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Esther Kim

Assistant Professor, Hospitality and Tourism, Feliciano School of Business

Office:: Feliciano School of Business
Email:: kimes@montclair.edu
Degrees:: BBA, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea; MS, Purdue University; PhD, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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Bio

Dr. Esther Kim is an Assistant Professor at the Feliciano School of Business of Hospitality and Tourism. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in hospitality management. Her undergraduate degree is in hospitality management from Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea. She received her MS degree from Purdue University. Dr. Kim brings more than five years of experience in the hospitality industry to the program. Her experience includes management positions in lodging operation at the Marriott brand hotel, revenue management, and corporate planning at the Millennium Hotels and Resorts Group, and hotel distribution channel management at SHR. Her research interests include consumer behavior in e-commerce and revenue management. Dr. Kim has received research awards, including the Best Paper, 25th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism. She has published work in Journal of Services Marketing, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Travel Research, and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Specialization

Hospitality Management, Revenue Management, Consumer Behavior

Links

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Research

Kim, E. J. & Kim, E. L. Luxury Tourism Trend Change. Working paper.
Kim, E. J., & Kim, E. L. Designing emotionally intelligent AI: Enhancing trust and loyalty in hospitality through theory of mind. Working paper.
Kim, E. L., & Kang, E. Exploring the Hospitality Journey: Case Studies of Families Traveling with Autistic Children. Working paper.
Kim, E. L., & Lee, M. Sanctified Service: The Impact of Spiritual Hospitality Cues on Guest Perceptions in Modern Hospitality. Working paper.
Kim, E. L., Min, J., & Heo, C. Y. Integrated vs. Non-Integrated Promotion Pricing and Effortful Discount. Working paper
Kim, J. K., Park, J., Jhang, J., Min, J., & Kim, E. L. Free effect in bundled offering. Near submission.<i></i>
Min, J., Kim, E. L., & Kim, J. K. Final Price Neglect and Add-on Items. Working paper.
Park, K., Jin, G., Kang, E., & Kim, E. L. Enhancing Sports Event Accessibility for Autistic Spectators through Immersive Pre-Exposure Strategies. Eagles Autism Foundation. Grant Under review

Professional Experience

Sales Administrative , Renaissance Seoul Hotel (2009 - 2010)
Revenue Analyst/Reservation Manager, Millennium Knickerbocker (2013 - 2014)
Front Office Manager/Assistant Regional Revenue Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Lafayette Indiana (2012 - 2013)
Regional Revenue Analyst, US Regional Revenue Department, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, US Corporate (2014 - 2015)
Customer Experience Management , SHR --- Sceptre Hospitality Resources, Inc. (2015 - 2016)
Assistant Professor, Montclair State University (2020 - Present)
Graduate Assistant / Instructor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2017 - 2019)

Honors & Awards

Best Paper Award, 25th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism (January 2020)
Best Presentation Award, 21st UNLV Graduate Research Forum (February 2019)
Best Presentation Award, 2017 Annual Conference- International Hospitality Information Technology Association (June 2017)
Outstanding Paper Award, AKHT 2025 (July 2025)
Best Poster Award, THEREPS (April 2024)
Best Paper Award, The Tourism Sciences Society of Korea (July 2022)

