CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES GROUP CREATIVE PRODUCTION

Sustainable consumption is one of the world’s biggest challenges. Consumption is complex affecting people’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.  People need to consume to survive yet many today live in poverty in appalling conditions with limited access to food, clean water, housing, healthcare and education. While underconsumption is a critical problem for low-income consumers, overconsumption is increasingly becoming problematic for middle to high-income consumers whose excessive consumption not only damages the environment but can also lead to physical, mental and financial distress (Sheth, Sethia and Srinivas, 2011).  Both underconsumption and overconsumption are not sustainable and lead to serious detrimental consequences for the environment, for individual consumers and society.

Consider the environmental impact and the needs of vulnerable consumers within your community and the world around you.  Working together as a consumer research group, identify a social, health or environmental issue to tackle due to either underconsumption (e.g. poverty, illiteracy, hunger, etc.) or overconsumption (e.g., obesity, cyber-bullying, alcohol-fuelled violence, etc.).

The creative production is in three stages. Stage 1: As a group, conduct background research to explain why the identified issue is problematic from a sustainability viewpoint. (Group report) Stage 2: As individuals think through the ethical concerns and use relevant theoretical literature to critically examine the consumer behaviour regarding personal, interpersonal and cultural influences. (Individual Report)  Stage 3: As a group integrate group members’ individual consumer research and develop an innovative solution to address the issue.  (Group Presentation)

Creative Production requirements and due dates:

Stage 1: Stage 1 Group Report (15%):  Problem Identification & Background Research. 

• Due in Week 5 on Monday, 28 August 2017 at 5 pm
• Create a written REPORT FORMAT group work
• A maximum of 2000 words
• Submit the report  to  iLearn Turnitin
• One submission per group
• Full Harvard referencing is required (in-text citations and reference list).
• File title: Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name (Example: Friday_4pm_Group 1_ The Overconsumption of Fossil Fuels by Transport in NSW)
• Content development guide: 'Describe the market situation', ' Critical analyse the market situation', 'explain multiple stakeholder sustainability concerns', and ' Grammar, spelling, formatting & accurate referencing' (these are the marking guides for the Stage 1 Creative Production.)

Stage 2: Individual Essay (30%): Consumer Research & Ethical Implications

• Due in Week 9 on Monday, 9 October 2017 at 5 pm
• Written individual assignment in ESSAY FORMAT
• A maximum of 2000 words submitted to Turnitin
• File title: Tutor's Name_Your Name_Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name (Example: Monica_XXX_Friday_4pm_Group 1_ The Overconsumption of Fossil Fuels by Transport in NSW)
• Content development guide:  'Brief assessment of the identified unsustainable consumption', ' Thorough theoretical critique of one CB influence', 'Discuss and apply of two ethical theories', and ' Grammar, spelling, formatting & accurate referencing' (these are the marking guides for the Stage 2 Creative Production.)

Stage 3: Group Presentation (15%): Research Integration & Problem Solution

• Due in Weeks 10, 11 and 12.
• Created materials (ppt, or equilivant)  uploaded to iLearn and group oral presentation in tutorials.
• All group members present for 5 min each, 20-25 min per group.
• One submission per group
• Full Harvard referencing is required (in-text citations and reference list).
• File title: Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name (Example: Friday_4pm_Group 1_ The Overconsumption of Fossil Fuels by Transport in NSW)
• Content development guide: 'Summary of identified unsustainable consumption', ' Proposed sustainable consumption practices', 'Critical analysis of personal CB influences',  ' Critical analysis of interpersonal & cultural CB influences', 'Innovative, sustainable, ethical solution' and 'Presentation skills' (these are the marking guides for the Stage 3 Creative Production.)

Students will form groups in tutorials in week 2 and are required to remain in the same group for the semester.  Most student groups will have four to five (4-5) students in each group. All group members are to work as a team and participate equally in the Creative Production. The Creative Production will be assessed based on the quality of the material created and presented.

Group work: Each group member must present in their group presentations.  Members who fail to attend or to present will receive 0 marks, except for cases in which an application for Disruption of Studies is made and approved.

Individual work: There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply to cases in which an application for disruption to studies (DTS) is made and approved.

NOTE: This individual assignment is STAGE 2 of the group Creative Production and fulfils the required individual component of group work in the unit.

Creative Production Stage 2: Individual Essay (30%): Consumer Research & Ethical Implications

As individuals, think through the ethical concerns and use relevant theoretical literature to critically examine consumer behaviour in terms of personal (e.g., consumer motivation, values, identity, perception, learning and memory, personality, attitudes and attitude change, decision-making…), interpersonal (e.g., reference groups, social class and status) and cultural influences. Each group member must investigate a different consumer behaviour influence as well as discuss and compare two traditions of ethical thought that are relevant to the group issue identified in Stage 1.

This is an essay based on scholarly journal article research, theory and critical evaluation/synthesis (not mere description). You must support your work with a minimum of 5 high quality academic journal articles and at least one actual marketing example. Strict maximum of 2,000 words permitted.

Essays must be submitted online VIA Turnitin for MKTG203 by the due date. 

• Your soft copy must include all parts of your work including a title Page with full student name (last name in CAPITALS), ID number, tutor name, tutorial day and time, the complete reference list and any appendices.
• Please name your file as follows: Tutor's Name_Your Name_Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name (Example: Monica_XXX_Friday_4pm_Group 1_ The Overconsumption of Fossil Fuels by Transport in NSW)
• Essay should be formatted in 12 times new roman font, 1.5 line spacing, regular margins, headings in capitals and bold, sub-headings in upper and lower case and bold italics.
• Word limit includes in-text citations, but not title page, sub-headings, reference list or appendices.
• Full Harvard referencing is required (in-text citations and reference list).
• Essays will be marked electronically via GradeMark on Turnitin using iLearn, annotated with comments from the marker. Your grades will be available for viewing in Gradebook via iLearn. An announcement will be made on iLearn when assignments have been marked.
• No extensions will be granted.

Notes:

• Failing to meet the 5 quality journal article minimum will lead to a 10% deduction of marks.
  • Keep in mind: The academic journal articles may address the actual topic, a related topic or relevant ethical theories.  Make sure to use quality journal articles accessed from top ranking journals such as: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, etc.…  If in doubt find out the journal ranking or pose a question on the general iLearn discussion board.
• Failure to reference or inaccurate referencing will lead to a 10% deduction of marks.
• Exceeding the word limit will lead to a 10% deduction of marks. Markers will stop reading once the 2000 word limit is reached.
• Late submissions will lead to a 10% deduction for each 24 hour period or part thereof (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty).
  • This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption to studies (DTS) is made and approved.

The duration of the exam is 3 hour held during the university’s exam period.

The final exam is comprehensive covering all materials in lectures (including guest lectures), tutorials (including both group and individual components of the creative production), textbook and required journal article readings.

The final exam is long essay format.

Failure to take the final exam will result in 0 out of 40 marks. Students who miss the final exam due to illness will need to lodge an online disruption to studies application with supporting documentation in order to be considered for a supplementary final exam.