Radford University
Yumei Mu
Assistant Professor
Marketing, Dept of
- Phone:
- (540) 831-6402
- Address:
-
Kyle Hall 386
Box 6917 - Email:
- ymu1@radford.edu
Biography
As a consumer behavior researcher, I’m fascinated by the what, why, and how behind people’s decisions. Exploring the psychology that drives consumer behavior is deeply rewarding to me.
Before returning to academia, I spent over a decade in the marketing industry—working for a Fortune 500 company as well as two start-ups. That experience allows me to bridge theory and practice in the classroom, connecting lecture content to real-world applications and addressing students’ questions with practical insight.
Today, I remain passionate about applying marketing knowledge in real-world contexts. I continue to collaborate with organizations on projects aimed at solving real business challenges.
Education
Ph.D. in Marketing, West Virginia University, John Chambers College of Business and Economics, Morgantown, WV, USA
M.A. in English, Shandong University, College of Foreign Languages, Jinan, Shandong, China
B.A. in English, Shandong University, College of Foreign Languages, Jinan, Shandong, China
Recent Research and Engagement
Presentation at the Pedagogy and Faculty Development Conference, August 2026, Radford, VA
Courses Taught
MKTG 344, Sales Management
MKTG 360, Professional Selling
MKTG 446, Marketing Research
Publications - Journals
Yim, A., Liska, L., Mu, Y., & Thakkar, M. (2026). I feel no empathy toward AI: the effects of AI vs human spokespersons on advertisement effectiveness. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 20(1), 108-122.
Mu, Y., Givi, J., & He, S. X. (2025). Happy to see your benefit go: the impact of reductions in peers’ benefits on consumers’ loyalty program satisfaction. European Journal of Marketing, 59(12), 2763-2787.
Mu, Y., Givi, J., & He, S. (2025). Enhancing student satisfaction via social comparisons. Plos one, 20(11), e0335910.
Mu, Y., & Givi, J. (2025). Who cares more? A giver–recipient asymmetry in the importance of selecting a good gift. European Journal of Marketing, 59(1), 59-85.
Givi, J., & Mu, Y. (2023). The oversensitivity in gift-giving phenomenon. Marketing Letters, 34(4), 619-631.
Givi, J., & Mu, Y. (2022). Your gift, but my attitude: gift-givers’ aversion to attitude-inconsistent gifts. European Journal of Marketing, 56(5), 1488-1511.
Publications - Chapters
Yim, A., Liska, L., Mu, Y., & Thakkar, M. (2026). AI-Generated Spokesperson. In Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing (pp. 1-9). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Publications - Book Reviews/Translations
Whyte, W. H. (2020). The organization man. Trans. Xu, B., Mu, Y., & Wu, H. Beijing:
Peking University Press.
Honors and Awards
Davis College 2025–26 Faculty Research Grant, Radford University, 2026
Davis College 2024–25 Faculty Research Grant, Radford University, 2025
Davis College 2023–24 Faculty Research Grant, Radford University, 2024