Refereed Published Articles

S. Tanford, E. Kim (2019). Risk versus Reward: When Will Travelers Go the Distance?. Journal of Travel Research
E. Kim, S. Tanford (2019). Simultaneous effects of multiple cues in restaurant reviews. Journal of Services Marketing
E. Kim, S. Tanford (2021). The windfall gain effect: Using a surprise discount to stimulate add-on purchases. International Journal of Hospitality Management
E. Kim, S. Tanford (2019). Seeking reward or avoiding risk from restaurant reviews: Does distance matter?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
C. Chen, E. Kim, M. Schuckert (2023). Haute couture-to-table? A study of luxury fashion-brand restaurants/Cafés. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
E. Kim, S. Tanford (2021). Turning Discounts Into Profits: Factors Influencing Online Purchasing Decisions for Hotel Add-on Items. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly
E. Kim, S. Tanford (2023). When will consumers splurge on travel? Effective add-on selling strategies. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights
E. Kim, E. Kim, M. Kim, S. Tanford (2023). Post-Pandemic hotel cancellation policy: Situational cues as perceived risk triggers. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
E. Kim, J. Tang (2024). Tackling No-Shows in Fine Dining: Insights into Cancellation Policies and Consumer. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management
E. Kim, E. Kim, M. Kim, J. Tang (2024). The matching effect of local food and color on ethical dining behaviors: the roles of credibility and green image. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
E. Kim, J. Tang, M. Kim, E. Kim (2025). The effects of restaurant cancellation policies and no-show awareness campaigns on reservation behaviors. International Journal of Consumer Studies
E. Kim, L. Cain, E. Kim (2025). Optimizing food delivery sustainability: The roles of nudging and choice architecture in promoting carbon-free delivery and reusable containers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
E. Kim, S. Lee, E. Kim, M. Kim (2025). ESG in the digital age: Enhancing customer perception through strategic communication in restaurant mobile ordering.. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
E. Kim, E. Kim, M. Kim (2025). Empathetic language in AI travel services: The moderating effects of system adaptivity and AI disclosure on user intentions. Current Issues in Tourism

Published Proceedings

E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2018. Does location matter? The influence of customer reviews and distance in travel decisions. 2018 International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2018. It’s your birthday! How far will you go for a great dinner? 2018 West Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Regional Conference
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2017. Influence of Online Travel Reviews: Avoiding Risk Vs. Reward Seeking. iHITA 2017 Annual Conference- International Hospitality Information Technology Association
E. Kim, S. Jang (5s). 2012. Brand Equity and Willingness to Pay a Price Premium for a Hotel Room. 17th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2018. How far will you go? The role of effort reduction in consumer response to online restaurant reviews. 23rd Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2019. The level relatedness as a factor in purchasing behavior for hotel add-on items. 24th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2020. Consumer response to a surprise discount: Mental accounting and thinking style. 25th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism
E. Kim, S. Tanford (5s). 2020. Unexpected discount and unplanned hotel add-on purchase online West Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Regional Conference
E. Kim, T. S, S. Baloglu (5s). 2020. The correlates of destination image: A meta-analysis 2019 West Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Regional Conference
M. Kim, E. Kim, E. Kim (5s). 2022. Post-COVID Hotel Cancellation Policy: The Stimulating Effect of Risk Triggers The International Tourism Conference 2022
J. Ha, K. Park, E. Kim (5s). 2022. “What do you want from luxury dining experiences?” Exploring experiential consumption at luxury restaurants THEREPS 2022
E. Kim, M. Kim (5s). 2023. The effective cancellation policy and the awareness campaign for the reduction of restaurant no-shows THEREPS 2023
J. Tang, S. Joe, E. Kim, E. Kim (5s). 2023. Effective Color Marketing for Restaurants: The Matching Effect of Color and Sustainability 2023 WEST Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
E. Kim (5s). 2023. No More No-Shows: Optimizing Cancellation Policies and Awareness Campaigns for Restaurants ABEAI 2024
E. Kim, E. Kim (5s). 2024. Understanding User Intention in AI-Driven Travel Recommendation Service THEREPS 2024
S. Lee, M. Kim, E. Kim, E. Kim, K. Park (5s). . Framing the Future: How Construal Fit in ESG Messaging Shapes Restaurant Brand Image The 30th Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) Annual Conference
L. Cain, E. Kim, E. Kim (5s). 2024. Greening the Delivery: Nudging Sustainable Choices in the Food Delivery App Landscape International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
E. Kim, J. Tang (5s). 2024. Battle with Restaurant No-Shows- Optimizing Cancellation Policies and Awareness Campaigns for Restaurants APAC Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
E. Kim, J. Min, T. Legendre, C. Heo (5s). 2025. Exploring psychological mechanism of discounting: Integrated promotions, effortful discounts, and customer perceptions in Luxury Hospitality THEREPS 2025
E. Kim, M. Kim, E. Kim (5s). 2025. Too Smart to Feel? AI Autonomy and Emotional Sensitivity in Travel Planning 2025 AKHT International Conference