Outline - McMaster University

 Commerce 3MB3
Consumer Behavior
Winter 2014 Course Outline
Marketing Area
DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University
COURSE OBJECTIVE
This course is designed to introduce you to key theoretical concepts in consumer behavior and
build your ability to apply these concepts to real-world marketing problems.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Thursday
11:30-2:30
BSB 121
Pierre McClelland
Instructor
[email protected]
Office: DSB 230
Office Hours:
Thurs: 9:00-11:00
and by appointment Course Website:
This course has an Avenue learning website at http://avenue.mcmaster.ca.
COURSE ELEMENTS
Credit Value:
Avenue:
Participation:
Evidence-based:
3
Yes
Yes
Yes
Leadership:
Ethics:
Innovation:
Experiential:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IT skills:
Numeracy:
Group work:
Final Exam:
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Global view:
Written skills:
Oral skills:
Guest speaker(s):
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 2 of 10
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Theory, Business Application and Perspectives
How does who do what and why? The field of consumer behavior attempts to explain and
predict the ways in which consumers think and behave in given situations. How do consumers
interpret advertising information? Why do people buy? Why not? Who and what are consumers
relying upon for information? How can marketers predict behaviors from attitudes? How do
consumers make decisions? How do we consume and dispose of products? To answer these
questions, consumer behavior draws heavily on the disciplines of psychology, economics,
sociology and anthropology. In this course, you will survey the relevant theory and learn how to
apply these concepts to real world marketing situations. Class-time discussion of theory always
will be supported with examples drawn from past and current business practices as well as
consumers’ everyday lives; we will be considering the social, ethical, regulatory, environmental
and technological contexts in which consumers think and act. This course has a North American
emphasis but we also will be comparing and contrasting international examples with consumer
behavior in Canada and the United States.
This course stresses understanding, application, and generalization rather than memorization. In
every field that you are studying, the body of accepted knowledge is growing and changing at an
increasingly rapid rate. Because your success as a marketer will depend in part on your ability to
find out about new knowledge and apply it to your own marketing problems, your performance
in this course will be evaluated in terms of how well you are able to integrate textbook theory
with business facts to arrive at explanations and recommendations.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Skills-related Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have acquired experience in:
•
•
•
•
preparation for and participation in classroom discussion;
group project management;
preparation of written reports that demonstrate professionalism and proficiency in
communication;
business presentation skills.
Course Content Mastery Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
• understand current psychological, sociological and anthropological theories that provide
insight into consumer behavior;
• recognize which theoretical concepts are relevant to a particular decision-making
context (such as a case study or discussion question), demonstrate clearly how these
principles apply, and provide responses that are supported with evidence;
• be able to apply theory to address real world marketing problems.
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 3 of 10
COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS
Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having and Being, Sixth Canadian Edition.
Solomon, White and Dahl; Pearson - ISBN-13: 9780132161114
Each mini case at the conclusion of each chapter will be discussed, in-class. Students are expected
to read these cases in advance and be prepared to participate in class discussion
Influence: Science and Practice, 5th edition. Robert B. Cialdini, Pearson, 2009.
You will need this text for your group assignment but your group can buy just one and
share it. Any edition is acceptable. One copy is on reserve at Innis.
Alternatively, you can order the Harvard Business Review reprint (pdf) Harnessing
the Science of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini, Harvard Business Review, October 1,
2001. Cost is $6.95 ($US). http://hbr.org/product/harnessing-the-science-ofpersuasion-hbr-onpoint-enhanced-edition/an/7915-PDF-ENG
Commerce 3MB3 Courseware.
You will be assigned two case assignments as part of your final mark. Chantale and Clinton Call
for Service and The Pillsbury Cookie Challenge will be assigned as individual cases. Assignmentspecific questions pertaining to these cases will be posted on Avenue.
Avenue Website
On this site you will find:
• PowerPoint lecture outline notes
• course documents like this outline, group member information, and any amendments
to the course schedule;
• assorted observations and tips;
• your marks.
