MN3055: Consumer Behaviour 2013/2014
Lecturers
Professor Pauline Maclaran, Dr Alan Bradshaw and Dr Benedetta Cappellini
Brief Outline and Aims of the Course
Understanding the nature of consumer behaviour is critical for understanding not just the marketing environment,
but also the nature of the consumer society that we live in. This module seeks to develop critical understandings of
consumer behaviour that will hold relevance both inside and outside the domain of marketing practice. This
module is best suited to those students who are open to new ideas, who are self-motivated, willing to read
extensively and contribute widely to class discussion and who are curious about the nature of contemporary
consumption, markets and culture.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you should be able to:
 Assess and evaluate the factors, internally and externally, through which we understand consumer
behaviour
 Apply relevant consumer behaviour theories in understanding the impact of marketing strategies
 Develop critical and reflexive understandings of the nature of consumption, markets and culture
 Apply appropriate research techniques
 Appreciate the complexity of consumer behaviour
Organisation
Course instruction will consist of compulsory weekly lectures and workshops. As well as the two hours attending
workshops and lectures each week students are expected to spend at least two more hours reading the relevant
literature.
Lectures will be approximately one hour. Since these sessions will provide you with an overview of the theoretical
concepts, it is essential to read assigned material before these sessions. The first of these lectures will be presented
on the 14th January 2009.
Workshops will be held to demonstrate application of the theories of consumer behaviour. Throughout the
workshop sessions, students will have the opportunity to explore theoretical concepts as they relate to their
everyday world. It is vital that you prepare for the workshops by reading the relevant text chapters otherwise you
will have difficulty contributing to the discussion. Attendance at all the workshops is compulsory.
You will be assigned to one of the following workshop groups:
Group A: Tues 1pm Group B: Tues 2pm
Thurs 2pm Group E: Thurs 3pm
Group C: Thurs 1pm Group D:
The first workshop session will be held on week beginning Monday 25th January. There will normally be work
set in advance of the workshop and it is essential that this is undertaken before attendance at the workshop.
Overview of Lecture and Workshop Topics
Week
1 14th Jan
2 21st Jan
3 28th Jan
Lecture
Introduction & Overview
Consumer Choice
Perception and Learning
Workshop Topic
No Workshop
No Workshop
Discussions
1
4 4th Feb
5 11th Feb
7 18th Feb
8 25th Feb
9 4th Mar
Attitudes, Behaviour & Motivation Discussions
Situational Influences
Discussions
Self-Concept & Identity
Group Influence
Consumption & Culture
New Directions in Consumer
Research
Review
10 11th Mar
11 18th Mar
Discussions
Discussions
Discussions
Discussions
Discussions
Assessment
Your overall mark in the course will be comprised of:
Individual assignment
End of year examination (2hours)
30%
70%
Due Wednesday, 26th March 2014
Date to be announced
You are required to submit an electronic copy and a hard copy of the assignment by no later than 12.00 noon on
the date of submission. Please note that faxed, e-mailed or posted assignments will not be assessed. For your
sake, it is advisable to also keep a file copy of your assignment. You should consult the School of Management
Student Handbook 2013/2014 for further details regarding submission of course work, penalties for late
assignments, and eligibility to sit the examination.
Essay Assignment (30%) – due 12.00 noon on Wednesday 26th March
The essay is to be 2,000 words in length, should include footnotes where necessary, and must contain a
bibliography of all sources consulted. Marking will be on the basis of research effort, engagement with the
appropriate academic literature, content, argument effectiveness and writing style. The options for the individual
assignment are as follows:
1.
Read the following text: Schouten, John W. & James H. McAlexander (1995),
“Subcultures of consumption: an ethnography of the new bikers”, Journal of Consumer
Research, vol.22, June, pp.43-61.
Using the theories developed in this and related studies to study a subculture of consumption of
your choice and undertake a detailed analysis of this subculture in a similar way to Schouten
and McAlexander.
2.
Choose an example of an experiential retail environment (theme park, flagship brand
store, festival marketplace, theme pub/restaurant/hotel etc) and analyse in depth how it
creates symbolic meanings. Evaluate whether you think these are effective or not for the
environment you have chosen.
Recommended Text Books
The assigned readings to prepare for the lecture each week are taken from:
Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S. and M.K. Hogg (2009) Consumer Behaviour: A European
Perspective, Prentice-Hall: New Jersey. (ISBN 0-273-68752-2) 338.75834 SOL
This book is available at the College Bookshop. An Internet site that may be of assistance for sourcing relevant
readings is www.chapmanrg.com/IMR. Other sites for journal articles are: www.amsreview.org,
http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes, http://oxygen.vancouver.wsu.edu/csdcb/home.htm
There are a number of excellent Consumer Behaviour texts that cover similar material, albeit at different
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intellectual levels and from alternative perspectives. Some of these are listed here:
Desmond, J. (2003) Consumer Behaviour, Palgrave: London,(ISBN 0-333-04992-7)
Schiffman, L.G. and L.L. Kanuk (1999) Consumer Behavior, Prentice-Hall: New Jersey. (ISBN 0130841293)
338.75834 SCH
Chisnall, P.M. (1994) Consumer Behaviour, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill: London. (ISBN 0030211085)
338.75834 CHI
Engel, J.F., R.D. Blackwell and P.W. Miniard, Consumer Behaviour, 7th or 8th edition, The Dryden Press.
(ISBN 0030211085) 338.75834 ENG
Assael, H., 1998. Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Action, 6th edition, PWS-Kent: Massachusetts. (ISBN
0538867701) 338.75834 ASS
Foxall, G.R., Goldsmith, R.E. and Brown, S. (1998) Consumer Psychology for Marketing, Thomson Business
Press: London. (ISBN 1861523718) 338.758 FOX
In the Bedford Library is an interesting and classic text, which takes a critical view of marketers (referring to them
as the 'depth manipulators'), is the following:
Packard, V., (1981) The Hidden Persuaders, Penguin Books: London. 301.154 PAC
You are also encouraged to consult consumer behaviour, advertising and marketing related publications on a
regular basis. Some of these are Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Culture, Consumption,
Markets & Culture, Marketing Theory and the Journal of Macromarketing. .
N.B. Please ensure that you keep all course outlines as they will prove valuable in obtaining exemptions for
postgraduate qualifications, e.g. CIM and useful for future employers. Note that the Department only keep
previous year's outlines for a limited period.
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