Chris Du Plessis

Chris Du Plessis is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU), where he has been a full-time faculty member since 2017. His academic journey includes a PhD in Marketing from the Rotterdam School of Management (2017), an MSc in Management from INSEAD (2013), and dual bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Physiology/Biomedical Science from the University of Queensland (2009/2008).

His research focuses on Social Influence, Power Dynamics, Consumer Decision-Making, and Brand Strategy, with notable contributions to understanding how power hierarchies affect interpersonal trust, social closeness, and word-of-mouth behaviors. He has been recognized for his teaching excellence with multiple awards, including the Dean’s Teaching Honour List (2018–2022) and being named among the Best 50 Undergraduate Professors (2022).

Prof. Du Plessis has secured significant grant funding, including a Singapore MOE Academic Research Fund Tier 2 Grant (2023–2026) as Co-Principal Investigator, and has published in top journals like Journal of Consumer Research and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. His work explores intersections between consumer behavior, social psychology, and organizational dynamics.

Key research themes include:

• Power asymmetries and their psychological impacts
• Brand association learning processes
• Ethical implications of incentivized reviews
• Cross-cultural moral judgments

He actively participates in academic replication initiatives to advance methodological rigor, reflecting his commitment to scientific integrity. His research often bridges theoretical frameworks with practical marketing strategies in domains like luxury goods and digital consumer behavior.