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The purpose of this course is to introduce students to advanced consumer behaviour and research, and for students to develop the ability to integrate the various theories and research findings presented.
IntroductionWelcome to the Advanced Consumer Behaviour postgraduate seminar. We are honoured to have you join us in this collaborative learning space. We hope to share with you our passion for consumer research in all its many forms. Lucie Ozanne and Chris Chen specialise in different paradigms within the field of consumer behaviour. We will use our differences to provide you with a broad vista of the discipline.As a postgraduate student, you are on the path to becoming an independent researcher. We view our role as guides providing you with maps and tools to better navigate this journey. Unlike undergraduate education, we expect you to be full partners in this active learning process.Subject Aims“Marketers spend billions of dollars attempting to influence what, when, and how you and I consume. …Most of us spend more time buying and consuming than we do working or sleeping.… Given the time and energy we devote to consuming we should strive to be good at it” (Hawkins, Best and Coney 2004).Consumer behaviour is one of the most diverse and intellectually open fields that you will find in the academy. Drawing upon economics, psychology, sociology, social psychology, and anthropology, consumer researchers apply insights from these fields to understand the buying, using, and disposing of goods and services. Findings from the field of consumer research are applied in the areas of public policy, consumerism, marketing research, and business practice, to name but a few. Moreover, this relatively young field is beginning to develop its own unique conceptual base. The goal of this class is to help you build a general schema for understanding the field of consumer research in its diversity. Moreover, you will learn how to critically assess research in this area in order to explore, envision, and design your own research studies. This subject is designed to provide a strong foundation in theories and research in the area of consumer behaviour. We will cover various topics such as consumer processing of market information, how information is incorporated into decision-making, factors influencing decision-making, social and cultural influences on consumptions, consumer behaviour in the contemporary wired social world, and major methodologies available for investigating consumer behaviours.WorkloadThe total workload for this course is about 150 hours in total. This is made up approximately as follows:Lectures 24 hoursLecture Preparation 60 hours (includes preparation for group discussion leadership)Presentation 15 hoursProject 60 hours
This class is designed to be a traditional seminar where key articles and new phenomena and marketing reality are discussed at length. Therefore, you are expected to master the required readings and be a full participant in class discussions about the readings. Part of this preparation is being able to do informal and formal critiques of research in both oral and written communication work. You will hone your critical skills in your weekly article preparations and group discussion leadership. In addition to mastering the course content, you will develop an understanding of doing research by designing your own research study to address a managerial problem. By the end of this study, you will understand the standards for research excellence in consumer behaviour.The teaching method is based on lectures supplemented by case studies, readings and in-class exercises. Class attendance, although not monitored, should be considered mandatory and students are expected to have read class assignments before each lecture as they may be queried randomly during class periods. Textbook chapter readings and lecture notes will contribute to a significant portion of the course’s material and are therefore the students’ responsibility. In accordance with researched learning practices, it is highly recommended that you take your own notes during lectures. However, lecture outlines will be available for download before the lecture.Individual student performance is evidenced by the pertinence of questions raised in class as well as the ability to respond to and comment on the subject matter discussed in each of the sessions. Class participation is an active process that enhances learning; it is to your benefit and that of your colleagues.By the end of the course, you should be able to:Understand and appreciate the range of consumer behaviour research;Be able to analyse consumption experiences and their drivers.Critically evaluate consumer research studies pointing out strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for additional research (in both oral and written formats);Identify a gap in the consumer behaviour literature and analyse an existing consumer brand using principles of consumer behaviour; andArticulate the standards for high quality consumer research.MCom Learning Goals:Learning Goal 1: A graduate can demonstrate higher level in-depth knowledge and understanding of contemporary thought and developments within your specific research area.Learning Goal 2: A graduate can evaluate the implications of their own research findings for the wider body of relevant academic literature.Learning Goal 3: A graduate can plan and undertake independent academic research that shows a sound understanding of ethical practice.Learning Goal 4: A graduate can synthesise academic literature and communicate research findings, both orally and in written form, consistent with academics working in their chosen discipline.
