View Profile Page

Rae Yule Kim

Assistant Professor, Marketing, Feliciano School of Business

Email:: kimr@montclair.edu
Degrees:: BS, University of Bristol; MS, Johns Hopkins University; PhD, Rutgers University
vCard:: Download vCard

Profile

Dr. Rae Yule Kim joined Montclair State University in 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Rutgers University and an M.S. in Information Systems from Johns Hopkins University. He has served as an academic editor for the social psychology and management science sections of PLOS ONE. His research has been featured among the most read works in IEEE publications, and he is the author of the forthcoming book AI Hype: A Psychological, Economic, and Technological Analysis by Cambridge University Press.

Dr. Kim’s research focuses on how social influence shapes technology adoption decisions under uncertainty, with applications ranging from online shopping behavior during the pandemic to public acceptance of humanoid robots. He also has been an advocate for sustainable innovations that benefit both long-term growth potential and short-term gains.

His work has supported international organizations, including the World Bank and the European Union, in developing a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. His research has been published in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Communications of the ACM, IEEE Engineering Management Review, and The Cambridge Handbook of Cyber Behavior. Dr. Kim also contributes to leading industry publications such as California Management Review and ACM Interactions.

In addition, Dr. Kim has collaborated with international technology companies, including Siemens in China and Europe.

Specialization

Social Influence, Social Norms, Technology Diffusion, Sustainable Growth

Links

Montclair State University does not endorse the views or opinions expressed in a faculty member's webpage or website. Consistent with the principles of academic freedom, the content provided is that of the author and does not express the opinions or views of Montclair State University.

Research Projects

Why do people fear new tech, and how can we ease that fear?

Over 95% of new products fail, often due to consumers' intrinsic aversion to uncertainty, which leads to resistance, even against highly useful innovations like early e-commerce or electric vehicles. In my research, I use machine learning to analyze large-scale consumer data and explore how social signals, such as online reviews and peer behavior, influence bias against risk. Based on these insights, I develop strategies for businesses to leverage social influence and optimize information presentation, reducing resistance to change and accelerating the diffusion of innovation.

Research

How do social signals influence decision-making under uncertainty?
How do social signals influence people's judgments of new technologies?
How do social signals help people overcome a bias against risk?

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, Montclair State University (2020 - Present)
Instructor, Rutgers University - New Brunswick (2019 - 2020)

Consulting

Management Consulting, YOGO – A new social networking app designed to foster real-time connections. (September 2024 - Present). Provided strategic guidance on the launch and market positioning of a new social networking app
Training/Education, Association of National Advertisers Educational Foundation. (April 2024 - Present). Served as a panelist discussing how capstone projects can enhance higher education
Management Consulting, Articulate.AI – A startup integrating nonverbal communication into AI interactions. (January 2024 - Present). Advised on customer churn dynamics within human-AI interaction contexts
Management Consulting, KACO New Energy – Siemens' solar inverter manufacturer. (July 2013 - January 2015). Offered strategic insight into the effects of trade regulations on the export of photovoltaic inverters
Management Consulting, AGIBOT – A humanoid and AI developer, known for the viral "one million robot workers" video. (March 2025 - March 2025). Consulted on optimizing human–robot interaction to improve engagement and usability of AI-driven systems
Academic, Honors College, Rutgers University. (January 2019 - Present). Interviewed and assessed applicants to evaluate leadership qualities, problem-solving abilities, and overall potential for success
Management Consulting, Latina Surge National. (October 2022 - Present). Advised on how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives can influence firm performance

Honors & Awards

Dean's Grant, Rutgers Business School, Rutger University - New Brunswick (July 2019)
Fellow, Academy of Marketing Science Doctoral Consortium (March 2020)
Research Grant, Academy of Marketing Science and Association Française du Marketing (February 2021)
Excellence in Scholarship Award, Montclair State University (May 2021)
Top 0.5% Scholar in Engineering Management, ScholarGPS (July 2024)
Program Committee, IEEE IEEM (May 2024)
Contributor, Clarivate Academic Reputation Survey for U.S. News Universities Rankings (October 2024)
Academic Editor, PLOS ONE (September 2024)
Visiting Professor, Association of National Advertisers (June 2025)

