Research | Xun Catherine Sun

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
--Peter Drucker

Catherine Sun's Research Philosophy Diagram, created by Catherine Sun @2025

Research Philosophy

My primary research focuses on technology-integrated change management in the fashion supply chain, with a philosophical belief that improving human capital (i.e., students, workforce, and consumers) through the human-technology interaction from a positive psychological lens using a mixed and multi-method approach.

As Jim Collins said, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” I aim to contribute to enhancing the value of the human in the transformative processes of the global supply chain. Beyond advancing human capital, I seek to bridge the connections among education, industry, and consumers and explore how we can foster human development, longevity, and positivity in anticipation of future digital changes.

Guided by my research philosophy, the specific research interests include digital readiness, retail technologies, data-driven underrepresented consumer insights, workforce development, and inclusive and AI-integrated teaching and learning research.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Workforce-focused:

Research interests: fashion organizational behavior, digital readiness and change management, workforce development and performance.

(Published) 1. Sun, X. C, & Ha-Brookshire, J. E. (2025). Drivers and enablers of digital readiness in the fashion industry: A systematic literature review. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X241311027

2. Sun, X. C., & Co-author (2025). (Under the first review). Fashion digital intelligence.

3. Sun, X. C., & Co-author (2024). (Under the second review). Coaching leadership and creativity toward retail automation.

4. Sun, X. C., & Co-author (2024). (Under the second review). Retail employees' digital adaptive performance.

5. Co-author & Sun, X. C. (2025). (Under first review) Knowledge management capabilities in the apparel industry.

Dissertation:

Embracing the Shift: Change Messages, Employee Psychological Capital, and Digital Readiness to In-Store Automation Technology in the Fashion Retail Context

Consumer-focused:

Research interests: consumer education and psychology, consumer-technology interaction, underserved consumers psychology and behavior.

(Published) 6. Hwang, J., Sun, X., Zhao, L., & Youn, S. Y. (2024). Sustainable fashion in new era: Exploring consumer resilience and goals in the post-pandemic. Sustainability, 16(8), 3140. [SSCI, IF: 3.9]

(Published) 7. McBee-Black, K., & Sun, X. (2024). Exploring corporate social responsibility and social capital in adaptive apparel certification marks. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X241307562

8. Sun, X. C., & Co-author (2025). (Work in progress). Luxury NFTs engagement from a consumer's social psychology lens.

9. Co-author & Sun, X. C. (2025). (Work in progress). Mass production for people with disabilities

Student-focused:

Research interests: the scholarship of teaching and learning in the AI and digital age, fashion merchandising pedagogy in the digital age.

(Published) 10. Sun, X., Ha-Brookshire, J. E., Kopot, C., & Zhao, M. (2024). How are fashion merchandising curricula designed in the digital age? Cross-cultural case study from the TPACK perspective. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 1-12. [ESCI, IF: 1.9, Q1 CiteScore Best Quartile]

10. Sun, X. C., & Co-authors (2025). (Under first review). Gen AI in a fashion merchandising course.

11. Co-authors & Sun, X. C. (2025). (Work in progress). Students' perceptions of retail and merchandising courses.

Peer-Reviewed Proceedings and Presentations (Presenters Underlined)

1. Sun, X. C., & Ha-Brookshire, J. (2024). Crafting digital change messages: Enablers for multilevel fashion digital readiness. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

2. Sun, X. C., Hwang, J., & Youn, S. (2024). Empowering creativity in automated retail: role of coaching leadership and ease of use from the perspective of frontline retail employees. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

3. Sun, X. C., Swazan, IS., & Youn, S. (2024). Enhancing digital adaptability performance among fashion retail employees facing automation retail services. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

4. Kopot, C. & Sun, X. C., (2024). Students’ perceptions of retail and merchandising analysis course through collaborative problem-based learning and digital taxonomy. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

5. Sun, X. C., Wu, J, & Kopot, C. (2024). Bridging the digital divide: Are female college students struggling with their digital competence in technology-integrated fashion curricula? Critical case study approach. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

6. Sun, X. C., & Zhao, L. (2024). Conspicuous or inconspicuous consumption? Consumer’s goal framing perspective on purchase intentions of fashion-branded NFTs in the virtual world. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

7. McBee-Black, K., & Sun, X. C., (2024). The Seal of Approval. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

8. Alexandra, D., Kopot, C., Forillo, T., & Sun, X.C., (2024). US luxury and high-end livestream shopping motivation. Accepted to International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, November 19. Proceeding will be available later.

9. Sun, X. C., Ha-Brookshire, J., & Kopot, C. (2023). Embracing the technology: The role of technological knowledge in US fashion merchandising undergraduate curriculum design. In The 2023 SFTI-Piattaforma Moda International Conference Proceedings, (pp. 152–155). Milan, Italy. July 2023.

10. Sun, X. C., Liu, Y. J., & Zhao, L. (2023). Exploring fashion digital intelligence: Analysis of knowledge domains and digital competency in fashion merchandising. International Textiles and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, November 10, Proceeding is available at https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/itaa/article/id/17401/

11. Sun, X. C., Ha-Brookshire, J. E., & Kopot, C. (2023). Collective case study on fashion merchandising course development in the US and China higher education within the digitalization context. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, November 10. The proceeding is available at https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/itaa/article/id/17338/

12. Sun, X. C., Ha-Brookshire, J. E., Kopot, C., & Zhao, M. (2023). How fashion merchandising courses designed within the digitalization context? Collective case study on higher education in the US and China. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, November 10. The proceeding is available at https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/itaa/article/id/17339/

13. Paden, J., Kopot, C. A., Sun, X. C., & Forillo, T. (2023). Exploratory study in attitude, behavior, and motivation to cosmetic dentistry between generation X and Z. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. November 10, Proceeding is available at https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/itaa/article/id/17513/.

Book Chapter

1. Zhao, H.S., Wang, Q.Y., Chang, J., and Writing Committees. (2023). Apparel product merchandising, Chapter: Apparel branding and communication planning. China Textile Press. ISBN: 9787518099474. National-level textbook for undergraduate higher education in China recognized by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Writing Committees. (2022). Aesthetics of men's dressing in China. China Textile Press. ISBN: 9787518092390.

3. Han, J.H, & Sun, X. (2022). Sustainable fashion. China Textile Press. ISBN: 9787518098774.

4. Fang, G., Yang, J., & Sun, X. (2021). Fashion management, Chapter: Fashion Business and Retail. China Textile Press. ISBN: 9787518090396.

Research Awards and Grants

$300 Research Development Award – Graduate Professional Council (GPC), University of Missouri, 2024

$500 Research Development Award – Graduate Professional Council (GPC), University of Missouri, 2024

$600 Conference Presentation Award – Graduate Professional Council (GPC), University of Missouri, 2023.

$300 Professional Development Award – Graduate Professional Council (GPC), University of Missouri, 2023.

$234 Professional Presentation Travel Scholarship – Graduate School, University of Missouri, 2023.

$300 Professional Development Awards – Graduate Professional Council (GPC), University of Missouri, 2022.

$8,000 New Talented Young Instructor Internal Grant, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT), Beijing, China, 2018 – 2021, Role: PI, Shared credit: 100%.

$3,500 China Economic Information Service Grant, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT), Beijing, China, 2021 – 2022, Role: PI, Shared credit: 100%.