University at Buffalo

School of Management







The following is a prototypical syllabus for the Consumer Behavior class:

TEXTS

Henry Assael, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Action, 5th edition, Kent, 1995.

PREREQUISITES

MGM 625, MGQ 603 and MGQ 606 are firm prerequisites for this class. You are expected to have an understanding of basic marketing management as well as a working knowledge of statistical analysis.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to introduce the student to consumer behavior theory and to provide an appreciation for how empirical findings may have strategic implications for marketing management. The course draws considerably upon the fields of psychology and sociology and will stress in theoretical terms, why certain consumers behave in certain ways and why particular marketing strategies may or may not be appropriate based on psychological theory and empirical findings.

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Develop an understanding of pertinent theoretical and empirical findings about the behavior of consumers.

2. Develop an appreciation for how these findings can contribute to the formation of marketing strategy.

3. Develop hands-on experience in consumer research and analysis of field data using qualitative as well as computer-based analyses.

COURSE MECHANICS

This course will use a combination of lectures, case discussion, discussion of outside readings and a hands-on field project as the media for instruction. Lectures will emphasize key concepts from the text. Lectures will not attempt to cover all of the text material but are intended to provide a starting place for class discussion. A good deal of class time will be spent discussing the outside readings and/or case(s) assigned for the day. Thus, advance preparation on the part of the students is vital to the success of the class.

Note: Some outside reading and case reading assignments will be made throughout the course. Assignments will always be made at least one week in advance.

Grading

Grades for the class will be based on your performance in three areas: class participation, a group project, and two exams.

The course will be graded out of 1,000 points. A tentative grade scale is presented below. The cutoffs may be lowered during the course of the semester, but they will not be raised under any circumstances.

Grade Cutoff
A 920
B 820
C 720
D 620
Plus and minus grades may be used in borderline cases.

The following will be the points available on each of the different aspects of the course:

Aspect Points
Class Participation 100
Midterm Exam I 300
Midterm Exam II 300
Group Project 300


Class Participation

Participation in group discussions is an important element of this class. It is, therefore, very important that you come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings and/or cases. Believe me, I take this very seriously. You will be graded daily on your participation. If you simply say nothing during the course you will receive an "0" for this element of your grade. The frequency of high quality contributions to class discussion will be rewarded. Quantity alone will not. Dribble will be penalized. To ensure fairness in class participation grading, it is imperative that I quickly learn your names. Therefore, I ask that each student bring a recent photograph of him/herself by the second meeting of the class. You will not be able to earn class participation credit until you turn in the picture.

Attendance

Failure to come to class will reflect negatively on your class participation grades.

Extra Credit

Students, in groups of 2 or 3, may earn extra credit by leading class discussion for the Gorn article (Feb. 6), the Wheaton College Case (Feb. 8) or the McDonald's Case (Apr. 9). Volunteers will be taken on a first come, first served basis. You will need to volunteer very early if you wish to have a chance to do this.

Group Project

The class will be divided into groups of roughly 5 students each. Each group will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data using the multi attribute attitude model. Each group will also be responsible for making a short (10 - 15 minute) presentation of their findings to the class. A short description of the project is appended to the back of this syllabus.

Exams

Two exams will be administered. Each exam will cover roughly of the assigned text material. These exams may cover the text book, lectures, cases, outside readings, and any other material covered in class, and will consist of objective questions and/or short essays. Make-up exams will not be given without a verified medical excuse.

Academic Integrity

Cheating in this course will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely. See your student handbook for guidelines on academic integrity.

COURSE OUTLINE

The following is prototypical listing of course topics. These details may vary from semester to semester as new developments in the field warrant.

Introduction

7 Keys to Consumer Behavior

Complex Consumer Decision Making

Learning & Low Involvement Decision Making

Contemporary Research in Classical Conditioning -- Gorn Article

Case Study of Decision Making --Wheaton College Case

Consumer Perception & Information Processing (Part 1)

Consumer Perception & Information Processing (Part 2)

Consumer Attitudes (Part 1)

Consumer Attitudes (Part 2)

Discussion of Group Project

Demographics

Psychographics

Using the Nielsen Ratings

Direct Marketing

Cultural, Cross-Cultural & Subcultural Influences on Buyer Behavior

Social Class & Reference Groups

Case Study -- McDonald's Case

Communication within Groups

Communication Across Groups

Situational Aspects of Consumer Behavior

Market Segmentation

GROUP PROJECT

Purpose

The final project is designed to provide students with some experience in the use of research techniques to identify consumer attribute preferences and formulate marketing strategy.

Groups

Students should form groups comprised of four or five members. It is each student's responsibility to align herself or himself with a group. Each group should submit a list of group members to the instructor no later than XXX.

Any students who have not become associated with a group by that day will be assigned to a group at random by the instructor. All group assignments will be posted on the instructor's door. Group assignments are final when posted.

Assignment

Each group should select a product or retail establishment of relevance to the student population or some other segment which is readily available for sampling purposes. A questionnaire should then be developed, using a multi attribute attitude model to identify the salient attributes for the product or store category, and to evaluate the product or store and its major competitors on those attributes. Demographic and psychographic questions should also be included to facilitate segmentation. The questionnaire should then be administered to a convenience sample selected from the relevant population of at least 20 times the number of students in your group (25 would be better). Students will be provided with computer accounts for the purpose of analyzing the data. A paper should then be written which identifies and describes the product or store, discusses its current approach to the relevant market segment, presents research results, and develops strategic recommendations from those results. Each group will make a ten-fifteen minute presentation of major results and recommendations toward the end of the semester.

Evaluation

The total project is worth 300 points. Approximately 10% of your grade on the written project will be based on the effectiveness and correctness of your use of the English language (i.e., spelling and grammar count).

Papers are due at the beginning of class on XXX. Late papers will be assessed a penalty of 30 points per day.

Note: The instructor reserves the right to adjust individual project grades if your contribution to the project (or lack thereof) warrants it. Please do not make this necessary.


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