Refereed Published Articles

R. Kim (2021). Shopping with Robots. Journal of Futures Studies
R. Kim (2021). Using Online Reviews for Customer Sentiment Analysis. IEEE Engineering Management Review
R. Kim (2021). When Does Online Review Matter to Consumers? The Effect of Product Quality Information Cues. Electronic Commerce Research
R. Kim (2021). What Makes People Happy? An Empirical Investigation of Panel Data. Applied Economics Letters
R. Kim (2020). An Unforeseen Story of Alpha Woman: Breadwinner Women are More Likely to Quit the Job in Work-Family Conflicts. Applied Economics
R. Kim (2020). Share of Voice: Findings from the US Automotive Industry. Economics Bulletin
R. Kim (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumers: Preparing for Digital Sales. IEEE Engineering Management Review
R. Kim (2020). The Influx of Skeptics: An Investigation of the Diffusion Cycle Effect on Online Review. Electronic Markets
R. Kim (2020). The Value of Followers on Social Media. IEEE Engineering Management Review
R. Kim (2019). Does National Culture Explain Consumers’ Reliance on Online Reviews? Cross-Cultural Variations in the Effect of Online Reviews on Consumer Choice. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications
R. Kim (2023). Bounded Rationality: Are Higher Online Review Ratings Always Better for Sales?. Behaviour & Information Technology
R. Kim (2023). Robots in Healthcare. ACM Interactions
R. Kim (2023). Text Mining Online Reviews: What Makes a Helpful Online Review?. IEEE Engineering Management Review
R. Kim (2023). Data-Driven User Experience Design. ACM Interactions
R. Kim (2024). Gender and Workplace Promotion: A Case Study of a Multinational IT Corporation. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
R. Kim (2024). Anthropomorphism and Human-Robot Interaction. Communications of the ACM
R. Kim (2024). Being in a Crowd Shifts People’s Attitudes Toward Humanoids. International Journal of Social Robotics
R. Kim (2025). The Fifth Wave: The Sustainability Age and New Industrial Revolution. IEEE Engineering Management Review
R. Kim (2025). Redefining Marketing in the Era of Data. California Management Review

Published Proceedings

R. Kim (5s). 2022. Predicting NFL Ticket Sales with Social Media Data Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science
R. Kim (5s). 2022. Text Mining Customer Reviews: What Makes an Impactful Review? Light in the Darkness: Marketing’s Role in Driving Positive Change, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2021. Do Social Media Followers Impact Sales? INFORMS Society for Marketing Science Conference
R. Kim (5s). 2021. The Role of Anthropomorphism in Customer-Robot Interaction Reimagining Marketing, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2020. Do Social Media Followers Impact Sales? Analysis for a Brave New Marketing World, Society for Marketing Advances
R. Kim (5s). 2020. How Can Ad Spending Improve Market Dominance? American Academy of Advertising Conference
R. Kim (5s). 2020. Selling After COVID-19 Atlantic Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2020. When Do Online Reviews Matter? Changing the Rhythm of Marketing: Are We Listening? Society for Marketing Advances
R. Kim (5s). 2020. The Niche Effect: Are Social Media Followers for Niche Brands More Loyal? Bridging Gaps: Marketing in an Age of Disruption, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2019. Can Advertising Spending Increase Market Share? Atlantic Marketing Association Conference
R. Kim (5s). 2022. Retail After COVID-19: Use Virtual Reality to Enhance Ecommerce IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference
R. Kim (5s). 2023. Unexpected Price Promotions Can Hurt Sales INFORMS Society for Marketing Science Conference
R. Kim, N. Belei, R. Vaidyanathan, S. Heitz-Spahn (5s). 2023. From Eerie to Aww - Embracing the Imperfect Side of Humans Can Improve the Consumer Robot Interaction Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science
R. Kim (5s). 2022. Online Review Helpfulness: Findings From Sentiment Analysis INFORMS Society for Marketing Science Conference
R. Kim (5s). 2023. Predicting Social Media Conversion with a Decision Tree A World Disrupted: Marketing’s Role in Understanding, Adapting and Transforming the Business Ecosystem, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2025. Positivity Bias in Processing Health Information Marketing in Service of Nature and Humanity, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2025. Understanding the Role of Media in AI Acceptance Data Revolution: Empowering Humanity, American Marketing Association
R. Kim (5s). 2025. The Loss-Construal Rule and Construal Aversion: Why Do People Try New Things? INFORMS Society for Marketing Science Conference

Books & Chapters

R. Kim (2024). Online Reviews and Consumer Decisions. The Cambridge Handbook of Cyber Behavior, Cambridge University Press
R. Kim (). AI Hype: A Psychological, Economic, and Technological Analysis. Cambridge University Press