Nanami Ohtsuka presents on pricing search behaviors of GenZers at the online Student Academic Conference
International student and business administration major Nanami Ohtsuka is presenting at this year’s online Student Academic Conference beginning April 21. Her hotel industry research is on the pricing information search behaviors of GenZers.
Q: Why did you choose to research the hotel industry?
A: During my internship experience at an online travel agency, I developed an interest in the travel industry. Nowadays, people use online travel agencies (OTAs) to book their accommodations, and hotels compete against each other on OTAs. I wanted to know how hotel owners make their hotels more attractive than competitors’ to increase their sales.
Q: Who was your mentor and how did they help you?
A: My mentor was Professor Kim and Professor An. They made time for me to discuss on the topic and helped me develop my thoughts. This research is my first attempt to write an academic research paper. With their help, I gained a better understanding of the topic, the process, and the impact on businesses.
Q: How much time did you dedicate to this project?
A: I started thinking about the topic last fall and developing my thoughts in December. I cannot count the number of hours I spent on this project, but my mind was focused so much on this, especially the beginning of this semester.
Q: What was the most interesting part of your project?
A: While doing secondary research, I’ve found consumer behavior to be fascinating! For example, the famous framing effect examples by Dan Ariely explain how inferior options can make superior options look much more attractive. It was interesting to learn the consumer behavior scientists have studied and how they can be applied to our daily life.
You can view Nanami’s presentation and others at mnstate.edu/SAC.