Students

MKTG203 – Consumer Behaviour

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor
Chedia Dhaoui
Contact via email
by appointment
Tutor
Pardis Mohajerani
Contact via email
by appointment
Tutor
Helen Siuki
Contact via email
by appointment
Tutor
Camille Singh
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by appointment
Tutor
Kay Naumann
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by appointment
Unit Convenor, Lecturer
Monica Ren
Contact via EMAIL
4ER 522
THU 1-3pm
John Truong
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MKTG101
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit provides a conceptual understanding of consumer behaviour by integrating theories from marketing, psychology, and sociology to provide an in-depth understanding of why consumers think, feel and act the way that they do. The unit is therefore essentially about 'people watching' and so the unit is interested in what consumers discuss, how they interact with each other, how they shop for items, decide upon them, buy (or not buy) them, consume them and ultimately dispose of them. By the end of this unit, students will have a much deeper and richer understanding of how having possessions not only affects our lives but how these possessions also influence the way that we feel about ourselves and about one another. Students will develop graduate capabilities in critical, analytical and integrative thinking.

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:

  • Identify, understand, and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.
  • Demonstrate understanding and application of roles and relationships within a group.

General Assessment Information

Students must achieve 50% (50 marks out of 100) or higher to pass the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3) 30% No Weeks 5, 10, 11, 12
Individual Essay (STAGE 2) 30% No Week 9 Monday 7 May 2018 5pm
Final Exam 40% No Formal examination period

Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3)

Due: Weeks 5, 10, 11, 12
Weighting: 30%

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 requireme

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

• Due in Week 5 on Monday, 26 March 2018 at 5 pm

• Create a written REPORT FORMAT group work

• A maximum of 2000 words

• You must support your work with a minimum of 8 high quality academic journal articles and at least one actual marketing example.

• 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 analyses the market situation',

‘ Explain multiple stakeholders (e.g., consumers, marketers, policy markers) 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 & Implications

• Due in Week 9 on Monday, 7 May 2018 at 5 pm

• Written individual assignment in ESSAY FORMAT

• A maximum of 1500 words submitted to Turnitin on iLearn

• You must support your work with a minimum of 5 high quality academic journal articles and at least one actual marketing example.

• Full Harvard referencing is required (in-text citations and reference list).

 

• File title: Tutor's Name_Your Name_Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name

(Example: Monica_Your Name_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 topic that’s covered in the weekly topics (e.g., Perception’, ‘Attitude’',

'Discuss and apply TWO CB theories under the selected CB topic',

and ' Grammar, spelling, formatting & accurate referencing'.

 

(NOTE: EACH INDIVIDUAL of the GROUP NEEDS TO PICK A DIFFERENT CB TOPIC)

 

 (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 equivalent) uploaded to iLearn ‘Stage 3 group presentation slides submission link’ 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 (e.g., reference groups, social class and status) & cultural CB influences',

'Innovative, sustainable solution for the identified unsustainable consumption issue',

and 'Presentation skills'

 

(These are the marking guides for the Stage 3 Creative Production.)

 

NOTES:

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 Special Consideration has been 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 Special Consideration is made and approved.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.
  • Demonstrate understanding and application of roles and relationships within a group.

Individual Essay (STAGE 2)

Due: Week 9 Monday 7 May 2018 5pm
Weighting: 30%

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

 

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

• Due in Week 9 on Monday, 7 May 2018 at 5 pm

• Written individual assignment in ESSAY FORMAT

• A maximum of 1500 words submitted to Turnitin on iLearn

• You must support your work with a minimum of 5 high quality academic journal articles and at least one actual marketing example.

• Full Harvard referencing is required (in-text citations and reference list).

 

• File title: Tutor's Name_Your Name_Tutorial Day_Time_Group number_Project Name

(Example: Monica_Your Name_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 topic that’s covered in the weekly topics (e.g., Perception’, ‘Attitude’',

'Discuss and apply TWO CB theories under the selected CB topic',

and ' Grammar, spelling, formatting & accurate referencing'.

 

(NOTE: EACH INDIVIDUAL of the GROUP NEEDS TO PICK A DIFFERENT CB TOPIC)

 

 (These are the marking guides for the Stage 2 Creative Production.)

  • No extensions will be granted.

Notes:

  • Failing to meet the 5 quality journal article minimum will lead to a 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 deduction of marks.
  • Exceeding the word limit will lead to a 10% deduction of marks. Markers will stop reading once the 1500 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 Special Consideration is made and approved.

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.

Final Exam

Due: Formal examination period
Weighting: 40%

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 application for Special Consideration with supporting documentation in order to be considered for a supplementary final exam.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, understand, and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures and Tutorials:

  • This unit consists of 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week, one 2 hour lecture and one 1 hour tutorial

Required Reading: Textbook

  • Ling, Peter, Steven D'Alessandro, and Hume Winzar. 2015. Consumer Behaviour in Action. Oxford University Press: Australia and New Zealand.

Required Reading: Journal Articles

  • Lemon, Katherine N., and Peter C. Verhoef. 2016. Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80, 6, 69-96.
  • 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 Research42(6), 879-896.
  • 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 MKTG203 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

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, 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.

Student Support

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

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify, understand, and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3)
  • Individual Essay (STAGE 2)
  • Final Exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify, understand, and articulate a range of external and internal influences on consumer behaviour.
  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.
  • Demonstrate understanding and application of roles and relationships within a group.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3)
  • Individual Essay (STAGE 2)
  • Final Exam

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3)
  • Individual Essay (STAGE 2)
  • Final Exam

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically discuss, analyse and integrate consumer behaviour literature to create coherent and theoretically rigorous arguments relating to ethical and sustainable consumption.
  • Apply consumer behaviour knowledge to develop creative solutions to unsustainable consumption decisions and practices acknowledging the ethical implications to society.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project (STAGE 1 & 3)
  • Individual Essay (STAGE 2)
  • Final Exam

Changes from Previous Offering

The requirements for Stage 2 (individual assignment) is slightly modified.

The requirements for Stage 1 and 3 (group assignments) are slightly modified.

Global contexts & Sustainability

This unit draws on high quality international consumer behaviour research with an emphasis on sustainable value for business and society.  Assessment tasks allow students to demonstrates their knowledge of sustainability processes such as lifecycles, stakeholder interpretation and systemic thinking.

Research & Practice

This unit uses research from external sources (see journal article reading list).  This unit gives you practice in applying research findings in your assignments.  This unit gives you opportunities to conduct your own .