EVALUATION
Components and Weights
%
Component
Individual Case Assignments (2 @ 15% each)
Cialdini Group Exercise
Participation
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Total
Group
Individual
X
X
X
X
X
30.0
15.0
10.0
20.0
25.0
100.0
NOTE: The use of a McMaster standard calculator is allowed during examinations in this course.
See McMaster calculator policy at the following URL:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/examinationindex.html
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 4 of 10
Grade Conversion
At the end of the course your overall percentage grade will be converted to your letter grade in
accordance with the following conversion scheme.
LETTER GRADE
PERCENT
LETTER GRADE
PERCENT
A+
A
A-
90 - 100
85 - 89
80 - 84
C+
C
C-
67 - 69
63 - 66
60 - 62
B+
B
B-
77 - 79
73 - 76
70 - 72
D+
D
D-
57 - 59
53 - 56
50 - 52
F
00 - 49
Communication and Feedback
Students that are uncomfortable in directly approaching an instructor regarding a course concern
may send a confidential and anonymous email to the respective Area Chair (Dr. Lilian Chan [email protected]) or Associate Dean (Dr. Emad Mohammad [email protected]).
Students who wish to correspond with instructors or TAs directly via email must send messages
that originate from their official McMaster University email account. This protects the
confidentiality and sensitivity of information as well as confirms the identity of the student.
Emails regarding course issues should NOT be sent to the Administrative Assistant.
Instructors are required to provide evaluation feedback for at least 10% of the final grade to
students prior to Week #8 in the term.
Instructors may conduct an informal course review with students by Week #4 to allow time for
modifications in curriculum delivery.
Students who wish to have a course component re-evaluated must complete the following form:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/Form_A.pdf
In order for the component to be re-read:
•
•
•
the component must be worth 10% or more of the final grade in the course
students pay a fee of $50 in Gilmour Hall #209 (receipt is then brought to APO)
the Area Chair will seek out an independent adjudicator to re-grade the component
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 5 of 10
•
an adjustment to the grade for the component will be made if a grade change of three points
or greater on the 12 point scale (equivalent to 10 marks out of 100) has been suggested by the
adjudicator as assigned by the Area Chair
if a grade change is made, the student fee will be refunded
•
Course Component Descriptions
Individual Case Assignments (2)
You will assigned two cases to analyze, distill and answer posted questions on. These are
individual-based assignments. The cases and questions will be posted on Avenue.
Student competencies that should be demonstrated are:
• Demonstration of strong analytical skills and an ability to isolate driving influences
• Application of course concepts to case situations
• Provision of clear, action-based recommendations, as required
• Clear communication skills
Group Work: Cialdini Exercise
Professor Robert Cialdini is an authority on consumer influence tactics and their impact on
(customer/consumer) behaviour. The task is very flexible and its primary purpose is to provide
you with an incentive to read Cialdini’s book. Your group is required to produce a 10-15 minute
exercise for the class that links the concepts discussed by Cialdini with the concepts in your
textbook. You could decide to put on a skit, create a quiz, develop a game show, etc. Further
information about the specific content and expected format of this assignment are posted on
Avenue. There also is a sample exercise.
You will be required to finalize your group selection early in the term. Groups will be comprised
of five members each and will be self-selected. Students who have not been assigned a group
will inform the Instructor and will be assigned.
The rules of group work are:
•
all members of the group must present to the class
•
timeslots for the presentations will be given on a first-come/first-served basis
•
deadline for submission of group membership by e-mail is on or by January 23
•
detailed instructions and expectations will be given in-class and posted on Avenue
•
groups will be comprised of in-section students, only
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 6 of 10
Make sure that group members arrive at mutually agreeable standards concerning how often and
in what manner you will communicate and how you will ensure that you meet deadlines.
