Jonas Nilsson and Jeanette Hauff, both Senior Lecturers in Business Administration at the School of Business, Economics and Law, are the initiators.
“We felt rather isolated in our research field — experimental consumer psychology — and a few years ago, the idea was born. We thought it would be great to have company and form a group with a shared focus. If there's one thing I’ve learnt from Jeanette, it’s the attitude: ‘Just do it! What’s the worst that could happen?’” says Jonas Nilsson.
His vision is for the School of Business, Economics and Law to become a natural destination for international PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scholars wishing to develop within the field. Three new researchers have now joined the Department of Business Administration.
It began when Jonas and Jeanette applied for funding from the bank Handelsbanken, which enabled Jana-Verena Gerhart to begin her postdoctoral position in the summer of 2024. Originally from Germany, she studies emerging technologies such as generative AI, wearable tech, and emotional recognition — and how these impact people’s experiences and self-perception.
“Around the same time, we were in contact with Eunmi Jeon from South Korea, who was keen to join us. We encouraged her to apply for the School's Broman Scholarship, and in the autumn of 2024 she became part of the group,” says Nilsson.
Postdoctoral researcher Eunmi Jeon works within experimental consumer psychology and investigates how technologies such as AI, chatbots, and the metaverse influence decision-making processes.
Earlier this year, the group received funding from The Swedish Retail and Wholesale Council, allowing Eunmi to extend her stay for another 18 months.
Consumption in virtual worlds
The group’s latest addition is American researcher Nathan Warren, Associate Professor of Marketing at BI Norwegian Business School. He will be affiliated as a visiting researcher during 2026–2027 through the Malmsten Early Career Researcher Programme.
“Nathan is an exceptionally talented researcher. We're bringing him into the group so we can learn from his expertise. He will also be able to provide valuable feedback to our PhD students and postdocs, potentially leading to publications in high-ranking journals.”
The sixth member of the group is doctoral candidate Ines Filipa Ramos Raeiro from Portugal. Her dissertation focuses on consumption within the gaming world and explores how gamers make purchase decisions in relation to the avatars they create. Since avatars can often be seen as extensions of one’s own identity, a key question is whether it is the gamer’s real-world identity or the avatar’s appearance and identity that drives purchasing behaviour in games.
“Online gaming and metaverse platforms generate more revenue than music and film combined. It’s a massive industry, but marketing research has yet to document how purchasing decisions are made in digital worlds to any significant extent.”
The aim is to continue expanding the international research group and establish its reputation across Europe.
“One of our goals is for the School of Business, Economics and Law to eventually host international conferences in experimental consumer psychology and marketing,” says Jonas Nilsson.
