers, and consumers think alike? (International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2019)
Interviews:
- “New Data Just Revealed the Best 2023 Winter Getaway Destinations in the U.S.,” Travel + Leisure Magazine, Nov. 3
- “Is it safe to go there? The U.S. travel advisory system, explained,” National Geographic, Nov. 2, 2023
- “Best Winter Holiday Destinations (2023),” WalletHub.com, Oct. 31, 2023
- “Using Your Credit Cards & Other Methods to Travel Hack Responsibly and Safely,” MoneyGeek.com, Aug. 17, 2023
- “Comparing Travel Insurance to Find the Right Coverage for Your Trip,” MoneyGeek.com, Aug. 16, 2023
- “Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards in 2023,” MoneyGeek.com, April 26, 2023
- “China Tourism: Beijing reopens borders to tourists & issues all visas again,” CGTN America News (Washington, D.C.), March 23, 2023
- “2023 Outlook for the Foodservice Industry,” Hospitality Net, Jan. 31, 2023
- “Best Cities for New Year’s,” WalletHub.com, Dec. 12, 2022
- “Hidden Airline Fees May Soon Be a Thing of the Past,” Condé Nast Traveler, Sept. 28, 2022
- “The Hotel-Spirit,” Slate, July 17, 2022
- “US cities most impacted by leisure and hospitality job loss and recovery,” MoneyGeek.com, May 4, 2022
- “Iowa travel agencies continue to ride a pandemic roller coaster,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Sept. 24, 2021
- “As Americans eye spring and summer road trips, Springfield and Branson court travelers,” Springfield News-Leader (Springfield, MO), May 13, 2021
- “Expert’s voice: Can extended-stay hotels sustain growth beyond COVID?” Top Hotel News, Feb. 22, 2021
- “Airbnb and similar sites don’t show fees upfront. People are mad about it,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 9, 2020
- “Pandemic Impact on Retail and Hospitality During the Holiday Season,” Cap Radio, Nov. 2, 2020
- “More hotels are checking out of the Bible business,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 4, 2016
- “Be Wary of Awesome and Scathing Online Reviews,” NBC News, April 7, 2014
- “In a Race to Out-Rave, 5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5,” New York Times, 21, 2011
Education:
Ph.D., hospitality administration, Texas Tech University
M.S., restaurant, hotel and institutional management, Texas Tech University
M.B.A., Syracuse University
Languages:
English, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese