Research Interest and Projects in Progress

We currently focus on the following research themes:

(1) User-centered and AI-driven Solutions for Consumer Wellbeing. We explore how AI and digital technologies can foster consumer wellbeing, especially in the social and emotional aspects. Our research bridges scientific insights and real-world practice in the wellbeing economy — investigating how responsible design, consumer psychology, ethical governance, and market mechanisms can be shaped to align technological innovation with user adoption and genuine wellbeing outcomes.

(2) Human-AI Affective Interaction. We explore the affective bonds that human users develop through their interactions with AI products and services, and examine the implications of such affective relationships for consumer emotional and social wellbeing.

Publication

"Welfare Implications of Democratization in Content Creation: Generative AI and Beyond." Tianxin Zou, Zijun (June) Shi, Yue Wu, Journal of Marketing Research, accepted.
“The Effect of Voice AI on Digital Commerce.” Chenshuo Sun, Zijun (June) Shi, Xiao Liu, Anindya Ghose (2025), Information Systems Research, 36(2):1147-1166.
“Hype News Diffusion and Risk of Misinformation: The Oz Effect in Healthcare,” Zijun (June) Shi, Xiao Liu, Kannan Srinivasan (2022). Journal of Marketing Research, 59(2), 327-352.
- Winner, Paul E. Green Award, 2023
- Winner, AMA MR-SIG Don Lehmann Award, 2023
“How Do Fast Fashion Copycats Affect the Popularity of Premium Brands? Evidence from Social Media.” Zijun (June) Shi, Xiao Liu, Dokyun Lee, Kannan Srinivasan (2023). Journal of Marketing Research, 60(6), 1027-1051.
“Design of Platform Reputation System: Optimal Information Disclosure,” Zijun (June) Shi, Kannan Srinivasan, Kaifu Zhang (2022). Marketing Science, 42(3), 500-520.
“Freemium as an Optimal Strategy for Market Dominant Firms,” Zijun (June) Shi, Kaifu Zhang, Kannan Srinivasan (2019). Marketing Science, 38(1), 150-169.
“Can Market Power Be Controlled by Regulation of Core Prices Alone?: An Empirical Analysis of Airport Demand and Car Rental Price,” Achim Ingo Czerny, Zijun (June) Shi, Anming Zhang (2016). Transportation Research Part A, Vol. 91 (September), 260-272.

Selected Working Papers

"Bonding with AI: Investigating the Love Relationships between Humans and AI Companions" (with Hang Xu, Mengze Shi).
“Towards Intelligent Shopping Assistant: How Can LLM-based Chatbots Transform Online Shopping Process?” (with Xinyi Sun, Song Lin).
"On the Role and Design of Resale Royalties" (with Wenxiao Yang, Song Lin).
“Gender-Neutral Marketing: Evidence from a Leading E-Commerce Platform” (with Jiaqi Chen, Tong Guo, Shuo Zhang).
"Mergers and Product Repositioning: Theory and Empirical Evidence" (with Xin Wang, Yushu Zeng, Soo-Haeng Cho).

Recruitment:

Postdoc, Ph.D., and RA positions are available. We look for candidates who have the same research interests and strong motivation for developing technology-driven solutions in healthcare and social or emotional wellbeing. Interested candidates are welcome to email juneshi@ust.hk a copy of their resume, transcripts, papers, and other relevant materials.