Tu Watchravesringkan
Associate Professor
Consumer Apparel-Retail Studies
Email Address: k_watchr@uncg.edu
Phone: 336.256.2474
Biography
Kittichai (Tu) Watchravesringkan (he is known by his students as Dr. Tu) earned a PhD in Retail and Consumer Sciences with a minor in marketing and cognate area in statistics from the University of Arizona. His MS and a BS, also in Retail and Consumer Sciences, are both from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. As a native of Thailand, he also holds a BS in Biotechnology from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology at Ladkrabang. His research interests are in the areas of cross-cultural (inter- and intra-country) studies, Internet consumption, marketing communication, service quality and satisfaction, hypermarket retailing, collaborative consumption, and brand management. Since joining UNC-Greensboro in January 2005, Dr. Tu has obtained almost $1.4 million in grants from various sponsors, including United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He has authored more than 46 peer-revered publications in various top-tier journals, including Journal of Business Research, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Journal of Brand Management, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, and International Journal of Consumer Studies. In addition, Dr. Tu has also published four book chapters and more than 130 peer-reviewed conference proceedings of papers presented at national and international conferences. He was the recipient of several honors and awards, including Best Papers and Editor’s Choice for Best Paper from AMA/ACRA, Papers of Distinction from ITAA, Dean’s Notable Scholar, Highly Commended Award from Emerald Publishing, HES 2008 Mary Frances Stone Outstanding Teacher, an award from the International Council of Shopping Center Education Foundation (ICSCEF), an IBM scholarship, and a University of Arizona graduate fellowship. Also, as an undergraduate student at UTK, he was the winner of the Marketing Plan Contest, sponsored by the Exxon Chemical Company in conjunction with TANDEC (Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center), and was the winner of the Undergraduate Research Fair. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Dr. Tu worked over three years in Thailand as Research and Development (R&D) for cosmetic company and pharmaceutical sale representative. His research interests are in the areas of cross-cultural (inter- and intra-country) studies, Internet consumption, marketing communication, service quality and satisfaction, and brand management. His teaching interests include retail buying, global retailing and management, consumer behavior, and research method.
Education
Ph.D. 2005 The University of Arizona, Major: Retailing and Consumer Sciences; Minor: Marketing (Eller College of Management); Cognate area: Statistics
M.S. 1999 The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Major: Retail and Consumer Sciences Department of Consumer and Industrial Service Management
B.S. 1997 The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Major: Retail and Consumer Sciences Department of Textiles, Retailing and Interior Design; Minor: Business Administration
B.S. 1989 King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand, Major: Biotechnology Department of Applied Science
Research/Publications
(Dr. Tu’ s Selected Publication since 2020)
Myin, Mon Thu, & Watchravesringkan, Kittichai. Investigating consumers’ adoption of AI
chatbots for apparel shopping. Submitted to: Journal of Consumer Marketing. [Accepted for Publication with Minor Revision as of December 4, 2023].
Williams, Annie, Hodges, Nancy, & Watchravesringkan, Kittichai (2023), An index is worth a thousand words: Considering consumer perspectives in the development of a
sustainability label. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 11, page to be determined.
Gil, Maria S., Su, Jin, Watchravesringkan, Kittichai, & Taras, Vasyl (2023). Do cosmopolitans care about the world? The effect of cosmopolitanism on the consumption of sustainable apparel. Submitted to Journal of Fashion Marketing Management [Accepted for
Publication as of September 11, 2023].
Seo, Sukyung, Watchravesringkan, Kittichai, Swamy, Uma, & Lang, Chunmin (2023).
Investigating expectancy values in online apparel rental during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Moderating effects of fashion leadership. Sustainability, 15(10), 1-17.
Vogel, Areti, Vogel, Jacob, Watchravesringkan, Kittichai, Cook, Sasikarn, Beasley, James, Croom, Randall, Peterson, Dale, & Finkelstein, Joshua (2023). Design Leader Imitation: An Interdisciplinary Investigation into Organizational Behavior,” Journal of Business
Research, 164(10), page to be determined.
Lee, Youngdeok, & Watchravesringkan, Kittichai (2022). How to promote eco-apparel? Effects of eco-labels and message framing. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 14(2), 69-82.
Ceballos, Lina, Hodges, Nancy, & Watchravesringkan, Kittichai (2021). Consumer preference and apparel products: Investigating the role of the centrality of visual product aesthetic
concept. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 14(3), 325 – 337.
Ceballos, Lina, Hodges, Nancy, & Watchravesringkan, Kittichai (2020). Decoding typicality in apparel products: An investigation of consumer perceptions. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 14(1), 37 – 47.
Hodges, Nancy, Watchravesringkan, Kittichai, Min, Seoha, Lee, Youngji, & Seo, Sukyung (2000). Teaching virtual apparel technology through industry collaboration: As
assessment of pedagogical process and outcomes. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, 13(2), 120 – 130.