Lavi Peng
Assistant Professor
Dr. Lavi Peng is an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her PhD in Hospitality Management from The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Peng’s research examines consumer behavior and service marketing in hospitality, tourism, and foodservice contexts, with a focus on intelligent service experiences and foodservice marketing. Her work explores how emerging technologies, sensory cues, and marketing communication shape consumer perceptions, judgments, and choices. Her research aims to help hospitality and tourism organizations design more effective, responsible, and consumer-centered service experiences. Her research has been published in leading hospitality and tourism journals.
Education
Honors / Awards
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
- Lodging Operation Management
- Food Service Management
Media, Industry, and Public Impact
UMass Amherst News, June 17, 2026. “Hands Off: Why Human Touch Can Create a Food-Safety Blind Spot.” Media feature on co-authored research examining consumer responses to hand-prepared foods and food-safety messaging. https://www.umass.edu/news/article/hands-why-human-touch-can-create-food-safety-blind-spot
Phys.org, February 25, 2026. “Fries with That? Ordering from AI Linked to Selecting More Indulgent Foods.” Media coverage of research led by Dr. Peng on how voice AI in drive-thru ordering can influence consumers’ food choices. The article highlights findings showing that consumers interacting with AI voice assistants are more likely to select indulgent menu items. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fries-ai-linked-indulgent-foods.html
HospitalityNet, May 8, 2025. “Gender Characteristics of Service Robots Can Influence Customer Decisions.” Industry media coverage of Dr. Peng’s research on gendered service robots and consumer persuasion. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4127102/gender-characteristics-of-service-robots-can-influence-customer-decisions
Penn State News, March 11, 2024. “Shapes, Music May Affect Experience of People Who Dine Alone at Restaurants.” Media feature on Dr. Peng’s research on servicescape cues, music tempo, and solo dining experiences. https://www.psu.edu/news/health-and-human-development/story/shapes-music-may-affect-experience-people-who-dine-alone
HospitalityNet, September 11, 2024. “Societal Factors Can Shape How Companies Best Respond After Customers Misbehave.” Industry media coverage of co-authored research on customer misbehavior, service recovery, and cultural tightness-looseness. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4123655/societal-factors-can-shape-how-companies-best-respond-after-customers-misbehave
Professional Links
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=H8obltcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavi-peng
Selected Publications
Peng, Z., & Mattila, A. (2026). How AI modality shapes tourists prosocial behaviors? Annals of Tourism Research, 116, 104100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2025.104100
Peng, Z., Yu, H., & Mattila, A. (2026). From human to AI: Understanding the impact of voice AI on consumers’ food choices. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 134, 104537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104537
Yu, H., Peng, Z., Legendre, T., & Mattila, A. (2026). Human touch vs. Food safety: How information interventions impact the handmade food halo. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 139, 104770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2026.104770
Peng, Z., Mattila, A. S., & Sharma, A. (2025). Gendered robots and persuasion: The interplay of the robot's gender, the consumer's gender, and their power on menu recommendations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 62, 294-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2025.01.019.
Peng, Z., Luo, A. & Mattila, A. (2024). Too busy to (lose) control? The influence of busyness and sense of power on consumers’ food responses. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 120, 103754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103754
Peng, Z., Luo, A., & Mattila, A. (2024). An angular vs. circular servicescape? The impact of shape cues and music tempo on solo diners. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 118, 103687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103687
Atanga, B., Peng, Z., & Mattila, A. (2024). Customer misbehavior: The impact of a symbolic recovery strategy and cultural tightness-looseness on observing customers. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.06.007.