Subject to approval of the Head of Department
MGMT423
Lucie Ozanne
Ann-Marie Kennedy
Assessment in DepthYour assessment for this subject comprises the following five components, which are discussed next.Individual participation in seminar (20%): You must come to class prepared for discussion. This is a learning community and the quality of our community will be determined by our individual and collective investments. Postgraduate level learning requires active listening, thinking carefully about the issues raised, and being an active participant. Be prepared to regularly present your analysis and perspective with your peers. Be prepared to be called on for your opinion, etc.You should be prepared to discuss required reading on the syllabus in depth, including your perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of each article. Each article should be reviewed for the substantive, conceptual, and methodological contributions and limitations. Try to think of one or two possible extensions for a new research study and managerial implications.Participation will be graded throughout the course with an interim grade given to students by the end of Week 7.Group discussion leadership (25%): On the first day of class, we will assign different teams of students to lead the discussion. You will work with other students leading the discussion on a specific article one time during the first half of the class. Students will sign up for a group discussion leadership.Each team is responsible for preparing an overview of the article and questions for discussion. Please do not lecture your peers. You have the far more challenging goal of stimulating discussion and everyone is expected to participate. Your team should come to class with contribution statements written for your assigned article as well as a plan for an engaging discussion. (You will find advice on writing a contribution statement here: http://ejcr.org/contribution-statement.htm).Research Project (40%): A large component of your graded work is a research project, an applied brand analysis (4000-5000 words). You need to determine your brand analysis focus by the end of Week 2.Due Friday 29 May by 5.00 pmPlease select a company that has targeted a brand to a consumer market; there should be a brand community that has developed around this brand. Half of your analysis will involve searching the brand, its history, and laying out the strategic approach employed (i.e., targeting, competitive positioning, and strategic mix—product, pricing, distribution, and promotion). Students need to also look at the research changes in consumer behaviours before, during and after the consumption (for instance the consumption of movies and music, “beta” phenomenon in gaming industry, etc.), and investigate how these individual behaviours were influenced by others and influenced others. The second half of the analysis will be applying relevant behavioural concepts learned in class to provide a deeper and more insightful analysis of the selected brand case. For example, how does Nike use what we have learned about culture, values and identity, etc.? You will support this analysis by using ideas and articles covered in class as well as additional readings that you have completed.Research Presentation (15%): Due last week of class; in-class presentation and PowerPoint uploaded on Learn. Students need to present their project findings in an oral presentation with visual support (e.g. PowerPoint) for 15-20 minutes.GradingConsistent with Departmental Academic Policies, your final score may be calculated after the raw marks for the test and final exam have been standardised to a mean of 65 and a standard deviation of 18. You should not assume 50% as a passing mark for this course.
All readings consist of article and/or chapter excerpts from scientific journal and other publications. A copy of the reading material for the course will be made available as we progress through the course via the course LEARN site.
LEARN Coversheets - Group and Individual
Class RepresentativeA class representative may be asked to volunteer in the first few weeks of class. Any problems with the course can be raised with the class rep. Their email can be found at UCSA. The class representative will take up any issues raised by class members with the lecturer concerned as they occur.Departmental Academic PoliciesThe Department assumes that you have read this document.You should also read the General Course and Examination Regulations Dishonest PracticeThe University of Canterbury considers cheating and plagiarism to be serious acts of dishonesty. All assessed work must be your own individual work unless specifically stated otherwise in the assessment guidelines. Material quoted from any other source must be clearly acknowledged. You must not copy the work of another person (student or published work) in any assessment including examinations, tests and assignments. Any person, who is found to have copied someone else's work, or to have allowed their work to be copied, will receive a fail grade for that piece of assessment and may face disciplinary action which may lead to a fine, community service or exclusion from the university.IMPORTANT: Where there are concerns regarding the authorship of written course work, a student can be required to provide a formal, oral explanation of the content of their work.Citations and referencing
Domestic fee $982.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
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