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BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL
Course Syllabus
BUS 155a: Consumer Behavior
Professor Jane E.J. Ebert
Tuesdays, Fridays 9.30 – 10.50am
Location: Lemberg 54
Professor: Jane E.J. Ebert, Ph.D.
jebert@brandeis.edu
(781) 736 2294
Office: Lemberg 250
Office hours:
Tuesdays 11-1pm
and by appointment
TA: Melissa Peng
mxuefeipeng@gmail.com
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Course Description
Current approaches to business emphasize the importance of adopting a customer focus.
Marketing, in particular, is a customer-driven function that begins and ends with the
customer—from identifying customer needs to trying to meet those needs and ensuring
post-purchase satisfaction.
While all of us are consumers, our intuitions about our own behavior as well as that of
others are often inaccurate. In this course you will learn about fundamental theories and
concepts in consumer psychology and about exciting new findings to enhance your
understanding of how and why people choose, use, and evaluate goods and services the
way they do. This knowledge will come from lectures, readings, and discussions in class,
but also from hands-on experiential learning through your involvement in a semesterlong group project.
During the course you will frequently be asked to consider two perspectives when
thinking about the concepts we cover. You will take the perspective of a marketing
manager, who needs to understand consumer behavior to develop, implement and
evaluate effective marketing strategies. You will also take the perspective of the
consumer and understand influences of marketing on your own behavior.
Course Format
We will use a variety of materials and approaches in this course to illustrate consumer
behavior phenomena and to get us thinking about managerial implications of those
findings. Material will be presented in lectures, discussions, articles, videos, in case
analyses, and by a guest speaker. We will apply relevant theories and research to realworld consumer behavior problems. In addition, you will conduct a consumer behavior
project as part of a team that will require you to draw upon and apply the knowledge you
gained during class, to obtain greater insight into a specific area of consumer behavior.
Learning Goals
You will:
• Learn key theories, research and methodologies from the behavioral sciences (e.g.,
psychology, sociology, economics) that help us understand consumer behavior
• Apply these concepts and theories in developing and evaluating marketing strategies,
understanding their value and their limitations.
• Develop your skills in managing and implementing a multi-step group project and
practice oral and written communication skills.
Prerequisite: BUS 152a
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Preparing for Class
In each class, there will be some discussion of the readings assigned for that class,
applying the knowledge gained from those readings to develop managerial insights about
a variety of consumer behavior issues. To benefit from this approach, you must be wellprepared when you come to class. This means you must have read all the readings and
thought about them in detail. For each class, you will be given several questions or an
exercise that draw upon the readings to prepare for discussion. For a number of the
classes you will have to hand in written answers to the questions, and later in the
semester you will be examined on your understanding of the readings. If a case is
assigned, you should have read the case and you should arrive ready to discuss your
analysis and solution for the marketing opportunity or challenge in the case. To begin
discussions of cases and other readings, I will typically “cold call” a student (randomly
selected).
Course Materials
All reading materials listed below are required. Please note that the assigned readings
are central to the learning in this class. They will form the basis of the two exams and of
the discussions in class. In class, I will be assuming that you have completed all the
readings. We will typically use time in class to discuss and explore some (but not all) of
the concepts covered in the readings in greater detail. When reading, be sure to think
about the relevance and importance of the concepts you encounter 1) to you as a
consumer and 2) to marketers.
a) Textbook: This is a custom book consisting of chapters taken from a textbook:
Consumer Behavior (3e) Human Pursuit of Happiness in the World of Goods by
Avery, Kozinets, Mittal, Raghubir, and Woodside. This book is available at the
Brandeis bookstore.
b) Harvard cases: Cases from Harvard publishing are contained in an electronic
“coursepack” I have set up there. The link is provided on the course website on Latte.
Using this link, please go to the website to purchase and download the readings. The
discounted price is $3.95 for each of the three cases. You will need to register on the
site. If you have any problems call the customer service at (800) 988-0886, and let me
know. Please print out each cases to bring to class.
c) Remaining readings: These will be electronic files and will be posted on the Latte
site for the class for you to download at least a week in advance of the relevant class.
(Most of these readings are available for free to the Brandeis community through the
Brandeis Library electronic sources, e.g., Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and
other media articles. The remaining files consist of shorter excerpts, e.g., a single
chapter, from other books.)
d) Class notes and questions to prepare: I will provide copies of the slides for each
topic at the beginning of class. These slides provide a (detailed) outline of the class
discussion, but you will need to take additional notes to fully capture the material
discussed in class. Questions to prepare for class and for the homework that you will
hand in will also be posted on the website.
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Course Evaluation
All assignments are required.
