Former Virginia Tech Ph.D. student Jinyan Xiang, current marketing Ph.D. student Daniel Todorovic, and faculty mentor Mario Pandelaere co-authored a paper titled “Economic Inequality Hinders Consumers’ Access to Peer-To-Peer Services” in the Journal of Marketing. This achievement reflects the strength of scholarship within the Virginia Tech Department of Marketing’s Ph.D. program and highlights the department’s commitment to advancing research that addresses complex and socially relevant marketplace challenges. 

Through a series of empirical investigations, the research examines how rising levels of economic inequality shape participation in peer-to-peer marketplaces. The findings suggest that inequality not only affects consumers’ financial capacity to engage with these platforms but also influences perceptions of belonging and accessibility within peer-to-peer environments. By identifying how broader structural conditions shape marketplace participation, the study contributes to ongoing academic conversations surrounding consumer access, platform design, and marketplace equity. 

The publication offers meaningful implications for marketing scholars, platform developers, and policymakers seeking to better understand how emerging service economies can unintentionally reinforce existing disparities. By centering issues of economic inequality within marketing research, the study demonstrates how scholarship developed at Virginia Tech extends beyond theoretical inquiry to inform real-world marketplace systems. 

Together, the achievements of Xiang, Todorovic, and Pandelaere demonstrate the collaborative academic rigor that defines the  Virginia Tech Department of Marketing’s Ph.D. program. From top-journal recognition to broader societal relevance, their work reflects the department’s continued dedication to producing research that advances knowledge while generating lasting impact across communities and industries alike. Read the full academic paper.