Buyer Behavior

AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECNOLOGY

MKT2608D – CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

UNIT OUTLINE – TRIMESTER,2, 2013

DESCRIPTION: As consumers you are constantly required to make decisions that create your lifestyles, express your identities, and define you as members of the society in which you live. These decisions include the clothing you wear, the cars you drive, your leisure activities and your tastes in foods and beverages. What and how you consume, in many ways, determines not only how others see you, but also your personal satisfaction.
This unit will explore the cultural and commercial factors that influence the way you consume. To understand these complex processes you will be introduced to perspectives on consumption from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, psychology, economics, semiotics and marketing. You will also learn about the techniques that marketers use to understand and influence consumer desires as well as the positive and negative impacts these have upon your daily lives and the society in which you live.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
On completion of this unit students should be able to: to distinguish between consumer buying and consumer behaviour how individuals interpret and utilise product knowledge how marketers identify and exploit sources of influence how consumers individually and jointly make choices the influence of social and cultural factors upon consumption. the negative implications of consumption

UNIT CONTENT: Session | Topic/s | Chapters | Assessment | 1 | Introduction | 1 | | 2 | Perception | 2 | | 3 | Learning and Memory | 3 | | 4 | Motivation | 4, 10 | | 5 | Attitudes | 7 | | 6 | The Self and Holt’s Model | 5 | | 7 | Mid Term Test | | Mid Term Test | | MID SEMESTER BREAK | | | 8 | Decision Making | 9 | Presentations 1 | 9 | Persuasion | 8 | Presentations 2 | 10 | Social Influences | 11, 12,13 | Presentations 3 | 11 | Cultural Influences | 16 | Presentations 4 | 12 | Consumer Culture | 17 | Presentations 5 | 13 | Summary | All Above | |

TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES:
Students attend one session per week with a two-hour lecture/seminar, one-hour tutorial and one-hour workshop. Lectures are used to introduce main concepts and to guide students through important points. Tutorials/workshops are used to assist students in the application of concepts presented in lectures through problem solving exercises and class discussions. Assignment provides students with the opportunity to develop selected theses of the unit through individual research and critique.

ASSESSMENT:

Assessment | Week due | Weighting | Mid Term Test (1 hour essay) | 7 | 30% | Oral presentation and Written summary | Various,From Week 8 onwards | 30% | Final Exam | End | 40% |

* grades may be subject to scaling.

TEXTS:
Solomon, M. R. (2011). Consumer behaviour: buying, having and being (9th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

SIGNIFICANT REFERENCES:
Readings will be provided by the lecturer, plus any significant source from the internet.
The Journal of Consumer Research is an excellent journal.

REFERENCING:
PIBT adopts the APA (American Psychological Association) Referencing system which also complies with protocols used by ECU. * How to Reference APA Style – see easy-to-use flyer in your orientation pack. Extra copies available at Reception or: www.pibt.wa.edu.au/publications.php

More in-depth information can be found at: * ECU Referencing Guide – available at the ECU Bookshop or downloaded free at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/CLT/pdf/refguide.pdf * American Psychological Association (APA) provides free tutorials at: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: Honesty in study and research is highly valued at PIBT and ECU, therefore academic misconduct is regarded as a serious offence. Academic misconduct includes… * Plagiarism * Unauthorised collaboration; * Cheating in examinations; * Theft of other students’ work
Staff are expected to be critical of student work, looking for any evidence of plagiarism/cheating. Staff may use search software to scan/record your work against the electronic works of others on the Internet.

"Plagiarism” means to knowingly or unknowingly present as one's own work the ideas or writings of another without appropriate acknowledgment or referencing, including… * Paraphrasing text without acknowledging source (includes any copying) * Paraphrasing text inadequately * Copying another student's assignment (from any source) * Copying of visual representations (cartoons, line drawings, photos, paintings, computer programs, images, tables, graphs) Penalty: First Offence: Award of zero for assessment Second Offence: Award of zero for the unit Third Offence: Possible risk of suspension from College

Further information: See Assessment and Student Misconduct Policy

ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is an important element of your success and as such it is compulsory. Students who are sick or absent from classes for valid reasons must: * Submit the appropriate documentation to each lecturer for a signature of approval. This should include a medical certificate or proof of valid reason for the absence. This documentation must be submitted within 3 days (or at the next scheduled class if the lecturer is not available). * Once completed, it is the student’s responsibility to submit the documentation to the appropriate person as soon as possible.

In the event that attendance is considered unsatisfactory, formal written warnings will be sent to students and they may be required to see the Student Counsellor.

LATE SUBMISSION:
If a student is unable to submit a within-trimester assessment task (i.e. assignment) on or by the due date, the penalty will be 5% (of the possible mark) per working day, and after one week the mark will be zero.

An exception may be granted if the student provides appropriate documentation together with: * Medical certificate (signed by lecturer and given to the appropriate person by student), or * Written explanation (signed by lecturer and given to the appropriate person by student), in the case of personal circumstances which have the potential to significantly impinge on student performance.
Evidence must be submitted within 3 days (or at the next scheduled class if the lecturer is not available – an email to the lecturer is also recommended).

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:
Students have access to a range of free support classes. The College will provide advice on these but they may include: * English * Computing or Mathematics * Help Sessions
Free online study skills seminars are available at: www.pibt.wa.edu.au/studyskills/. The self-instructional materials cover study skills & time management, essay writing, oral presentations, referencing, revision/study techniques and preparing/writing for exams.
Further information: See Progress Policy

LECTURER:

OTHER INFORMATION:
For other general information, refer to your Student Handbook or other information available from the College.

GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES / LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Learning is not just about acquiring a static set of knowledge and skills – it is also about developing generic skills that can be used to further life-long learning and engagement with the community. PIBT has investigated the Graduate Attributes incorporated into ECU courses, Employability Skills as determined by the WA Department of Education and Training (DET) and Skills for Success as defined by Graduate Careers Australia and found overlap between learning outcomes identified by stakeholders. The PIBT Teaching and Learning Plan developed these Learning Outcomes through delivery of our courses, with different units sharing responsibility for different outcomes…

LEARNING OUTCOMES | Graduate Attributes | Employability Skills | GCA Skills for Success | Descriptor | * Ability to communicate | * Communication * Technology | * Literacy * Oral/written communication | * Clarity of written and spoken expression; including public, for and through appropriate use of technology | * Ability to work in teams | * Teamwork | * Teamwork * Emotional intelligence & interpersonal skills * Adaptability | * Collaborating and contributing effectively in diverse settings | * Critical appraisal skills | * Problem solving * Technology | * Numeracy * Time Management * Critical/analytical thinking * Ability to apply knowledge/concepts * Information gathering, evaluation & synthesis | * Planning, organising, problem solving and decision making (includes use of technology and information literacy) | * Ability to generate ideas | * Initiative & enterprise * Learning | * Creative problem solving * Initiative & enterprise | * Having the courage and confidence to be creative and innovative | * Cross-cultural & international outlook | * Communication * Teamwork | * Adaptability | * Engaging productively and harmoniously with diverse cultures |

The Graduate Attributes incorporated into this unit are: Unit Code | Ability to Communicate | Ability to work in teams | Critical appraisal skills | Ability to generate ideas Problem-solving | Cross-cultural & international outlook | | | | | | |