Stevens Institute of Technology



Revised: January 20153321050114300Wesley J. HoweSchool of Technology ManagementStevens Institute of TechnologyMGT-648 Consumer BehaviorProf. A. Madzharov00Wesley J. HoweSchool of Technology ManagementStevens Institute of TechnologyMGT-648 Consumer BehaviorProf. A. MadzharovSyllabus 8/15/2013 v1SyllabusMGT 648Consumer BehaviorSpring 2015Thursday 6:15 – 8:45 pmProfessor Adriana Madzharov Babbio 627Tel: 201-216-3339Fax: 201-216-5385adriana.madzharov@stevens.eduOffice Hours: Thursdays 5:00 and 6:00 pmand by appointmentCourse Room: Babbio 312OverviewMarketing begins and ends with the consumer. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of consumer behavior. This is an interdisciplinary course that integrates perspectives from marketing, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics in order to examine the elements of the consumer decision-making process and to enable formulation of marketing strategies.Prerequisites: MGT 641 Marketing ManagementCourse ObjectivesThe goals of this course are for students to learn the key concepts and theories of consumer behavior, and to develop the intellectual ability to identify applications of these concepts and theories in formulating viable marketing strategies. This course will provide students with the fundamental conceptual and analytical tools essential for a comprehensive understanding of the psychological processes that characterize consumers' consumption experiences. Students will be better able to understand how marketers anticipate, adapt, and respond to consumer needs by applying the insight from basic consumer behavior concepts to their marketing strategies.Additional learning objectives include the development of:Communication skills: students will improve and polish their oral communication skills through the case analysis and team project presentations.Technology role in business: Students learn how companies use technology (e.g., social media) to understand the consumer decision-making process.Analytic problem-solving: The course incorporates case study methodology which is built on analytic problem solving.Ethics: Students learn about the ethical issues involved with consumer data collection.Team skills: Students will work in teams on the majority of the course tasks such as case analysis and advertising analysis project; an online survey instrument will be used to measure individual contributions to team performance. List of Course Outcomes: After taking this course, students will be able to:Students will gain strategic understanding of the influential and persuasive mechanisms involved in consumer attitude, belief, and behavior change, and will be able to apply this knowledge in addressing specific marketing problems.Students will learn to examine the consumer from a managerial perspective and to develop marketing strategies to respond to consumers’ changing attitudes and behaviors. Students will be able to understand how to anticipate, adapt, and respond to consumer needs by applying the insight from basic consumer behavior concepts to their marketing strategies.Students will acquire knowledge on the current and future research technologies for consumer insight and will be able to critically assess how they can be used in strategy formulation.PedagogyThe course integrates lectures, case analysis, team projects and discussions to focus on the implications of social science concepts for marketing strategy. Students are responsible for all assigned readings and expected to be prepared for cases and discussions. The lecture periods are designed to emphasize core concepts and principles and introduce unique study materials and examples. Lectures are not a substitute for the text. Reading the text is essential to fully understand the material and do well on the exams.ReadingsRequired Text Schiffman, Leon and Leslie Kanuk (2010), Consumer Behavior, 10th ed., Prentice Hall (ISBN-10: 0135053013)GradingExam I25%Exam II25%Group project (Ad analysis presentation)20%Case analysis (in groups)15%Class participation5% Class attendance5% Academic research participation5%AssignmentsExams: 50% of overall grade (25% Exam I, 25% Exam II)During the semester, students will take 2 non-cumulative exams. Exams might include multiple choice, essay, and open-ended questions. We will review the material for each exam in class, in the session prior to the exam. Make-up exams will not be available. In the event of an emergency or a known conflict with the exam date, please speak to me as soon as possible. Group Project: Advertisement Analysis Presentation: 20% of overall grade. This project is designed to give students a chance to apply the knowledge obtained in the class and to improve students’ ability to work in groups, as is often required in the field of business. Students will form groups of 2 or more and work together to create a thorough analysis of a TV commercial as an application of the consumer behavior concepts learned in class. Each team will choose one TV commercial (presented at the Super Bowl 2015) that reflects a consumer behavior concept (i.e., motivation, personality, or attitudes). The goal of this analysis is for students to demonstrate how the selected advertisement is a real-world reflection and application of a basic, theoretical concept(s) of consumer behavior. Groups will give a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation about their commercial. Presentations will take place on selected dates at the end of the semester. All group members are expected to present and presentations must stay within the allotted time. All groups must: (1) email me their slides prior to their day of presentation; (2) provide me with a printout of their slides on the day of the presentation. Detailed guidelines for the project and evaluative criteria for the presentations are attached to this syllabus and will also be posted on Canvas. Group formation will take place on the first day of class.To ensure the participation of all group members in the project, at the end of the semester, all students will be asked to individually and anonymously provide an evaluation of the contribution of every group member. Case analysis (in groups): 15% of overall grade. All students will analyze the cases following the chapters in class and will come up with answers and solutions to the case questions. The objective of this task is for students to apply the consumer behavior concepts learned from the chapters. Case analysis will be evaluated based on how well this is done and on the depth of the presented analysis. Specific case analysis guidelines are attached to this syllabus and will also be posted on Canvas.Each group will present several short consumer behavior cases to the class. Once the groups are formed I will randomly schedule the presentation dates for the teams. Groups will prepare for these case presentations in class, so make sure to always bring your laptops. Evaluative criteria for the presentations are attached to this syllabus and will also be posted on Canvas.Case presentations will last 15 minutes and will be followed by a class discussion. Although only one team will present in each session, all groups are expected to work on and prepare a case analysis so that everybody can actively participate in the discussions. Class participation: 5% of overall grade. Students are expected to attend and actively participate in the class sessions. Students should come to class ready to discuss the material being covered and are encouraged to share their viewpoint on the topic. Class discussions are essential for learning the material – you are expected to actively listen and you might be called to answer a specific question during the lectures and discussions. My goal is to create an open environment in which you feel comfortable and able to share your opinions and engage in class discussions.Attendance: 5% of overall grade, calculated as follows: number of attended classes by the student/total number of sessions for the semester*100. You are expected to attend all sessions. Attendance will be recorded at every session. Punctuality: You are expected to be in class a few minutes before the scheduled start time. Lateness will not be tolerated. