Skip to content
Wan Yang

Wan Yang

Professor, James A. Collins Distinguished Professor

The Collins College of Hospitality Management, The Collins College of Hospitality Management

Email

wanyang@cpp.edu

Phone number

909.869.3128

Office location

2433

Office hours

TH | 8:45AM - 10:00AM TH | 11:15AM - NOON

About Me

Dr. Wan Yang is James A. Collins Distinguished Professor in The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona. She is an internationally recognized scholar with extensive research experiences. Her focal research expertise includes consumer well-being and happiness, luxury consumption, consumer behavior, services marketing, and cross-cultural research. Dr. Yang has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier hospitality and tourism journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Cornell Quarterly, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.

Dr. Yang is also very active in many hospitality and tourism professional organizations. She is currently the Founding Managing Editor of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Horizons, and served as the associate editor of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management since 2016. Dr. Yang also served as Paper Review Committee Chair for both 20th and 28th Annual Graduate Conference in Hospitality and Tourism and she is the Marketing Track Chair for the Annual Graduate Conference since 2013.

Before joining Cal Poly Pomona, Dr. Yang taught at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee as an Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator. Dr. Yang was born and raised in Beijing, China. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Tourism Management from Fudan University, China. After graduating from college, Dr. Yang came to the United States and obtained a Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Inspired by her mother who is a professor, Dr. Yang discovered her passion for research and teaching during the years in school. She, therefore, decided to pursue a doctoral degree in Hospitality Management at the Pennsylvania State University with a Minor degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.





SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  1. Yang, W.*, Xu, S., & Yoon, S. (forthcoming). Beneficial banter: How chit-chat and self-oriented perfectionism influence emotional energy and burnout. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.
  2. Xu, S. T., Yang, W., & Wang, Y. C. (2026). Mindfulness and chit-chat: Unlocking engagement and quiet quitting in the workplace. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 133, 104466.
  3. Yang, W.*, Wu, L., Zhang, Y., & Liu, S. Q. (2025). Happiness blooms from within: how mindset shapes consumer happiness after experiential consumption. Journal of Service Management, 1-23.
  4. Yang, W., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Mindset Matters to Well-being Boosting with Tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 64(7), 1598-1618.
  5. Yang, W., & Xu, S. (2024). Should We Be More Mindful? The Joint Impact of an Abusive Work Environment and Mindfulness on Employee Well-Being and Turnover Intentions. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 48(4), 712-724.
  6. Yang, W.*, Zhang, L., Wei, W., Yoo, M. & Rathjens, B. (2024). The joint impacts of consumers’ need for status, celebrity star power, and image congruence on celebrity endorsement effectiveness. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 7(4), 2183-2198.
  7. Yang, W., Zhang, Y., & Wang, Y. C. (2023). Would Travel Experiences or Possessions Make People Happier? Journal of Travel Research, 62(2), 412-431.
  8. Madera, J.M., Yang, W., Wu, L., Ma, E., & Xu, S. (2023). Diversity and Inclusion in Hospitality and Tourism: Bridging the Gap Between Employee and Customer Perspectives. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 35(11), 3972-3989.
  9. Yang, W.*, & Lee, P.C., (2023). Retaining talent during COVID-19: The joint impacts of employee resilience, work social support, and proactive personality on career change intention. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(10), 3389-3409.
  10. Wu, L., Yang, W., Gao, Y. (Lisa), & Ma, S. (David). (2023). Feeling Luxe: A Topic Modeling × Emotion Detection Analysis of Luxury Hotel Experiences. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 47(4), 1425-1452.
  11. Ma, E., Kim, M. S., Yang, W., Wu, L., & Xu, S. T. (2022). On the bright side of motherhood—A mixed method enquiry. Annals of Tourism Research, 92, 103350.
  12. Lee, P.C., Xu, S., & Yang, W.* (2021). Is career adaptability a double-edged sword? The impact of work social support and career adaptability on turnover intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102857.
  13. Yang, W., Zhang, Y., & So, K. K. F. (2021). Tourism experiences vs. material purchases: Effects of eudaimonic consumption motive on consumers’ reactions to invidious comparisons. Tourism Management, 83, 104247. [Received an Extremely Rare Desk Acceptance]
  14. Ma, E., Wu, L., Yang, W., & Xu, T. (2021). Hotel Work-Family Support Policies and Employees' Needs, Concerns and Challenges—The Case of Working Mothers' Maternity Leave Experience. Tourism Management, 83,216
  15. Xu, S. T., Yang, W., Wu, L., Ma, E., & Wang, D. (2021). Work or baby? Maternity leave in the US lodging industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 46, 267-271.
  16. Kim, B., Yoo, M., & Yang, W. (2020). Online Engagement among Restaurant Customers: The Importance of Enhancing Flow for Social Media Users. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 44(2), 252-277.
  17. Mao, Z., Li, D., Yang, Y., Fu, X., & Yang, W.* (2020). Chinese DMOs’ engagement on global social media: examining post-related factors. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(3), 274-285.
  18. Mou, X., Gao, L., & Yang, W. (2019). The joint effects of need for status and mental imagery perspective on luxury hospitality consumption in China. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(9), 1050-1060.
  19. Fan, A., Wu, L., Mattila, A. S., & Yang, W. (2019). The Joint Impacts of need for Status and Mobile Apps’ Social Visibility on Hotel Customers’ Behavioral Intentions. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 1-21.
  20. Suarez, N., Berezina, K., Yang, W., & Gordon, S. (2019). Are restaurant customers ready for tablet-based menus?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
  21. Zhang, L. & Yang, W. * (2019). Consumers’ responses to invitations to write online reviews: The impact of message framing, power, and need for status. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(4), 1609-1625.
  22. Hou, Y., Sun, Y., Wan, L.C. & Yang, W. (2018). How Can Psychological Contagion Effect Be Attenuated? The Role of Boundary Effect on Menu Design. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 42(4), 606-626.
  23. Yang, Y., Wu, L, and Yang, W. (2018). Does time dull the pain? The impact of temporal contiguity on review extremity in the hotel context. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 75, 119-130.
  24. Yang, W.* (2018). Star Power: The Evolution of Celebrity Endorsement Research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(1). 389-415. [2019 Emerald Literati Award - Highly Commended Paper]
  25. Wu, B. & Yang, W. * (2018). What Do Chinese Consumers Want? A Value Framework for Luxury Hotels in China. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(4), 2037-2055.
  26. Qiu, C., Li, M., Li, M., & Yang, W. (2018). Managing the Face in Service Failure: The Moderation Effect of Social Presence. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1314-1331.
  27. Zhang, L. & Yang, W. * (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility: The effect of Need-for-Status and fluency on consumers' attitudes. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1492-1507.
  28. McGinley, S., Yang, W., & Zhang, L. (2018). Snob Appeal? Impact of Company Status Perceptions on Employee Recruitment. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 27(1), 85-105.
  29. Bujisic, M., Bogicevic, V., Yang, W., Cobanoglu, C., & Bilgihan, A. (2017). “Hobson’s Choice” Servicescape: Consumer Anxiety and Enjoyment. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 34(7), 577-590.
  30. Bogicevic, V., Yang, W., Bujisic, M., & Bilgihan, A. (2017). Visual Data Mining: Analysis of Airline Service Quality Attributes. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 18(4), 509-530.
  31. Bogicevic, V., Bujisic, M., Bilgihan, A., Yang, W., & Cobanoglu, C. (2017). The impact of traveler-focused airport technology on traveler satisfaction. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 123, 351-361.
  32. Hou, Y., Yang, W.*, & Sun, Y. (2017). Do Pictures help? The Effects of Pictures and Food Names on Menu Evaluations. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 60, 94-103.
  33. Hanks, L. Line, N, & Yang, W. (2017). Status Seeking and Perceived Similarity: A Consideration Of Homophily In The Social Servicescape. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 60, 123-132.
  34. Liang, R-D., Yang, W., Chen, D-J., & Chung, Y-F. (2017). The Effect of Sales Promotions on Consumers’ Organic Food Response: An application of logistic regression model. British Food Journal, 19(6), 1247-1262.
  35. Yang, W.* & Mattila, A.S. (2017). The Impact of Status Seeking on Consumers' Word-of-Mouth and Product Preference - A Comparison Between Luxury Hospitality Services and Luxury Goods. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. 41(1), 3-22. [JHTR most cited article in the past three years (2019)]
  36. Yang, W.* & Mattila, A.S. (2016). Why Do We Buy Luxury Experiences?: Measuring Value Perceptions of Luxury Hospitality Services. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(9), 1848-1867.
  37. Bogicevic, V., Yang, W., Cobanoglu, C., Bilgihan, A., & Bujisic, M. (2016). Traveler Anxiety and Enjoyment: The Effect of Airport Environment on Traveler’s Emotions. Journal of Air Transport Management, 57, 122-129.
  38. Yang, W.*, Zhang, L, & Mattila, A.S. (2016). Luxe For Less: How Do Consumers React To Luxury Hotel Price Promotions? The Moderating Role of Consumers' Need for Status. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 57(1), 82-92.
  39. Yang, W.*, & Hanks, L. (2015). Preconsumption Mood, Causal Explanations, and Postrecovery Reactions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 25, 1-22.
  40. Yang, W., Hanks, L., Smith, S.J., & Parsa, H.G. (2015). FDA Ruling and Nutritionally Focused Menus - Part II:  Consumer Effort versus Nutritional Accuracy inRestaurant Menus. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 18(2), 93-110.
  41. Yang, W.* (2015). The 20th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism. Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, 26(2), 313-314.
  42. Cobanoglu, C., Yang, W. Shatskikh, A. & Agarwal, A. (2015). Are Consumers Ready for Mobile Payment? An Examination of Consumer Acceptance of Mobile Payment Technology in Restaurant Industry. FIU Hospitality Review, 31(4). Article 6.
  43. Yang, W.* & Mattila, A.S. (2014). Do Affluent Customers Care When Luxury Brands Go Mass? The Role of Product Type and Status Seeking on Luxury Brand Attitude. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 26(4), 526-543.
  44. Malan, G., Cobanoglu, C., Waldo, R.D., & Yang, W. (2014). Managing with Style: An Analysis of work Style of Hotel Managers. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, 13(2), 190-209.
  45. Yang, W.*, Mattila, A.S., & Hou, Y. (2013). The Effect of Regulatory Focus and Delay Type on Consumers’ Reactions to Delay. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 113-120.
  46. Bogicevic, V., Yang, W., Bilgihan, A., & Bujisic, M. (2013). Airport Service Quality Drivers of Passenger Satisfaction. Tourism Review, 68(4), 3-18.
  47. Yang, W.* & Mattila, A.S. (2012). The Role of Tie Strength on Consumer Dissatisfaction Responses. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(2), 399-404.