Director for masters' programmes in the Department of Marketing
Room 4.40 Otago Business School
Tel +64 3 479 8168
Email leah.watkins@otago.ac.nz
Leah completed a BA in Japanese at Otago before spending several years travelling and working in Europe and Asia. She returned to Dunedin to complete a DipGrad in Marketing and a Postgraduate Diploma in Japanese and went on to complete a cross-divisional PhD (Marketing and Japanese) in the area of cultural values and tourism behaviour.
Her research interests focus on two main areas: Culture and Consumer Behaviour – specifically the influence of culture on consumption and cross cultural research methodologies; and Marketing and Society – specifically consumer values and lifestyles, ethical business/consumption, and consumer socialisation.
Leah's current research projects include a study on the development of sustainable consumption knowledge among children, visions of a sustainable consumption future, the NZ consumer lifestyles study, and the Kids'Cam project looking at the extent of advertising to children using automatic cameras.
Teaching responsibilities
Leah's teaching responsibilities include:
- MART 201 Integrated Marketing Communications
- MART 464 Consumer Behaviour
- MART 212 Understanding Markets
- MART 501 Applied Project
- MART 580 Research Project
Office hours
Tuesdays 12:00-1:00pm
Publications
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study. Lancet Planetary Health, 6, e132-e138. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Woosnam, K. M., Watkins, L., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2022). Social distance between residents and tourists explained by residents’ attitudes concerning tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1), 150-169. doi: 10.1177/0047287520971052
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles. Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues, 1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2021). Preschoolers' request behaviour and family conflict: The role of family communication and advertising mediation styles. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20, 1326-1335. doi: 10.1002/cb.1938
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Van Kerkhof, R. (2020). Challenge, constraint and commitment to change: A New Zealand Consumer Lifestyles Study. (pp. 1-35). Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/marketing/research/lifestyles
Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
Watkins, L., & Aitken, R. (2020). The role of young consumers in moving to a sustainable consumption future. In L. McNeill (Ed.), Transitioning to responsible consumption and production. (pp. 169-185). Basel, Switzerland: MDPI Books. doi: 10.3390/books978-3-03897-873-2-9
Chapter in Book - Research
Watkins, L. (2009). A consideration of Confucian values in Japanese tourism behaviour. In K.-S. Fam, Z. Yang & M. Hyman (Eds.), A handbook of Confucian/chopsticks marketing. (pp. 111-125). Wellington, New Zealand: Asia Business Research Coporation.
Chapter in Book - Research
Thyne, M., Woosnam, K. M., Watkins, L., & Ribeiro, M. A. (2022). Social distance between residents and tourists explained by residents’ attitudes concerning tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1), 150-169. doi: 10.1177/0047287520971052
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Gage, R., Smith, M., McKerchar, C., Aitken, R., & Signal, L. (2022). An objective assessment of children's exposure to brand marketing in New Zealand (Kids'Cam): A cross-sectional study. Lancet Planetary Health, 6, e132-e138. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00290-4
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Williams, J., & Thyne, M. (2021). New Zealand consumer lifestyles. Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of Social Issues, 1, 1-17.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R. (2021). Preschoolers' request behaviour and family conflict: The role of family communication and advertising mediation styles. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20, 1326-1335. doi: 10.1002/cb.1938
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., Williams, J., & Kean, A. (2020). The positive role of labelling on consumers’ perceived behavioural control and intention to purchase organic food. Journal of Cleaner Production, 255, 120334. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120334
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., Watkins, L., & Kemp, S. (2019). Envisioning a sustainable consumption future. Young Consumers, 20(4), 299-313. doi: 10.1108/YC-12-2018-0905
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Robertson, K., Watkins, L., & Casey, O. (2019). Retailers targeting children with set collection promotions: The child’s perspective. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 47(6), 643-658. doi: 10.1108/IJRDM-08-2017-0180
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Ford, J. (2019). Measuring and enhancing children’s sustainable consumption and production literacy. Young Consumers, 20(4), 285-298. doi: 10.1108/YC-11-2018-0880
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Gage, R., Smith, M. B., Chambers, T. J., Barr, M., Stanley, J., & Signal, L. N. (2019). Capturing the commercial world of children: The feasibility of wearable cameras to assess marketing exposure. Journal of Consumer Affairs, Winter, 1396-1420.
Journal - Research Article
Thyne, M., Watkins, L., & Yoshida, M. (2018). Resident perceptions of tourism: The role of social distance. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(2), 256-266. doi: 10.1002/jtr.2179
Journal - Research Article
Aitken, R., & Watkins, L. (2017). "Harm or good?": Consumer perceptions of corporate strategic giving in schools. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 51(2), 406-432. doi: 10.1111/joca.12124
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., Robertson, K., & Borzekowski, D. (2017). Environmental influences on pre-schooler’s understanding of brand symbolism. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 35(7), 907-922. doi: 10.1108/MIP-11-2016-0211
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K. J., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., & Watkins, L. (2016). Correlates of parental mediation of pre-schooler’s advertising exposure. Young Consumers, 17(4), 337-349. doi: 10.1108/YC-04-2016-00597
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., & Mather, D. (2016). Conscientious consumers: A relationship between moral foundations, political orientation and sustainable consumption. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 137-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.009
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., & Thyne, M. (2016). Public and parental perceptions of and concerns with advertising to preschool children. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 40(5), 592-600. doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12304
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Robertson, K., Thyne, M., & Williams, J. (2016). Advertising's impact on pre-schoolers' brand knowledge and materialism. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 40(5), 583-591. doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12303
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Hinder, C., Lawson, R., Mather, D., Paul, A., Robertson, K., & Williams, J. (2015). The New Zealand consumer lifestyle segments. New Zealand Sociology, 30(1), 111-130.
Journal - Research Article
Robertson, K., Aitken, R., & Watkins, L. (2014). Public policy and personal preference: A disconnect between beliefs regarding responsible drinking and the motivation to get drunk. Public Health, 128(11), 1030-1032. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2014.08.006
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. J., & Gnoth, J. (2011). Japanese tourism values: A means–end investigation. Journal of Travel Research, 50(6), 654-668. doi: 10.1177/0047287510382297
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., & Gnoth, J. (2011). The value orientation approach to understanding culture. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(4), 1274-1299. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2011.03.003
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. (2010). The cross-cultural appropriateness of survey-based value(s) research: A review of methodological issues and suggestion of alternative methodology. International Marketing Review, 27(6), 694-716. doi: 10.1108/02651331011088290
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L. (2008). Japanese travel culture: An investigation of the links between early Japanese pilgrimage and modern Japanese travel behaviour. New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, 10(2), 93-110.
Journal - Research Article
Watkins, L., & Gnoth, J. (2005). Methodological issues in using Kahle's list of values scale for Japanese tourism behaviour. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 11(3), 225-233.
Journal - Research Article