Class attendance and participation (including homeworks)....25%
Exam 1……………..………..............................……….........25%
Exam 2 ...............................…………………………….........25%
Group consumer behavior project……..………….….….......25%
Class attendance and participation. First, I expect each student to come to class ontime, having thoughtfully prepared all readings and assignments due that day. Simply
attending class is not enough to do well. You need to contribute to discussions. The three
cases provide especially good opportunities for contributing, but every class will involve
some discussion of the readings. So come to class prepared to speak up. Both the quality
and quantity of your contributions matter. (I can’t judge quality if you never speak.) For
many classes (8), you will be asked to write brief responses to several questions about the
readings for that class. These homework assignments will help prepare you for class
discussions and exercises and for the exams. They will be graded pass/fail as part of class
participation. Students who are well prepared and who participate thoughtfully in many
class discussions tend to do well in participation. If you are hesitant to participate in
class, please come and see me. I am happy to work with you to help with this.
You are permitted two absences for any reason (interviews, sickness, religious
observance, sports events, other extra-curricular demands, etc) without penalty, but you
are still responsible for any material you miss in those classes, i.e., assignments, readings,
etc. For each additional absence, your participation grade will be reduced a half-step, e.g.,
A- becomes A-/B+; B becomes B/B-. If you have perfect attendance, but never actively
participate in class discussions, your participation grade will be C+.
Exams. Two exams (in class, open-book, no computers or other technology allowed) will
be administered during the semester. They will consist of multiple-choice and short
answer questions (from a few words to a couple of paragraphs in length) and will last up
to 1 hour. You must remain in the classroom until you have completed the exam. The
exams will test your understanding and knowledge of the readings and lectures. Exam 1
will assess the material covered in class up to that point. Exam 2 will assess the material
covered from Exam 1 up to Exam 2. No make-up exams are given.
Group field project on consumer behavior. This project provides a hands-on
opportunity to understand specific behaviors that consumers engage in. The project will
be conducted in a group. Projects must focus on understanding consumer behavior
relating to a particular product, service, or other consumer offering that is relevant for
students like you. You may want to pick an offering that is likely to have complex
meaning for consumers, to benefit from the rich methods you will use in your research.
This does not mean you have to choose a high-price item. For example, many consumers
have complex feelings about Coke (positive personal meaning of the brand, but it is a
relatively unhealthy high-sugar drink). Examples of past topics chosen by students
include: car insurance, Gatorade sports drink, Facebook, Tom’s shoes. Whatever you
choose, you may want to choose one of the following questions to explore about this
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product, service or other offering: How do consumers make decisions about this product?
How do they view this product relative to its competitors? How do they use this product?
What benefits do consumers feel they get from this product? What you learn will help
you to address marketing questions like: How might the companies change their
marketing strategies to improve image and product positioning, to ease the acquisition
process for consumers, to enhance consumer experience with the product, or to influence
consumer satisfaction and loyalty?
During the course of the semester, your group will investigate your topic using two
exploratory research methods: a) focus groups and b) an additional method. This can be
selected from the following methods, that are also used for exploratory marketing
research: ZMET or another projective method like TAT, laddering, or an observation
method. The course includes classes on these methods. The scope and sample size of the
project make it similar to typical, exploratory consumer research projects that marketing
groups in companies regularly commission and field.
You will participate in the project in groups of 4 individuals (groups formed by you), and
you will be graded as a group. All group members are expected to participate fully in the
project, including attending group meetings, preparing and applying each research
method, conducting analyses, and preparing and presenting the project in the final
presentation. If there is a “free rider” problem in any group, the group should talk to the
group member first to try to resolve the problem. If that doesn’t solve the problem, the
group should meet with me to work it out. At the end of the class, I will also ask each
group member to assess their fellow group members’ contributions to the project. These
assessments can influence individuals’ project grades.
The field project culminates in a presentation (about 20 minutes plus a few minutes for
questions). More information on the project and the presentation will be provided in
class.
Class Conduct
Use of technology in the classroom. To help you and your fellow students stay focused
on the class, all laptops, tablets, and phones are prohibited. Please keep them turned off
and in your bag during class. You may be marked as absent if you use one of these
devices without permission during class.
Arrive on time. Latecomers are distracting. Habitual tardiness will have a negative
impact on your participation grade.
Late assignments. Late assignments will not be accepted without my prior permission,
and will incur a penalty unless the circumstances are exceptional (as judged by me).
Academic honesty. You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. Please
consult Brandeis University Rights and Responsibilities
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(http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/srcs/rr/) for all policies and procedures related to
academic integrity. Students may be required to submit work to TurnItIn.com software to
verify originality. Allegations of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to the
Director of Academic Integrity. Sanctions for academic dishonesty can include failing
grades and/or suspension from the university. Citation and research assistance can be
found at LTS - Library guides
(http://guides.library.brandeis.edu/c.php?g=301723&p=2013447).
Disabilities. If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis
University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class,
please see me immediately.
Communications and Getting Help
I will communicate any changes in the syllabus or additional instructions about
requirements in class and via email. Please ensure that you check your Brandeis email
address regularly.
