Texas Tech University

Bonhak (Bon) Koo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Robert L. Moody Faculty Fellow
Hospitality and Retail Management

Email: Bonhak.Koo@ttu.edu

Phone: (806) 834-7912

Office: HS 607

Dr. Bonhak Koo is an Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Retail Management at Texas Tech University and serves as the Robert L. Moody Faculty Fellow. He is originally from South Korea and received his Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with specialization in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Oklahoma State University, where he served as a hotel instructor and earned a Graduate Certificate in Statistical Methods and Analyses. He has foundational experiences in the hospitality industry, including his dedicated seven years of service at the Bell Desk, Concierge, Front Desk, and Sales & Marketing from The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul. He is committed to understanding students' desire to participate in the hospitality industry based on their unique backgrounds, preparations, goals, and learning styles and their ability to stimulate these motivations to accelerate their growth in both their academic and career paths.

Koo

Courses Currently Teaching

  • RHIM 2308 Hotel Operations
  • HRM 3385 Introduction to Sales for the Services Industry
  • RHIM 4308 Lodging Operations Management
  • RHIM 4348 Hospitality Revenue Management
  • RHIM 6308 Advanced Lodging and Leisure
  • HRM 6316 Advanced Marketing in Hospitality and Retail Management

Research Focus

Having spent over a decade working in and researching the hospitality industry, Dr. Koo endeavors to engage in research projects that aim to contribute to the field of theoretical development and provide useful/applicable benefits to industry practitioners. His work primarily focuses on effective methods for motivating, educating, and coordinating internal customers to create satisfaction for external customers within the areas of hospitality management and organization. His research prioritizes employees' well-being and brand investment with the goal of helping current and future employees sustain positive emotional connection to, engagement with, and meaning in their careers.

Selected Publications

  • Koo, B.*, Curtis, C., Ryan, B., Chung, Y., & Khojasteh, J. (2023). Psychometric approaches to exploring the characteristics of smart hotel brand experiences: Scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 56, 385-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.07.012
  • Quan, L., Koo, B., & Han, H.* (2023). Exploring factors that influence customers' willingness to switch from traditional hotels to green hotels: The pull-push-mooring theory. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 40(3), 185-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2023.2236649
  • Kim, JJ., Radic, A., Chua, BL., Koo, B., & Han, H.* (2022). Digital currency and payment innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 107, 103314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103314
  • Koo, B.*, Curtis, C., & Ryan, B. (2021). Examining the impact of artificial intelligence on hotel employees through job insecurity perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102763.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102763
  • Koo, B., Lee, K.-S., & Khojasteh, J.* (2021). Review of An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling Techniques (4th edition). Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal,28(1), 162-164.https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2020.1815539
  • Han, H., Lee, JS., & Koo, B.* (2021). Impact of green atmospherics on guest and employee well being response, place dependence, and behavior in the luxury hotel sector. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(10), 1613-1634. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1861456
  • Ham, S., Lee, K.-S., Koo, B., Kim, S., Moon, H., & Han, H. (2021). The rise of grocerant: Patrons' in-store dining experiences and consumption behaviors at grocery retail stores. Journal of Retail and Consumer Services, 62, 102614.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102614
  • Koo, B.*, & Curtis, C. (2020). Exploring the role of internal brand management: impact of contractual models. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(4), 503-525. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1650155
  • Koo, B., Yu, J., & Han, H.* (2020). The role of loyalty programs in boosting hotel guest loyalty: Impact of switching barriers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 84,102328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102328

Note: Additional publications can be found in Google Scholar

Hospitality and Retail Management

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