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With ten years of experience in strategic planning, education, and business consulting within the global esports industry, as well as experience collaborating with senior-level stakeholders, Dr Lucy Zhu has been involved in numerous projects collaborating with internal and external esports ecosystem stakeholders as well as government entities. Lucy is passionate about esports business development opportunities and research collaborations.

As a co-founder of Network for Esports Evolution, she has also been actively involved in esports gender studies and building esports talent pipelines between esports education and the esports industry.

 

  • Esports Business Strategy
  • Esports Event Management
  • Esports Industry Experiences
  • Esports Dissertation
  • Research Methods

Lucy’s is interested in esports events participation, motivation and behaviours of esports players and consumers, esports fandom, EDI in esports, experience of women in esports, well-being and ecosystem of esports in the wider social context. She is open to take PhD students and to discuss any research collaboration.  

Conference

  • Zhu, X, Pyun, D., & Manoli, E. A. (2019). Reexamination of Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) in Esports: Cross Validation of Intrinsic Motivation and Integrated Motivation. Asian Association of Sport Management.
  • Zhu, X, Pyun, D., & Manoli, E. A. (2019). A Test and Refinement of Self-Determination Theory: Investigating the Relationships among Basic Psychological Needs, Motivation, Satisfaction, and Revisit Intention in Esports. European Association of Sport Management Conference.
  • Zhu, X, Pyun, D., & Manoli, E. A. (2021). Developing a Measurement Scale for Spectators’ Perceived Service Quality of Esports Events. European Association of Sport Management Conference.
  • Zhu, X, Pyun, D., & Manoli, E. A. (2021). Investigating the impact of passion for esports on wellbeing for UK college esports players. (accepted). Sport Marketing Association.
  • Zhu, X, Pyun, D., & Manoli, E. A. (2023). Assessing the Psychological Pathways of esports Events Spectators: An Application of Service Quality and Its Antecedents and Consequences. 30th European Association of Sport Management. New Researcher Award Winner.
  • Zhu, X. & Gray, S. (2025) The Underrepresentation of Women in Esports Leadership Positions: Exploring the Barriers and Facilitating Factors. 33rd European Association of Sport Management.
  • Zhang, J. & Zhu, X. (2025) Conceptualisation of Streamers’ Attributes in Esports Life Streaming. 33rd European Association of Sport Management. 33rd European Association of Sport Management.
  • Cheng, B., Sun, S., Fu, W., & Zhu, X. Investigating the Influence of Esports Participation on Consumers’ Wellbeing: A Two-wave Study. 33rd European Association of Sport Management.

Journals

  • Zhu, L., Pyun, D., & Manoli, A.E. (in press). A reexamination of Sport Motivation Scale0II in esports spectatorship: Cross-validation of intrinsic motivation and integrated motivation. International Journal of Sport Psychology.
  • Zhu, X., Pyun, D. Y., Manoli, A. E. (2021). Developing a conceptual model of service quality for esports. Quest, 73(4), 375-390. DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2021.1976654
  • Zhu, X., Pyun, D. Y., Manoli, A. E. (2025). Assessing the psychological pathways of Esports events spectators: An application of service quality and its antecedents and consequences. European Sport Management Quarterly, 25(3), 453-473.

Grants

  • Zhu, L & Gray, S. (2025). The barriers and facilitating factors experienced by women during their leadership careers: A study in East Asia. University of Northampton Early Career Research Grant.
  • Gray, S., & Zhu, L. (2024). The underrepresentation of women in esports leadership positions: Exploring the barriers and facilitating factors. University of Northampton Early Career Research Grant
  • Gray, S. & Zhu, L. (2024). Advancing gender equality in esports through public and community engagement. University of Northampton Knowledge Exchange Grant.