Department of Finance &
Marketing
MKTG
171: Consumer Behavior Dr.
Matt Meuter
Section
03:
Section
Office: Tehama 321 (898-5880)
Office
Hours: Tuesday & Thursday
Required: Consumer
Behavior, Wayne D. Hoyer & Deborah J. MacInnis, 3rd edition
(2004).
Why
We Buy: The Science of Shopping,
Paco Underhill (1999)
Recommended
Course Prerequisite: MKT
170 with a C or better
Course Objectives
The study of consumer behavior is intended to
acquaint you with what it means to be a consumer in a market-oriented society
and what, as a marketer, you need to know to develop, evaluate, and implement
effective marketing strategies. We will
examine a wide variety of concepts and theories from the behavioral sciences
and analyze their usefulness for marketing planning. The primary goal of the course is for you to learn
and apply your understanding of consumer behavior to more effectively
analyze marketing problems.
Additional goals of MKT 171 are:
1. To gain an understanding of
what ‘consumer behavior’ encompasses
2. To prepare you for future
marketing classes and a successful career in business (a foundation for
life-long learning)
3. To apply marketing concepts
in “real-world” situations (to facilitate student learning and thinking beyond
the classroom setting)
4. To develop your written and
oral communication techniques, time management, teamwork and critical thinking
skills
Class Format
Class activities will be comprised of interactive
discussions, small group exercises, videos, cases, and student presentations. It is expected that you read the assigned
chapters before class. This is the only way to develop an
interactive learning environment. Class
discussions are intended to clarify the material and apply it to real world
situations.
As the instructor, I see my job as to guide the
learning process. Because marketing and
consumer behavior are intertwined within our lives, we all have experiences
that can help others to better understand consumer behavior. I encourage you share your experiences with
the class.
Assignments
You will have several opportunities to display your
knowledge of the material covered in the course through a mixture of exams,
in-class small group exercises, discussions, individual assignments, and a
semester-long group project and presentation.
In order to receive full credit, all assignments (except in-class
assignments) must be typed. Late
assignments will NOT be accepted and will receive zero points. Due dates are the LATEST an assignment
can be turned in, I will always accept assignments turned in early.
Exams
There will be three exams during the semester
containing a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions. The first two exams are non-cumulative and
worth 100 points. The final exam is
worth 125 points and will have some material from the entire semester. The exams will cover the assigned material in
the books (whether or not it was covered in class), and anything else discussed
in class such as group exercises, videos, cases, discussions, or
presentations. Unless there are
extraordinary circumstances (and you contact me before the exam), there will be
NO MAKE-UPS for missed examinations.
Consumer
Behavior Journal
This is an individual assignment that will be turned in four times during the semester. I expect you to link course material to your life (other courses, a job experience, social encounter, etc.) by typing one journal entry per week. You will select one specific topic/concept for each week and discuss the concept and how it relates to your life with a 1-3 page journal entry. More details and a sample journal entry form are available on the course website.
This is a group project due at the end of the
term. There is both a written component
and oral presentation. As a group, you
will focus on a product (or service, concept, experience, etc.) and conduct and
in-depth consumer behavior analysis of the product and product category. The goal is to apply the consumer behavior
theories and concepts we will discuss throughout the semester to your
product. More details are available on
the course website.
Class
Contributions
Class contributions are comprised of attendance,
participation in class exercises, effort on “mini” homework assignments, and
thoughtful participation in class discussion.
Regular attendance and promptness is expected. It is also expected that you actively
participate in discussions, group exercises, or other activities. The most important factor in making this
class successful is your participation.
To improve your class contributions grade keep in mind the following
criteria:
·
Promptness and attendance: Am I
regularly in class? Do I show up on
time?
·
Content understanding and
integration: Am I an active participant in the in-class
group discussions? When I do not understand something, do I ask questions?
·
Creativity: Do I generate my own insights and
applications? Do I bring in examples to
share with the class?
·
Curiosity and interest: What degree of curiosity, interest and
enthusiasm do I bring to the classroom? Am I in class every day in order to
fully participate? Do I ever cause
disruptions in class by talking to others when not appropriate?