I hope you will enjoy participating in the class discussions. If you are hesitant to
participate for any reason or if you have questions about anything, please come and see
me. I am happy to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance for any reason,
or if you have questions, comments, or concerns about the course. I can be reached by
email (jebert@brandeis.edu), by phone (office, 781 736 2294), or in my office (Lemberg
250). E-mail is typically the best way to contact me outside of class.
Office hours are Tuesdays 11-1pm and by appointment (emailing at short notice for an
appointment or stopping by my office is often fine). Also feel free to contact the teaching
assistant for the class, Melissa Peng (mxuefeipeng@gmail.com), with questions or
concerns.
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Schedule of Classes and Assignments
This schedule could change, e.g., to accommodate a speaker or due to weather-related school closings. Changes will be announced in
class and over email.
Clas
s
Date
Module
Topic
Readings
1
F 1/15
2
T 1/19
Consumer decisions
The decision-making
process
Avery Ch. 11
3
F 1/22
Consumer decisions
Context effects
1) Ariely: The truth about relativity
2) Schwartz: Why everything suffers from comparison
3) NYT: How salad can make us fat
4
T 1/26
Consumer decisions
Effects of choice
1) Schwartz: Let's go shopping;
2) Schwartz: When only the best will do
3) Thaler and Sunstein: Choice architecture
5
F 1/29
What affects
consumer decisions
Motivation
1) Avery Ch. 2 (up to, but not including, the section
on Emotions)
2) NYT Who pays $600 for jeans?
3) Deloitte/CFO Journal: What Businesses Can Learn
from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
6
T 2/2
What affects
consumer decisions
Identity
1) Avery Ch. 5
2) Segmentation Resource chapter
3) Gulati: Building a resilient organization
7
F 2/5
Marketing research
methods
Marketing research:
Qualitative methods
Market Research Resource chapter
8
T 2/9
Marketing research
methods
Case: Boston Beer
HBS Boston Beer Co.: Light Beer Decision
Assignments due
Introduction
Readings
homework #1
Readings
homework #2
Readings
homework #3
Names of CB group
members due
CB group project
topic due
7
9
F 2/12
Marketing research
methods
Marketing research:
Observation
1) Market Research Resource chapter (again)
2) Advertising Age: Behavior defines consumers
3) WSJ Studying messy habits to sweep up a market
4) CNN.com: The Spirit of Design Designing the
Perfect Consumer
T 2/16
NO CLASS
F 2/19
NO CLASS
10
T 2/23
Project workshop
Workshop 1: Focus
group questions
Focus group questions
11
F 2/26
Exam 1
Exam
Review past lecture notes and readings for exam
12
T 3/1
Influencing
consumers
Attention and Sensory
Perception
1) Avery, Ch. 3 (to 71 and 76 to end)
2) NYT Anywhere the eye can see
13
F 3/4
Influencing
consumers
Effects of expectations
on perceptions
1) Avery, Ch. 3 (p.71-75)
2) Ariely: The effect of expectations;
3) Advertising Age: Why McDonald's hasn't cut the
fat
14
T 3/8
Case
Case: L'Oreal
HBS L'Oreal of Paris: Bringing "Class to Mass" with
Plenitude
15
F 3/11
Influencing
consumers
Attitudes and
advertising
Avery, Chs. 7, 8
Readings
homework #5
16
T 3/15
Influencing
consumers
Social influence 1
1) Cialdini: HBR Harnessing the Science of
Persuasion
2) Berger: Emotion
3) Berger: Public
Short reports due on
focus group results
17
F 3/18
Project workshop
Workshop 2: Design
method 2
As needed: Laddering; ZMET; Ethnography
18
T 3/22
Influencing
consumers
Social influence 2
1) Cialdini: Crafting Normative Messages to Protect
the Environment
Readings
homework #4
Readings
homework #6
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2) NYT: The Destructive Influence of Imaginary
Peers
F 3/25
NO CLASS
19
T 3/29
Influencing
consumers
Marketing and Ethics
1) Sherman: Memo on Ethical awareness
2) Nwachukwu et al: Ethics and Social
Responsibility in Marketing (p.107-109)
3) McGraw and Tetlock: Taboo Trade-offs,
Relational Framing, and the Acceptability of
Exchanges (p.2-4)
20
F 4/1
Case
Case: Renova
INS Renova Toilet Paper: Avant-garde Marketing in a
Commoditized Category
21
T 4/5
Exam 2
Exam
Review past lecture notes and readings for exam
22
F 4/8
Guest speaker
23
T 4/12
Project
Project workshop
CB project group
presentations;
Presentation slides
due for all groups
24
F 4/15
Project
Field project
presentations
CB project group
presentations
25
T 4/19
Project
Field project
presentations
CB project group
presentations
26
Th 4/21
Project
Brandeis Friday
Field project
presentations
Brief wrap-up
CB project group
presentations
Readings
homework #7
9