Everyone needs to know about individual expectations concerning quality of work and standards
of performance. Think about how you will handle situations such as differences in ability and
effort. A group that contains individuals with substantial variance in individual performance
standards and/or work ethics is more likely to become dysfunctional than one in which members
agree on expectations from the outset. Also make sure that everyone in your group understands
the meaning of academic dishonesty in all of its forms.
Participation
I will make special efforts to know everyone as quickly as possible. Please display your name
card prominently during each class. Class participation accounts for 10% of the final grade.
Active participation contributes to the quality of the learning experience for all. Regular class
attendance is a necessary but not sufficient condition for participation (i.e. if you do not attend
class, it becomes impossible to participate). The quality, frequency and consistency of student inclass oral contributions will be considered. Written feedback will also be evaluated. I will
distribute a one page student feedback questionnaire during each class. This is to be responded to
in-class and signed. The nature of cumulative student (a) in class contributions to observations,
questions and discussions and (b) written observations, questions and feedback will determine
the 10% participation mark.
I will post relevant articles and Tweets to my 3MB3 Twitter account (@3MB3MacForum).
Student participation is voluntary. No participation marks will be assigned for following.
Midterm Exam
The midterm exam is “open book” and will be one hour in length. This exam will consist of
short answer questions that will require you to apply theory to consumer behavior problems. You
are responsible for everything covered in class. However, specific questions about particular
videos and the Cialdini material will not appear on the exam. This exam is tentatively set for
Friday February 7, 2014. Confirmation of the date, as well as the place and time of the
examination will be communicated when it is available.
Final Exam
The final exam also is “open book” and will be two hours in length. This exam will be exactly
the same format as the midterm (but double the length) and will be non-cumulative. The Office
of the Registrar will post the time, date and location near the end of the term.
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 7 of 10
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
It is the student’s responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. Please refer
to the University Senate Academic Integrity Policy at the following URL:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/AcademicIntegrity.pdf.
This policy describes the responsibilities, procedures, and guidelines for students and faculty
should a case of academic dishonesty arise. Academic dishonesty is defined as to knowingly act
or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage.
Please refer to the policy for a list of examples. The policy also provides faculty with procedures
to follow in cases of academic dishonesty as well as general guidelines for penalties. For further
information related to the policy, please refer to the Office of Academic Integrity at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity
In this course we will be using Turnitin.com which is a plagiarism detection service. Students
will be expected to submit their work electronically to Turnitin.com so that it can be checked
against the internet, published works and Turnitin’s database for similar or identical work. If a
student refuses to submit his or her work to Turnitin.com, he or she cannot be compelled to do so
and should not be penalized. Instructors are advised to accept a hard copy of the assignment and
grade it as per normal methods. The assignment can be subjected to a Google search or some
other kind of search engine if the instructor wishes. To see guidelines for the use of
Turnitin.com, please go to:
http://mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity/turnitin/guidelines.html
REQUESTING RELIEF FOR MISSED ACADEMIC WORK
1. Students may request relief from a regularly scheduled midterm, test, assignment or other
course component in the following two ways:
a) for absences from classes lasting up to five (5) days; or
b) for absences from classes lasting more than five (5) days.
a)
For absences from classes lasting up to five (5) days
Students must use the MSAF (McMaster Student Absence Form). This is an on-line, self-reporting
tool, for which submission of medical or other types of supporting documentation is normally not
required. Students may use this tool to submit a maximum of one (1) request for relief of missed
academic work per term as long as the weighting of the component is worth 29% of the final grade
or less. Students must follow up with their course instructors regarding the nature of the relief
within two days of submitting the form. Failure to do so may negate the opportunity for relief. It is
the prerogative of the instructor of the course to determine the appropriate relief for missed term
work in his/her course.
If the value of the component is worth 30% or more, students must report to the APO to discuss
their situation and will be required to provide appropriate supporting documentation.
b)
For absences from classes lasting more than five (5) days
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 8 of 10
Students cannot use the MSAF. They MUST report to the APO to discuss their situation and will
be required to provide appropriate supporting documentation.
Students who wish to submit more than one request for relief of missed academic work per term
cannot use the MSAF. They must report to the APO and discuss their situation with an academic
advisor. They will be required to provide supporting documentation and possibly meet with the
Manager.
The MSAF cannot be used during any final examination period.
Students unable to write a mid-term at the posted exam time due to the following reasons: religious;
work-related (for part-time students only); representing university at an academic or varsity athletic
event; conflicts between two overlapping scheduled mid-term exams; or other extenuating
circumstances, have the option of applying for special exam arrangements. Please see the DeGroote
Missed Course Work Policy for a list of conflicts that qualify for academic accommodation
http://ug.degroote.mcmaster.ca/forms-and-resources/missed-course-work-policy/
STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) offers various support services for students with
disabilities. Students are required to inform SAS of accommodation needs for examinations on
or before the last date for withdrawal from a course without failure (please refer to official
university sessional dates). Students must forward a copy of such SAS accommodation to the
instructor immediately upon receipt. If a student with a disability chooses NOT to take
advantage of an SAS accommodation and chooses to sit for a regular exam, a petition for relief
may not be filed after the examination is complete. The SAS website is:
http://sas.mcmaster.ca
POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term.
The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme
circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and
communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment
on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course
websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 9 of 10
Commerce 3MB3
Consumer Behavior
Winter 2014 Course Schedule
This schedule is subject to change if necessary. We may make modest adjustments to the
chronology of the course to respond to learning opportunities and current events. From time to
time, material that expands on the required chapter readings will be provided in the PowerPoint
slides. Students are expected to be ready to discuss the textbook material and mini-case
discussions. Other material described as in-class exercises and in-class case applications will be
distributed in class as needed.
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca
3MB3 Winter 2014 - 10 of 10
Course Schedule, Winter Session
Consumer Behaviour: 3MB3; Pierre McClelland
Week # Topics and Activities To Be Covered in Class‐Advance Student Preparation Required
Source
Course Overview and Introduction Instructor
January 9
1
Introduction to Consumer Behavior (C1) Perception (C2) Chapters 1&2
In class application and Discussion: Managing Perspectives at Nature's Path Chapter 2
Learning and Memory Chapter 3
January 16
2
Motivation and Affect Chapter 4
Chapter 3
In class application and Discussion: A&W Nostalgia for a Heritage Brand
January 23
3
Individual Decision Making Chapter 9
In class application and Discussion: Returning to Rocky Mountaineer
January 30
4
Personality, Lifestyles and Values Chapter 6
Instructions to book Timeslots for Cialdini exercise will be communicated
February 6
5
February 7
February 13
6
February 14
February 20
Attitudes Chapter 7
In Class Application and Discussion: An Attitude toward Canada
Friday, February 7: Mid Term exam Exam 5:30‐6:30 p.m. Open Book. Attitude Change and Interactive Communications Cialdini Group presentation #1 & #2 Chapter 8
In Class Application and Discussion: Cobs Bread Changing Bread Consumption
Friday, February 14: Case Assignment #1 due 2:30 p.m. DSB 203 Dropbox
READING WEEK ‐ NO CLASS
February 27
7
The Self Chapter 5
Cialdini Group Presentations #3 & #4
March 6
8
Buying and Disposing Chapter 10
Cialdini Group Presentations #5& #6
March 13
9
Group Influence and Social Media Chapter 11
Cialdini Group Presentations #7& #8
March 20
10
March 27
11
Income , Social Class and Family Structure Chapter 12
Cialdini Group Presentations #9 & #10
Friday, March 21: Case Assignment #2 due 2:30 p.m. DSB 203 Dropbox
Subcultures Chapter 13
Cultural Influences on Consumer Behaviour Chapter 14
April 3
12
The Creation and Diffusion of Culture Chapter 15
Final Exam review
March 21
www.degroote.mcmaster.ca