Bobbie Rathjens

Bobbie Rathjens is currently a PhD student at Michigan State University. Bobbie brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to her research by bridging insights from the School of Hospitality Business. With a Master's degree in Marketing Research from the Eli Broad College of Business, she seamlessly integrates academic rigor with extensive industry experience. Bobbie anticipates graduating in the spring of 2025 and will be on the job market starting in 2024. Please reach out to her if you'd like to collaborate or are interested in learning more about her. 

Previously serving as a Director of Marketing at a renowned ski and golf resort and a Corporate Social Media Strategist in the healthcare sector, Bobbie's professional journey informs her scholarly pursuits. Her research navigates consumer behavior in digital contexts, focusing on the nuanced interplay of online reviews, social media influencers, and emerging communication technologies within the hospitality industry. This work has led to notable publications in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and Communication Reports.

An adept educator, Bobbie has led courses in Hospitality Marketing Analytics, Human Communication, Social Media Applications, and Introduction to Marketing. She also served as a teaching assistant for Hospitality Business Strategy. Her commitment to educational excellence is further evidenced by her certification in QM: Quality Matters Applying the Rubric (APPQMR), demonstrating her proficiency in developing high-quality online course content.

Rathjens, B., Gunden, N., Zhang, L., Jain, G., & Law, R. (2023). A systematic review of contactless technologies research in hospitality and tourism during the COVID-pandemic. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231191192Zhang, L., Wei, W., Rathjens, B., & Zheng, Y. (2023). Pet influencers on social media: The joint effect of message appeal and narrator. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 110, 103453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103453
Wei, W., Zhang, L., Rathjens, B., & McGinley, S. (2022). Electronic consumer-to-consumer interaction (eCCI) post a service failure: The psychological power of need for approval. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221141649  Rathjens, B., Van Der Heide, B., Pham, D., Earle, K., Ulusoy, E., Mason, A. J., Zhang, Y., & Bredland, A. (2023). Negative online reviews and manager response: Applying expectancy disconfirmation theory in a CMC context. Communication Reports, 36(2), 110–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2022.2154815Yang, W., Zhang, L., Wei, W., Yoo, M., & Rathjens, B. (2023). Do we love celebrity endorsers? The joint impacts of consumers’ need for status, celebrity’s star power and image congruence on celebrity endorsement effectiveness. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-05-2023-0313Rathjens, B., Wu, A., Zhang, L., & Wei, W. [Title withheld.] Manuscript invited for revision to Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. Rathjens, B., Zhang, L., & Cha, J. [Title withheld.] Manuscript submitted for publication to Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology.