Welcome! I am a Ph.D. candidate in Marketing at the University of Utah, expected to graduate in 2026. I am passionate about integrating marketing theory and technological innovations into real business practice to make the business world better.
My research pipeline includes three streams:
- Social ties and tech adoption in salesforce (e.g., informal networks, AI integration)
- Marketing decision-making in healthcare (e.g., visual biases, aesthetic paying)
- Machine learning applications in marketing (e.g., video analytics, generative AI)
Most of my current projects involve collaborations with leading industry partners across healthcare, high-tech, retail, and education sectors. Through my dean-level advisors from top business schools in North and South China, along with personal connections, I have established partnerships with eight companies. I primarily use field experiments, causal inference, and machine learning, complemented by lab and survey methods.
My job market paper studies how informal ties impact sales agent turnover. Using random dormitory assignment data from around 2,000 sales agents, I find that agents with dormmates from the same hometown or alma mater stay with the company longer. The paper reveals both the contagion cost and psychological support mechanism behind this retention benefit.
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
Research Interests
Substantive: Salesforce, Healthcare, Tech Application
Methodological: Causal Inference, Field Experiments, Machine Learning
Contact
David Eccles School of Business
Department of Marketing
University of Utah
1655 East Campus Center Drive SFEBB
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Email: hongye.sun@eccles.utah.edu