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each session. If you show up late for class, your lateness will be recorded as absence. In cases when an unpredictable situation has prevented from being on time or from attending class, you must notify me by email; failure to do so as well as frequent excused lateness and absences will compromise your attendance participation portion of the grade.Academic research participation: 5% of overall grade. As a student in consumer behavior you are eligible to participate in academic research conducted by Stevens marketing faculty and doctoral students. You can earn up to 5% course credit for participating in 3 research studies, each up to 40 minutes long. Research studies often involve filling out one or more questionnaires that examine consumer behavior. By taking the role of a consumer, you have the opportunity to learn how researchers explore different aspects of consumer behavior that you study in this course. The research studies will be scheduled throughout the semester and you will be notified of the dates ahead of time. At the end of the semester, time will be allocated to discuss the research studies and learn how the questionnaires tap into different aspects of consumer behavior (e.g., attitude, motivation). Participation in these studies is voluntary. If you choose not to participate in the research studies, you can still get this 5% grade portion by completing a written assignment. The assignment involves creating three short consumer questionnaires (of 1 typed page each) that tap into different aspects of consumer behavior. Whether you decide to receive the 5% credit from the research studies or from the alternative (questionnaires) assignment, you will still participate in and benefit from the research studies discussion conducted in class. Class PoliciesPersonal electronic devices: Cell phones must be on silent. You may use tablets and/or laptops to take notes only. If you are using them for any other purpose during the class, I may ask you to turn them off. If you are to use a voice or video recorder to record the lecture, you must check with me beforehand.Office: I encourage you to meet me frequently for clarifications and feedback. I will be available before and after the class sessions, and during office hours. You can also email me to set an appointment.Student information sheet: All students need to fill out and submit a student information sheet with a picture. All students must submit to me both a print out and an electronic copy with pictures via Canvas no later than January 29th. Please, put your name in the subject line of the electronic submission. Ethical ConductThe following statement is printed in the Stevens Graduate Catalog and applies to all students taking Stevens courses, on and off campus.“Cheating during in-class tests or take-home examinations or homework is, of course, illegal and immoral. A Graduate Academic Evaluation Board exists to investigate academic improprieties, conduct hearings, and determine any necessary actions. The term ‘academic impropriety’ is meant to include, but is not limited to, cheating on homework, during in-class or take home examinations and plagiarism.“Consequences of academic impropriety are severe, ranging from receiving an “F” in a course, to a warning from the Dean of the Graduate School, which becomes a part of the permanent student record, to expulsion.Reference: The Graduate Student Handbook, Academic Year 2003-2004 StevensInstitute of Technology, page 10.Consistent with the above statements, all homework exercises, tests and exams that are designated as individual assignments MUST contain the following signed statement before they can be accepted for grading. ____________________________________________________________________ I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. I further pledge that I have not copied any material from a book, article, the Internet or any other source except where I have expressly cited the source.Signature _________________________ Date: _____________Please note that assignments in this class may be submitted to , a web-based anti-plagiarism system, for an evaluation of their originality. Course/Teacher EvaluationContinuous improvement can only occur with feedback based on comprehensive and appropriate surveys. Your feedback is an important contributor to decisions to modify course content/pedagogy which is why we strive for 100% class participation in the survey.? All course teacher evaluations are conducted on-line.? You will receive an e-mail one week prior to the end of the course informing you that the survey site ( HYPERLINK "" \o "" \t "_blank" ) is open along with instructions for accessing the site.?Login using your Campus (email) username and password. This is the same username and password you use for access to Canvas. Simply click on the course that you wish to evaluate and enter the information. All responses are strictly anonymous. ?We especially encourage you to clarify your position on any of the questions and give explicit feedbacks on your overall evaluations in the section at the end of the formal survey that allows for written comments. ?We ask that you submit your survey prior to end of the examination period. ?Course scheduleTopic(s)Reading(s)Class exercises (cases) HWWeek 1Introduction and Consumer Behavior: Meeting Changes and ChallengesChapter 1 Week 2Consumer Research ProcessChapter 2 Using Secondary Data in Targeting ConsumersWall Street Journal articleWeek 3Market Segmentation and StrategicPositioningChapter 3Benefit Segmentation in Oral Care MarketWeek 4Consumer MotivationChapter 4The Product Collection at New Product WorksWall Street Journal articleWeek 5Exam IWeek 6Personality and Consumer BehaviorChapter 5Hello Starbucks!Group Project TopicWeek 7Consumer PerceptionChapter 6Perception and Product PlacementWall Street Journal articleWeek 8Consumer LearningChapter 7HSBS’s Different Values CampaignWeek 9Consumer Attitude Formation and ChangeChapter 8The Not-So-Extreme SportWall Street Journal articleWeek 10Exam IIWeek 11Guest lecture – marketing executiveCompany’s website and productsTarget market profileResearch the companyWeek 12Field trip – observation of consumer behavior in the retail environmentWeek 13Group Project PresentationsWeek 14Group Project Presentations ................
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