Reza Etemad-Sajadi , PhD

Short Bio

Dr. Reza Etemad-Sajadi arrived at EHL in 2010. Before that, between 2000 and 2004, he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree (Computer Sciences) from EPFL. In 2008, he obtained his PhD in Management – graduating Summa cum laude – from the University of Neuchatel. The same year he obtained the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching. At several times, he was nominated for the EHL Research Award and in 2013, he obtained this award. In 2017, he was nominated Associate Professor and in 2019 he was nominated Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. In parallel, he is also a Visiting Professor at HEC Lausanne where he teaches in the Exec Ed program. He also supports companies in their marketing strategy with a focus on the customer experience.

His field can be enumerated according to the following keywords: Customer Experience, CRM, Digital Transformation, AI, Human-Machine Interaction, Services Marketing, and International Strategy Management. Since starting at EHL, he has raised more than half a million Swiss francs in funds linked to several research projects (such as Innosuisse/CTI, Hes-so, private funds such as LHC, etc.).

Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals

Etemad-Sajadi, R., Heo, C., & Clergue, V. (2023). Instilling the core tenets of hospitality in healthcare services: The role of service assurance and social presence. International Journal of Hospitality Management.
Etemad-Sajadi, R & & Sturman, M.C. (2022). How to Increase the Customer Experience by the Usage of Remote Control Robot Concierge Solutions. International Journal of Social Robotics. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12369-021-00800-x

Etemad-Sajadi, R., Soussan, A. & Schöpfer, T. (2022). How Ethical Issues Raised by Human-Robot Interaction can Impact the Intention to use the Robot? International Journal of Social Robotics. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12369-021-00857-8

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Gomes Dos Santos, G. (2021). The impact of connected health technologies on the quality of service delivered by home care companies: Focus on trust and social presence. Health Marketing Quarterly, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2020.1763096

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Gomes Dos Santos, G. (2019). Senior citizens’ acceptance of connected health technologies in their homes. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 32(8), 1162-1174. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-10-2018-0240

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Bohrer, L. (2019). The impact of service recovery output/process on customer satisfaction and loyalty: The case of the airline industry. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 19(2), 259-266. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1467358417743080

Etemad-Sajadi, E. (2018). Are customers ready to accept revenue management practices in the restaurant industry? International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 35(4), 846-856. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-01-2017-0007

Etemad-Sajadi, R., Way, S. A., & Bohrer, L. (2016). Airline Passenger Loyalty The Distinct Effects of Airline Passenger Perceived Pre-Flight and In-Flight Service Quality. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 57(2), 219-225. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1938965516630622

Etemad-Sajadi, R. (2016). The impact of online real-time interactivity on patronage intention: The use of avatars. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 227-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.045

Etemad-Sajadi, R. (2015). The impact of service tradability on the choice of entry mode: The case of computer-related service firms. The TQM Journal, 47(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-12-2013-0138

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Ghachem L. (2015). The impact of hedonic and utilitarian value of online avatars on e-service quality. Computers in Human Behavior, 52, 81-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.05.048

Bezençon, V., & Etemad-Sajadi., R. (2015). The effect of a sustainable label portfolio on consumer perception of ethicality and retail patronage. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43(4), 314-328. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-03-2014-0035

Etemad-Sajadi, R. (2014). The influence of a virtual agent on web-users’ desire to visit the company: The case of restaurant’s website. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 31(4), 419-434. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-05-2013-0077

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Rizzuto, D. (2013). The antecedents of consumer satisfaction and loyalty in fast food industry: a cross-national comparison between Chinese and Swiss consumers. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 30(7), 780-798. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-May-2012-0069

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Bezençon, V. (2012). What drives international performance? Insights from computer-related service firms. JCC: The Business and Economics Research Journal, 5(2), 259-273.

Funded Research Projects

Etemad-Sajadi R., Project: Human-Robot Interaction in a service delivery context, Date: 01.12.2019 to 31.05.2021, External fundraising: HES-SO.
Etemad-Sajadi, R., Project: Avatar: Remote control 360, Date: 01.04.2017 to 01.04.2019, External Fundraising: INNOSUISSE / CTI.
Etemad-Sajadi, R., Project: Bringing hospitality inside seniors' smart homes, Date: 01.09.2016 to 28.02.2018, External Fundraising: HES-SO.

Awards

Award for Best Researcher EHL (2013)
The article “What drives international performance? Insights from computer-related service firms” published in JCC: The Business and Economics Research Journal, received an honorary award (2012)
Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching, University of Neuchâtel (2008)