Heather Markham Kim
Papers
12
Total Citations
506
H-Index
10
About
Heather Markham Kim is a leading researcher in hospitality and service marketing, with a specialized focus on the emerging intersection of robotics, technology, and consumer brand behavior. Her work has made significant contributions to understanding how automated service environments — particularly robot baristas and robot servers — shape customer perceptions, brand loyalty, and overall brand experience compared to their human counterparts. Kim's most influential study, "Human baristas and robot baristas: How does brand experience affect brand satisfaction, brand attitude, brand attachment, and brand loyalty?" (2021, 233 citations), established her as a pioneering voice in robotic hospitality research. Across her body of work, she has systematically explored how concepts such as brand authenticity, brand love, brand modernity, and memorable brand experience operate differently depending on whether customers interact with human or robotic service providers. Her research also delves into consumer innovativeness, image congruence, and the experience economy framework within restaurant and coffee shop contexts. With over 495 citations across her most prominent publications, Kim's scholarship directly informs how businesses can strategically deploy service robots while maintaining meaningful consumer connections — making her work essential reading for researchers, hospitality professionals, and marketers navigating an increasingly automated service landscape.
Research Focus
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