Hey, I’m Zhijing Chen.

I'm currently based in the Metropolitan Detroit area. I have a Ph.D. degree in Sport Management, specializing in sport consumer behavior and quantitative research, from the University of Michigan. Before that, I completed my Master’s degree in Sport Business at New York University and undergraduate degree in Software Engineering at Sun Yat-Sen University.

  • Ph.D. in Sport Management (University of Michigan) with published, peer-reviewed research

  • Quantitative researcher with 5+ years of experience designing experiments, surveys, and social media analyses to explain consumer behavior in the sports industry.

  • Combines advanced statistical modeling with front-office experience at an MLB club and professional tennis events

Let's collaborate! Email: zjchen@umich.edu

My Work

Research

The overall focus of my research is sport marketing, with linkages to sport consumer behavior, communication, and decision making in particular. The aim of my research is to advance psychological and behavioral theories in sport marketing, enhance our understanding of how sport consumers behave under the influence of marketing tactics and in today’s dynamic sport business environment, and provide insights and practical implications for athletes, sport organizations, and other relevant entities. Some of my current research areas include athlete activism and sport betting in the United States. 

Teaching

My primary goal as a teacher is to inspire curiosity, motivate critical thinking, and assist students’ career planning and development. I prioritize students’ needs to develop course materials and adjust my teaching to better help my students find their interests, become competitive, and achieve their career goals. I also inspire students to think beyond their comfort zone and to critically think about what they want to do and the “so what” questions. Eventually, I hope to help students find a meaningful career and life. 

I am interested in How and Why sport consumers perceive and react to different events and information in the realm of sport.

An Experimental Investigation of Decision Making in Sport Betting 

Ph.D. Dissertation, presented at the annual conference of North American Society for Sport Management and the annual conference of Sport Marketing Association

Study 1: Play the odds: An experimental investigation of the effect of betting odds on decision making in sport betting 

Study 2: Promotional offers, sports bettor characteristics, and decision making in sport betting

Study 3: The role of emotion in sport betting decision making 

View Project

Research Projects

Stressed at Work, Gambling at Home: How Work Environment and Gambling Motivations Predict Problematic Online Sports Betting

Work environment such as stress and job demands have a positive relationship with problematic online sports betting, while gambling motivations explain this relationship.

Presented at the annual conference of North American Society for Sport Management, San Diego, CA, 2023.

Athletes’ advocacy communication on social media: Exploring the roles of parasocial interaction, emotional empathy, and message attributes 

***Winner of the 2023 NASSM Student Research Competition Award & submitted to Journal of Sport Management

Get vaccinated or you are benched: A sentiment and thematic analysis of Tweets responding to Kyrie Irving’s vaccine stance and suspension 

Presented at the annual conference of North American Society for Sport Management, Atlanta, GA 

What drives engagement? A mixed-methods study of NBA and WNBA TikTok content and fan interactions

Presented at the annual conference of Sport Marketing Association, Phoenix, AZ, 2023.

It’s okay to be not okay: A Twitter analysis of Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal due to mental health concerns

A professional athlete’s behavior can a form of advocacy.

View Project

Super Bowl LVII Odds Boost! How do promotions and sports bettor characteristics influence decision making? 

Presented at the annual conference of Sport Marketing Association, St. Petersburg, FL. 

Bring baseball into the classroom: A content analysis of MLB educational programs 

Presented at the annual conference of North American Society for Sport Management, Atlanta, GA 

“Speak Up!” Investigating U.S. Professional Sports Teams’ #BlackLivesMatter Statements 

How did four major leagues in the U.S. construct their #BLM statements on social media?

View Project

The power of storytelling: Consumer responses to athlete advocacy posting on social media  

Presented at the annual conference of Sport Marketing Association, St. Petersburg, FL. 

Courses

•    KIN 369 Sport Analytics

•    KIN 500 Techniques of Research

•    SM 241 Sports Economics

•    SM 238 Introduction to Accounting in Sports

•    Summer Course: The Business of Sport

•    SM 313 Business Development in Sports

•    SM 249 Research Methodology in Sport Management (Lab Primary Instructor)

Honors and Awards

  • Rackham’s Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Award (Nominated)

  • Zatkoff Family Fellowship

  • NASSM Student Research Competition Award

  • Lucile M. Swift Honors Award

  • Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant

  • Kinesiology’s Rackham Regents Fellowship

Professional Experience

  • I was a tenure-track assistant professor in Sport Administration at Southern Illinois University (2024-2026). I had to quit my job and moved back to Metro Detroit for family.

    During my time at SIU, I taught KIN500 Research Techniques and KIN369 Sport Analytics. I worked on research projects focusing on sport consumer behavior and sports betting.

    • Provided assistance to the manager of Graduate Student Affairs 

    • Used Google Forms to optimize Ph.D. student form submissions and processing 

    • Used Google Sites to create web pages for Ph.D. students to receive timely news and information about their programs and degree requirements 

    • Updated and improved annual evaluation forms for Ph.D. students 

    • Assisted guests by resolving ticketing issues and giving clear instructions on using the digital account and MLB Ballpark App and ensured they can successfully access their tickets and enjoy the benefits 

    • Responded to special ticket requests and collected feedbacks over the phone, at the box office, at the team shop and in the Season Ticket Services Lounge to better understand and satisfy customers’ needs 

    • Assisted sales department with system management, payment processing and special ticket requests to provide great customer service for season ticket holders and increase season ticket plan renewal rates 

    • Supervised box office sellers to ensure ticket sales and services are delivered accurately 

    • Prepared, checked and maintained stadium facilities following the official guidelines and guaranteed all 24 tennis courts were ready for the professional tournament 

    • Supervised ongoing matches during game days and responded immediately to the requests from the players to ensure every match was running safely and successfully 

    • Communicated with the hotel, arena and drivers to prepare and improve hospitality, transportation and practice court service for over 60 pro players and made sure they were satisfied during their stay 

    • Responded immediately to players’ requests and solved problems to eliminate their inconvenience 

    • Recruited 20 volunteers and led the team to provide excellent service for the players and officials 

A Little Bit About My Journey…

I am originally from Guangdong, China. I grew up watching and playing sports. I LOVE sports. I have a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Sun Yat-Sen University, which is one of the top universities in China. During my junior and senior years, I interned at the Guangzhou Open, a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 250 tournament, and that’s when I discovered my passion for the sports industry. Since then, I’ve been pursuing a career in the sport industry.

I earned a master’s degree in sport business at New York University. During my time in New York, I built my network and developed working experience in the sport industry. I actively volunteered for different sport organizations such as New York City Marathon and United States Tennis Association. I also interned at Cincinnati Open, one of the biggest tennis events in the U.S. 

Before the Ph.D. program, I worked for the Texas Rangers as a Ticket Operation Assistant. The job required me to talk to baseball fans every day and provide excellent service for season ticket holders and potential customers. I found sport consumers react and behave in various ways, and I witnessed some interesting phenomena. This experience motivated me to study sport consumer behavior. I’ve been having a lot of fun conducting research in this field!

More than just teaching and research…

  • I started playing tennis in middle school and played club tennis in college! I have been moving around in the past 12 years and always looking for hitting partners!!

  • I LOVE traveling. Colorado is my next destination!

  • My favorite baseball team: New York Yankees (unfortunately)

    My favorite football team: Detroit Lions (One Pride)

    My favorite basketball player: Vince Carter!!!! Vinsanity!

Get in Touch!

If you are looking for collaboration in sports consumer behavior research / peers to chat about research and teaching in sport management / travel and tennis hitting partners, get in touch with me!

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