MARKETNG 2501 - Consumer Behaviour

North Terrace Campus - Summer - 2020

This course introduces the theory of consumer behaviour and relates it to the practice of marketing. It will present relevant material drawn from psychology, anthropology, social and behavioural sciences within the framework of the consumer decision process and its main influencing factors.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MARKETNG 2501
    Course Consumer Behaviour
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Summer
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Assumed Knowledge MARKETNG 1001
    Course Description This course introduces the theory of consumer behaviour and relates it to the practice of marketing. It will present relevant material drawn from psychology, anthropology, social and behavioural sciences within the framework of the consumer decision process and its main influencing factors.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Sally Rao Hill

    Email: nigel.barker@adelaide.edu.au 

    Phone: 0408 890 174

    Location: Room 13.30, Level 13, Nexus 10 Building

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Course Timetable

    Mon
    Intro to Consumer Behaviour and
    Situational Factors

            
    Tues
    Problem recognition
    And Information Search

    Wed
    Evaluation, Purchase decision
    and post purchase evaluation

    Thurs
    Perception & Learning

    Fri
    Motivation, Personality & Emotions

         
    Mon
    Attitude

    Tues
    Demographics, lifestyle &
    Household consumption


    Wed
    Group influence and communication

    Thurs
    Social stratification

    Fri
    Cultural influence
    Course revision



  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

    1. Identify and explain factors which influence consumer behaviour; 
    2. Demonstrate how knowledge of consumer behaviour can be applied to marketing;
    3. Display critical thinking and problem solving skills;
    4. Gain, evaluate and synthesise information and existing knowledge from a number of sources and experiences;
    5. In a team, work effectively to prepare a professional, logical and coherent report on consumer behaviour issues within a specific context; 
    6. Deliver an oral presentation in a professional and engaging manner.



    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2,
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    4, 5, 6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    5, 6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    5, 6
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    5, 6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Michael R Solomon, Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Josephine Privite (2017), Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, Being, (4th Ed.), Australia: Pearson.

    eBooks of this text is available. The textbook has a related website address which provides additional and updated material including relevant websites and self-testing tools.
    Recommended Resources

    Psychology & Marketing
    Australasian Marketing Journal
    Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services
    Journal of Advertising
    Journal of Retailing
    Journal of Consumer Culture Journal of Consumer Behaviour
    European Journal of Marketing
    International Journal of Research in Marketing
    Journal of Consumer Marketing
    Journal of Business Research
    Journal of Consumer Research
    Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Journal of Marketing

    While you may wish to read other textbooks, you may benefit more from developing an understanding of marketing activities and competitive responses to these, starting with the examples presented in your text. So it will be to your advantage while studying this course to pay as much attention as possible to the marketing activities going on around you. You can do this in a number of ways:

          ·   Develop close liaison with marketing managers where you work;
          ·   Regular monitoring of the local business media;
          ·   Daily scrutiny of a business newspaper;
          ·   Accessing business publications on the internet.
    Online Learning
    All class material will be available on MyUni with all assignments to be submitted into Turnitin via the MyUni page. Should face to face classes be restricted, alll classes will take place online at the same times as per the timetable.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    There will be 3 hours seminar/workshop each day. Typically there will be a mix between discussion, class exercises and/or student presentations along with the presentation of a topic by the lecturer. The seminar program schedule is contained in this Course Outline and students will be expected to have reviewed the topic to be discussed and attempted any set questions/exercises prior to each seminar. There is a strong assumption that students will engage in seminar discussions in an informed way

    Typically, it will take the form of a participative discussion, class exercises and/or student presentations based on the topics covered. Students will be expected to have prepared the topic to be discussed and attempted any set questions/exercises prior to each seminar. There is a strong assumption that students will engage in seminar discussions in an informed way.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course or 13 hours for a four-unit course, of private study outside of your regular classes.
    Learning Activities Summary
    The course timetable gives a full breakdown of the topics to be covered and the learning areas for each session.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Item Learning Outcomes Weighting (%)
    Group Presentation

    Online Quiz

    3, 4, 5, 6

    1, 2, 3, 4

    15%

    15%

    Major Assignment (Group) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 20%
    Final Examination 1, 2, 3, 4 50%
    Total 100%
    Assessment Related Requirements
    • All assignments are to be lodged prior to the due date and time. A late assignment where no extension has been granted will be penalised by a reduction of 10% of the mark given for each day, or part of a day, that it is late.
    • To gain a pass for this course, a mark of at least 45% must be obtained on the examination as well as a total of at least 50% overall. Students not achieving the minimum exam mark will be awarded no more than 49.
    • Legible hand-writing and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process. Marks may be deducted in the final examination because of poor hand-writing.
    • Students in this course are not permitted to take a DICTIONARY (English or English-Foreign) into the examination. In this course, the use of calculators in the examination is not permitted.
    • Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
    • All individual assignments must be attached to an Assignment Cover Sheet which must be signed and dated by the student before submission.
    • All group assignments must be attached to a Group Assignment Cover Sheet which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.
    • Markers can refuse to accept assignments which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s Policy on Plagiarism.
    Assessment Detail
    Presentation

    You will be placed in three/four (depending on class numbers). Each group will be allocated a topic in the first session. The groups must then deliver a 25 minute presentation and class discussion of that topic. Marking details and exact requirements are posted on Canvas and will be discussed in the first class.

    Mid Subject Quiz

    There will be a 1 hour online Quiz. The format will be sixty multiple choice questions.

    Major Group Assignment

    Working in groups, you are to 1) identify an sustainable consumption issue. This could be environmentally friendly consumer behaviour (such as recycling, carpooling, taking public transport, safe disposal of e-waste) or purchases of environmentally friendly cleaning products (examples include using energy efficient lighting, solar panels/solar power, cloth nappies, appliances with better energy
    efficiency). Colloborative consumption behaviour such as the use of Air BnB, Uber can also be considered as it decreases not only our physical waste, but also our waste of resources. These sustainable consumption behaviours may be an idea found in a magazine, newspaper article, or other secondary source, or you may be creative about sustainability issues and present an original idea for increasing sustainability; 2) research on this behaviour and report the trends amongst Australian consumer in relation to this behaviour; 3) apply what we have learned in this course to analyse issues/challenges surrounding the adoption of this behaviour; 4) suggest marketing tactics for improving this consumer sustainable behaviour based on consumer behaviour theories.

    Details of this assignment are included in the Assignment Guide on Canvas. 

    Examination

    Details of the examination will be discussed in class and a sample paper will be available on Canvas.
    Submission
    Assignments must be submitted on Canvas only by one of the group members. 
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.