Students

MKTG1003 – Consumer Behaviour

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Jana Bowden
jana.bowden@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Building 4ER room 231
Mon 1-2pm
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

An important aspect of marketing is to understand the heart and mind of consumers. Understanding why consumers think, feel and act the way that they do assists businesses in making strategic, sustainable and ethical marketing decisions. This unit develops students’ knowledge about how to understand, interpret and influence consumers’ behaviour. Students gain theoretical knowledge of the internal, psychological processes and external, environmental factors influencing consumer behaviour. Students learn about consumer needs and values, how consumers perceive products and brands, ways to measure attitudes and effect attitude change, how and why consumers decide to buy (or not buy), and the importance of culture and reference group influences. By the end of this unit, students have a much deeper and richer appreciation of how consumption not only affects our lives but also how our actions influence the way that we feel about ourselves and about one another.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • ULO2: Critically analyse and apply consumer behaviour theory to real-world consumption experiences.
  • ULO3: Apply consumer behaviour theory to develop solutions to consumption decisions acknowledging ethical implications for society.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g., quizzes, online tests

Special Consideration To request an extension on the due date/time for a timed or non-timed assessment task, you must submit a Special Consideration application. An application for Special Consideration does not guarantee approval.

The approved extension date for a student becomes the new due date for that student. The late submission penalties above then apply as of the new due date.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Essay 50% No Week 12
Practice-based Activities 20% No Week 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Case Analysis 30% No Week 8

Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 50%

 

This 2,500 word individual essay will assess students’ cognitive and research skills. The assessment provides students with an opportunity to examine how consumer behaviour has been impacted by changes in the current consumption environment. It encourages students to provide insight into the complex nature of consumption behaviour. The assessment requires students to explore the literature (scholarly and industry) on consumption; construct a systematic investigation of a consumer behaviour topic founded on thorough research; and to utilise and conform to the principles of academic rigour in producing a coherent argument on the topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically analyse and apply consumer behaviour theory to real-world consumption experiences.
  • Apply consumer behaviour theory to develop solutions to consumption decisions acknowledging ethical implications for society.

Practice-based Activities

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Weighting: 20%

 

There will be a series of five practice-based activities assigned throughout the semester. These will consist of 2 x 150 word length posts to the discussion forum for the allocated weeks.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically analyse and apply consumer behaviour theory to real-world consumption experiences.

Case Analysis

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 30%

 

There will be one written case based task of 1200 words. This assessment targets the development of students understanding of core consumer behaviour as it applies to real world consumption behaviour. It focuses on enhancing critical thinking skills and encourages students to understand the complex nature of consumer behaviour.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically analyse and apply consumer behaviour theory to real-world consumption experiences.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Format: One weekly lecture (pre-recorded and available online) and one weekly tutorial

One Required Textbook

Consumer Behaviour, 6th edition - can be purchased as a physical book, e-book or rented from the Pearson publishing website 

Schiffman, St John's University Aron O'Cass, University of Tasmania Angela Paladino, University of Melbourne Jamie Carlson, University of Newcastle

ISBN-10: 144256153X ISBN-13: 9781442561533

*Please note the 5th edition is also acceptable however you will need to cross check your weekly reading content against the 6th edition.

Required Reading: Journal Articles

  • Balderjahn, I., Peyer, M., Seegebarth, B., Wiedmann, K.P. and Weber, A., 2018. The many faces of sustainability-conscious consumers: A category-independent typology. Journal of Business Research, 91, pp.83-93.
  • Olson, J. G., McFerran, B., Morales, A. C., & Dahl, D. W. (2016). Wealth and Welfare: Divergent Moral Reactions to Ethical Consumer Choices. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(6), 879-896.
  • Reczek, R.W., Irwin, J.R., Zane, D.M. and Ehrich, K.R., 2017. That’s not how I remember it: Willfully ignorant memory for ethical product attribute information. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(1), pp.185-207.
  • Sheth, Jagdish N., Nirmal K. Sethia, and Shanthi Srinivas. 2011. Mindful consumption: a customer-centric approach to sustainability. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39,1, 21-39.

Other Resources are available on the MKTG1003 iLearn website Technology Used and Required:

  • Students are required to use power point, word processing and ilearn.

Unit Webpage:

  • Course materials are available on the learning management system (iLearn)
  • The web page for this unit can be found at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

The timetable for this unit can be accessed from this portal: http://timetables.mq.edu.au

Unit Schedule

Please refer to iLearn

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

None

Changes since First Published

Date Description
07/07/2022 Office room updated

Unit information based on version 2022.04 of the Handbook