Rate My Professor Crystal Yap

Professor Crystal Yap, known professionally as Sheau Fen Yap, serves as Professor of Marketing and Head of the Department of Marketing and International Business within the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at Auckland University of Technology. She joined the Marketing Department in February 2012, possessing over two decades of experience in tertiary education teaching. Her academic qualifications include a PhD in Marketing from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2004-2010), an MBA from the University of Dubuque in the United States (1997-1999), and a Postgraduate Diploma. Crystal advocates for student-centred teaching methodologies that emphasize classroom dynamics to foster independent learning among students.

Her research interests encompass health marketing, consumer well-being, online consumer behaviours, digital health technologies and healthcare services, preventive health behaviours, digital well-being, consumption patterns, and consumer vulnerability. Professor Yap's work draws from and contributes to areas such as preventive health marketing, consumer vulnerability, and behavioural change, with her publications amassing over 3,284 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include 'Home sharing in marketing and tourism at a tipping point' (Lim et al., 2020; cited 613 times), 'Emotional experiences behind the pursuit of inconspicuous luxury consumption' (Makkar & Yap, 2018; cited 126 times), 'Does personality matter in exercise participation?' (Yap et al., 2013; cited 30 times), 'A Paradox Theory of Social Media Consumption and Child Well-being' (Yap et al., 2024; cited 24 times), 'Unboxing the child influencer paradoxes: a research agenda' (Rotimi et al., 2024), 'Towards a responsible gaming ecosystem: a call to action' (Yap et al., 2024), 'Identity transition process: a study of the holistic wellness market' (2023), 'Brand crisis and legitimacy' (Lim et al., 2025), and 'Psychological Mechanisms Behind the Influence of Second-Hand Clothing Consumption on Sustainable Fashion Desire' (Kim & Yap, 2025). Through her leadership role and prolific scholarship, she significantly influences marketing academia, particularly in consumer behaviour and well-being domains.