Grades
The grade you earn is a result of your performance
on all assignments as shown below:
Exam
#1 100
points 100%-93.0% A 76.9%-73.0% C
Exam
#2 100
points 92.9%-90.0% A- 72.9%-70.0% C-
Exam
#3 125
points 89.9%-87.0% B+ 69.9%-67.0% D+
CB
Journals (4@ 20 pts) 80 points 86.9% 83.0% B 66.9%-63.0% D
Group
Project 120
points 82.9%-80.0% B- 62.9%
or lower F
Class
Contributions 75 points 79.9% 77.0% C+
600 points
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is an important issue for all
students at CSU Chico. Faculty expect students
to maintain the highest standard of academic integrity. It is the student’s responsibility to be
familiar with the policies of the university regarding academic honesty (for
more information refer to the Code of
Students’ Rights and Responsibilities, available in Kendall Hall, Room
110). Consequences of academic
dishonesty are severe, ranging from failure in an individual course to
expulsion from the University and/or denial of a degree.
Cheating is the willful and intentional fraud or
deception for the purpose of improving a grade and includes all behavior by a
student which is intended to gain an unearned academic advantage. Examples of fraudulent behavior include (but
is not limited to) taking information
(copying homework assignments, looking at another’s’ exam), providing information (allowing others
to copy your work, providing answers to a test, providing a term paper to
another student), plagiarism, or many
other forms of academic dishonesty. High
standards of academic integrity will be strictly enforced in this course.
Class Schedule
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Assigned |
|
1 |
8/24 |
Course
Introduction/Syllabus/Assignments |
|
I. An Introduction to Consumer Behavior |
|||
|
1 |
8/26 |
What
is Consumer Behavior? |
Text Chapter 1 |
|
1 |
8/26 |
The
Science of Shopping |
WWB Chs 1-2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
8/31 |
Consumer
Behavior Research Methods & Applications |
Text Chapter 2 |
|
II. The Psychological Core |
|||
|
2 |
9/2 |
Motivation,
Ability and |
Text Chapter 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
9/7 |
Exposure,
Attention and Perception |
Text Chapter 4 |
|
3 |
9/9 |
Field Trip: Retail Store Evaluation |
WWB Chs 3-7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
9/14 |
*** Journal Assignment
Part 1 Due (Weeks 1-3)*** |
|
|
4 |
9/14 |
Knowledge
Categorization and Comprehension |
Text Chapter 5 |
|
4 |
9/16 |
Attitude Formation: High Consumer Effort
|
Text Chapter 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
9/21 |
Form Groups (in class), Discuss Group Project
|
|
|
5 |
9/21 |
Attitude Formation: High Consumer Effort, continued
|
|
|
5 |
9/23 |
EXAM #1: Text Chapters 1-6 & WWB Chapters 1-7 |
|
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Assigned |
|
6 |
9/28 |
Attitude
Formation: Low Consumer Effort
|
Text Chapter 7 |
|
6 |
9/30 |
*** Product Approval List
Due *** |
|
|
6 |
9/30 |
Memory
and Retrieval |
Text Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
III. The Process of Making Decisions |
|||
|
7 |
10/5 |
Problem
Recognition and Information Search |
Text Chapter 9 |
|
7 |
10/7 |
Judgment
and Decision Making: High Consumer
Effort |
Text Chapter 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
10/12 |
*** Journal Assignment
Part 2 Due (Weeks 4-7) *** |
|
|
8 |
10/12 |
Judgment
and Decision Making: Low Consumer
Effort |
Text Chapter 11 |
|
8 |
10/14 |
***
Group Planning Document Due *** |
|
|
8 |
10/14 |
The
Dynamics of Shopping |
WWB Chs 12-16 |
|
8 |
10/14 |
Post-Decision
Processes
|
Text Chapter 12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
10/19 |
Exam #2:Text Chapters 7-12 & WWB Chapters 12-16 |
|
|
IV. The Consumer’s Culture |
|||
|
9 |
10/21 |
Cultural
Influences |
Text Chapter 13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
10/26 |
Age,
Gender and Household Influences |
Text Chapter 15 |
|
10 |
10/28 |
Demographics
of Shopping |
WWB Chs 8-11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
11/2 |
*** Journal Assignment
Part 3 Due (Weeks 8-10) *** |
|
|
11 |
11/2 |
Social
Influences and Reference Groups |
Text Chapter 16 |
|
11 |
11/4 |
Group Work Day |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
11/9 |
Psychographics |
Text Chapter 17 |
|
V. Consumer Behavior Outcomes |
|||
|
12 |
11/11 |
Symbolism |
Text Chapter 18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
VI. Consumer Welfare |
|||
|
13 |
11/16 |
The
Dark Side of Consumer Behavior & Marketing |
Text Chapter 21 |
|
13 |
11/18 |
Consumer Behavior Concluding Thoughts |
WWB Chs 17-19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/23-25 |
Thanksgiving
Break—NO CLASSES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
11/30 |
Group
Presentations |
|
|
14 |
12/2 |
*** Journal Assignment
Part 4 Due (Weeks 11-13) ** |
|