PhD Dissertation Defense - Elena Elkanova

DISSERTATION DEFENSE ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR THE DEGREE OF PHD IN BUSINESS

PhD Candidate: Elena Elkanova

Title: Empowerment of People with Disabilities in the Marketplace: Perspectives of Consumers and Role of Technologies

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 11^th, 2026, 3:30PM-5:30PM EST

Location: Smith 122 or via remote connection 

Remote Connection:  https://bentley.zoom.us/j/96465389915 

Dissertation Committee Chair: Nada Nasr, Associate Professor of Marketing, Bentley University.

Committee Members: Jonathan Ericson, Associate Professor of Experience Design, Bentley University; Samantha Cross,  Professor of Marketing and the F.W. Olin Distinguished Chair of Global Business, Babson College.

 

ABSTRACT

The marketplace can both exclude and empower individuals with disabilities (Cross & Ekpo, 2025). I define empowerment as the process through which marginalized individuals cultivate their sources of power and agency to transform their disadvantaged position and raise their voices (Carstensen & Winker, 2007). Grounded in the social model of disability and the theoretical lens of ableism, my research is at the intersection of consumer empowerment of people with disabilities and technology. The dissertation consists of three essays. Essay 1 reviews the literature on disability simulations and their effects on consumer behaviors and attitudes. In Essay 2, we propose and empirically test a model linking the use of disability simulations to empowering behavior by consumers without disabilities toward people with disabilities. In Essay 3, I explore what empowerment means to consumers with disabilities and how the marketplace can foster it through assistive technologies.

The first paper (co-authored with Nada Nasr) explores the role of technology in empowering consumers with disabilities. We review research on disability simulations, immersive experiences that allow users to step into the shoes of vulnerable populations. We synthesize the usage and impact of immersive technologies and critically evaluate research in this area, a total of 31 academic articles. Our review reveals that emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) simulations, offer unique opportunities for immersive experiences, enabling individuals without disabilities to engage in simulations that replicate aspects of disability. We identify critical flaws in common practices, such as "Disability Awareness Days" implemented by colleges or training for product designers, which can inadvertently cause harm rather than promote consumer empowerment and marketplace accessibility. We emphasize the need for simulation designers to: (1) prioritize the empowerment of individuals with disabilities, (2) acknowledge the complexity and nuances of different disabilities, (3) diversify the range of disabilities represented in simulations, (4) simulate the disabling environment rather than the impairment itself, and, most importantly, (5) ensure that individuals with disabilities lead the development process and inform every decision. A paper based on this work was published in the American Marketing Association Summer Academic Conference proceedings in 2024.

The second paper (co-authored with Nada Nasr and Jonathan Ericson) further challenges disability simulations as empathy machines and explores the effect of perspective-taking of consumers with visual impairments on their empowerment. More specifically, we propose and test that disability simulations are likely to increase the perception of dependency from caregivers and donors (the perception that already persists in society), and, therefore, will make the attempts to empower people with disabilities seem ineffective. In contrast, higher perceived independence of people with disabilities will entice people to empower them. We conduct a series of between-subjects experiments, comparing the intent to provide empowerment through donations between participants who were immersed in a visual impairment experience and no visual impairment (control condition), using VR technology. We measure empowerment as the amount donated to the empowering charity that fosters autonomy. Our research shows that though there are no significant differences in the likelihood of donating across groups, on average, participants exposed to a visual impairment simulation donate lower amounts to the empowering charity for people with visual impairments. This relationship is mediated by the participants’ perception of the dependence of people with visual impairment. These findings contribute to the literature on the empowerment of consumers and pro-social behavior, highlighting the differences between empowerment and dependency-oriented support. This work was presented at the American Marketing Association Winter 2025 Conference, at the Association for Consumer Research Conference, AMA Marketing and Public Policy Conference, at Bentley’s Boston Area Marketing Scholars (BAMS), and at Bentley’s MLK Day 2026: Linked in Hope, Purpose and Achievement.

The third paper (sole-authored) centers on empowerment and the role of assistive technologies as one mechanism for achieving it in the marketplace. While previous studies examined accessibility, coping strategies, and marketplace participation (Adkins & Ozanne, 2005b; Baker et al., 2001; Cross & Ekpo, 2025; Kaufman-Scarborough & Childers, 2009), relatively few focused on empowerment itself, its mechanisms, and the conditions required to achieve it. The limited research that has conceptualized empowerment has largely relied on externally developed theoretical frameworks rather than participants' own understandings of empowerment. In contrast to the previous two essays, which defined empowerment and ways to measure it while focusing on the perceptions of people without disabilities, the third paper engaged directly with individuals with disabilities, using 22 in-depth interviews and the critical incident technique, and let them control the narratives surrounding their independence and empowerment. The findings show that although independence emerges as one important interpretation of empowerment, it is neither universally endorsed nor consistently prioritized by all participants. Instead, participants locate empowerment in a variety of complementary domains, including access to information that enables informed decision-making, parity in marketplace participation, recognition, and belonging. Second, the study conceptualizes empowerment as an ecosystem phenomenon rather than solely an individual outcome. My findings suggest that empowerment is co-produced through a broader ecosystem comprising assistive technologies, marketplace actors, firms, public institutions, human assistants, family members, and accessibility infrastructures. Technologies alone rarely empower participants. Rather, empowerment emerges when assistive technologies operate within supportive social, institutional, and marketplace environments. Third, this paper shifts attention from empowerment outcomes to the notion of accessibility labor. Participants repeatedly describe the work required to achieve marketplace participation, including learning assistive technologies, developing accessibility expertise, researching accessible options, creating workarounds, and adapting to inaccessible systems. The paper makes several theoretical contributions and offers several propositions for future research. This paper was presented at the 2025 Consumer Culture Theory Conference.

Taken together, my dissertation essays contribute to the literature on consumer empowerment and marketplace accessibility by exploring empowerment through technologies and collaboration with consumers without disabilities. Marketplace accessibility is evolving through technological innovations, digital accessibility initiatives, and changing regulatory environments. Consequently, understanding what consumers with disabilities perceive as empowering is increasingly important for firms and policymakers seeking to design effective accessibility initiatives. For regulators and practitioners, this dissertation reveals effective strategies for empowering individuals with disabilities in the marketplace while respecting their autonomy. This is especially important considering the controversy surrounding many supposedly inclusive campaigns and product designs.