Dr Cristina Galalae

Lecturer in Marketing

School/Department: Business, School of

Profile

Dr. Cristina Galalae is a Lecturer in Marketing and the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Leicester School of Business. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education UK.

As an interpretative consumer researcher, Dr. Galalae studies multicultural marketplaces from a sociocultural perspective. She is driven by the belief that markets play a critical role in enabling and hindering intercultural engagement, with consequences for individual and societal wellbeing. Some of her research areas of interest include: inclusivity and discrimination in the marketplace, inclusive brand communications, consumer wellbeing, inclusion in higher education, inclusive digital design, among others.

Dr. Galalae joined the University of Leicester in 2019, having previously been a Senior Lecturer at Coventry University (UK). She has completed her formative journey at the University of Texas at Austin (USA) as a Fulbright scholar, the University of Manchester, as a European Social Fund grantee, and at the Bucharest Academy of Economics, which awarded her a Ph.D. in International Business . Prior to pursuing her doctoral studies, she worked as a marketing specialist for multinational companies, as well as small enterprises.

Research

My research contributes to the growing body of knowledge about culturally diverse marketplaces and market inclusion. It aims to broaden our understanding of contemporary markets, where people have unprecedented opportunities for voluntary and involuntary interactions with lifestyles, consumption practices, products, services and experiences associated with diverse cultural meanings and origins.

In my work, I draw from and build on theories originated in sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, international relations and politics. Methodologically, I follow an interpretive/hermeneutic (qualitative) approach.

My ongoing projects focus on the following two main areas:
(1) multicultural locales (some of the theoretical constructs that I am interested in are: narratives of the self, living diversity, and culturally plural consumption);
(2) experiential retail spaces (I am currently exploring contexts such as festivals and markets).

I am also part of the Multicultural Marketplaces Network (MCMP), an international research team bringing together top academics from the USA, UK, France, Denmark, and Italy with expertise in different forms of marketplace diversity. Our team co-founded the DIEM (Diversity & Inclusivity Engaged Marketing) Initiative, a collaborative platform bringing together researchers, industry and policy practitioners and educators working to advance Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in marketing education, practice and research. The initiative is supported by multiple funders including the Association for Consumer Research (USA), the University of Leicester ESRC Impact Accelerator (UK), and IESEG School of Management (France). The impact of my work with the MCMP network was recognised by the 2020 Women in Marketing ‘Marketing Scientist’ Award. In 2023, one of our papers published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing was adopted into the National Diversity Council member toolkit (USA).

Publications

(0) Galalae, C., Kipnis, E., Cui, C.C., Johnson, E., Licsandru, T.C., Vorster, L. et al. (2022). A multi-contextual lens on racism and discrimination in the multicultural marketplace, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Special Issue on Race and Discrimination in the Marketplace, 95-106.

Kipnis, E., Demangeot, C., Pullig, C., Cross, S.N.N., Cui, C.C., Galalae, C. et al. (2021). Institutionalizing diversity and inclusion engaged marketing (DIEM) for multicultural marketplace wellbeing. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 40(2), 143-164.

Galalae, C., Kipnis, E., Demangeot, E. (2020). Reassessing positive dispositions for the consumption of products and services with different cultural meanings: A motivational perspective. Journal of Business Research, 115, 160-173.

Broeckerhoff, A. & Galalae, C. (2020). Christmas markets – marketplace icon. Consumption Markets & Culture, 25(1), pp. 79-90.

Demangeot, C., Kipnis, E., Pulling C., Cross, S., Emontspool, J., Galalae, C., et al. (2019). Constructing a Bridge to Multicultural Marketplace Well-Being: a Consumer-centered Framework for Market Action. Journal of Business Research, 100, 339- 353.

Galalae, C., Emontspool, J. & Omidvar, O., (2018). Culinary Communication Practices: the Role of Retail Spaces in Producing Field-specific Cultural Capital. Research in Consumer Behaviour, 20, 169-181.

Galalae, C. & George, S. (2017). Nestle in Mexico: The Good Food Versus the Good Life Dilemma. Strategic Marketing Cases in Emerging Economies. Springer Publication, 1-10.
.

Supervision

I currently have the pleasure of working with the following doctoral students, as Ph.D. supervisor:

Jorge Borquez Jorquera: The relationship between place marketing and sustainability of destinations concerning the practice of tourism
Kenji Ishihara: Theology of green consumption and its influence in the market
Kora Nyznyk: Dressing infants to impress: consumption motivators of infant apparel luxury designer brands by Canadian mothers
Mostafa Saadeldin: Consumption and the Muslim habitus in Egypt: an Islamic marketing perspective
Clarissa Wilson: What role for digital storytelling? Technologies and narratives to enable people in all their diversity

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in the research topics and research paradigms listed below:

Research topics:

Multicultural marketplaces
Acculturation studies
Marketplace inclusion and wellbeing
Experiential consumption
Ephemeral retail spaces (e.g. festivals, markets, pop-up stores)
Destination marketing and branding
Mobility and narratives of travel

Research paradigms:

Interpretive Consumer Research
Consumer Culture Theory (CCT)
Transformative Consumer Research (TCR)
Critical Marketing

Teaching

I contribute to teaching on the following modules:

MN7709: Organisational Research and Consultancy Methods and the MBA Project

MN7704: Managing International Marketing Communications, Brand and Relationships (MBA)

MN7008 Ethical Foundations in International Marketing (MSc International Marketing)

MN7011 Consumption, Brands and Communications (MSc Marketing)

MN7404 Marketing Management (MSc Management Programmes)

MN7020 Dissertation supervision (undergraduate)

MN3101/MN3103 Dissertation supervision (postgraduate)

Press and media

Research featured in media:

University of Leicester Business School blog (2023): Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Representations in Marketing Require more Attention to Context

Podcast IESEG France (2022): Changemaker Stories: Diversity and Inclusion Engaged Marketing

Newswise USA (2021): Advancing diversity and inclusion in business requires a common language, knowledge

The Conversation UK (2020): Christmas markets: their long history and changing future

The Conversation UK (2020): Thai food, living ‘hygge'… What drives us to consume products from other cultures?

The Conversation France (2020): Manger thaï, vivre « hygge »… Qu’est-ce qui nous pousse à consommer les produits d’autres cultures?

Radio Sputnik UK (2020): Christmas 2020 Will Be a Very Different Year for UK Christmas Markets

I welcome press inquiries on topics related to:

- cultural diversity in the marketplace
- multicultural markets
- racism and discrimination in the marketplace
- diversity and inclusion in the marketplace
- experiential retail
- German Christmas Markets
- festivals.

Activities

Professional Memberships:

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Member of the Transformative Consumer Research External Funding Sub-committee

Editorial Board Member for the ""Culture. Society. Economy. Politics"" International Journal

Member of the Multicultural Marketplaces Research Network

Track co-chair at the Transformative Consumer Research Dialogical Conference 2023

Leadership at the University of Leicester

Lead of the Inclusive Digital Design Research Track at the Institute for Digital Culture, University of Leicester

Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Leicester School of Business

Awards

I and my colleagues in the Multicultural Marketplaces network have received the Women in Marketing Award 2020, in the Marketing Scientist category, which recognises female leads from the marketing education sector.

I have secured an ESRC Impact Acceleration grant through the SMALL RAPID RESPONSE SCHEME to fund an international research repository on Diversity and Inclusion-Engaged Marketing (DIEM) that I am currently co-developing with colleagues from different universities in the UK and abroad. Our project has also been generously supported via a grant offered by the Association for Consumer Research via the Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) funding scheme.

Conferences

I attend international conferences relevant to the communitis that I am part of and for my fields of interests. Some example include:

Cross, S.N.N., Galalae, C., Cui, C.C., Johnson, E., Kearney, S., Licsandru, T.C., Mari, C., Martin-Ruiz, V., Vorster, L., (2023). Growing diversity and inclusion-engaged marketing (DIEM) Research, Practice and Education for consumer well-being in multicultural marketplaces. Accepted Track 2 at the 2023 Transformative Consumer Research Dialogical Conference, hosted by Royal Holloway, University of London, 18-20th June 2023.

Galalae, C. et.al. (2023) A multi-contextual lens on racism and discrimination in the multicultural marketplace. Invited keynote presentation at the JACR Webinar on Racism and Discrimination in the Marketplace. Online. 12th January 2023.

Kipnis, E., Demangeot, C., Pullig, C., Cross, S.N.N., Cui, C.C., Galalae, C., Johnson, E., Kearney, S., Licsandru, T.C., Lindsey-Warren, T., Mari, C., Martin-Ruiz, V., Vorster, L., Williams, J. (2021). Growing diversity and inclusion-engaged marketing (DIEM) Research, Practice and Education for consumer well-being in multicultural marketplaces. Accepted Track 2 at the 2021 Transformative Consumer Research Dialogical Conference, hosted by the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, 28-30th June 2021, virtual.

Kipnis, E., Demangeot, C., Pullig, C., Cross, S.N.N., Cui, C.C., Galalae, C., Kearney, S., Licsandru, T.C., Mari, C., Martin-Ruiz, V., Swanepoel, S., Vorster, L., Williams, J. (2021). Institutionalizing diversity and inclusion engaged marketing (DIEM) for multicultural marketplace wellbeing. Paper invited for keynote presentation at the Marketing and Public Policy Conference Plenary Session titled "Transformative Consumer Research and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", 25th June 2021, virtual.

Galalae, C., Kipnis, E., Cui, C.C., Johnson, E., Licsandru, T.C., Vorster, L. et al. (2021). A multi-contextual lens on racism and discrimination in the multicultural marketplace. Paper presented at the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research Boutique Conference on “Racism and Discrimination in the Marketplace”, 17-18th June 2021, virtual.

Omidvaar, O., Galalae, C. (2016) Sensemaking in Cultural Festivals and Events, presented at the Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2019.

Galalae, C., Emontspool, J., Omidvar, O. (2018). Culinary Communication Practices: How Temporary Retail Spaces Produce Field-specific Cultural Capital, presented at theConsumer Culture Theory Conference (CCT) 2018.

Galalae, C., Kipnis, E. (2018). From the Logic of Identity Work to an Instrumental View on Culturally Diverse Consumption: a Utility Theory Perspective, presented at the European Marketing Academy Conference (EMAC) 2018.