ELE 3767 Consumer Behaviour

ELE 3767 Consumer Behaviour

Course code: 
ELE 3767
Department: 
Marketing
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Klemens Knöferle
Course name in Norwegian: 
Consumer Behaviour
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor - Electives
Semester: 
2020 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Marketing managers need a thorough understanding of consumer behavior in order to succeed in today's fast-paced, globalized, and digital environment. They need to be able to a) conceptualize why consumers behave as they do, b) generate valid customer insights based on a variety of data, and c) apply these insights in their own decision-making.

This course is designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to tackle these tasks. It will introduce you to basic consumer behaviour problems and perspectives and to the contexts in which they arise. It will help you develop your ability to structure and analyse such problems, and provide you with tools and concepts for solving them.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The goal is for students to acquire knowledge of:

  • an overall framework for analyzing consumer behavior
  • relevant concepts from marketing, psychology, sociology, etc.
  • tools for studying consumer behavior
Learning outcomes - Skills

At the end of the course, students should be able to use the acquired knowledge to:

  • understand why consumers behave as they do
  • predict how consumers will react to different marketing strategies and tactics
  • generate valid customer insights
  • apply these insights in decision-making
General Competence

After completing the course, student should 

  • understand the benefits (and limits) of adopting a scientific perspective to think about consumer behavior
  • understand ethical issues related to consumer behaviour.
Course content

Themes of the course will be (subject to change):

  • Consumer research
  • Segmentation and targeting
  • The consumer as an individual with needs, personality, perceptions, attention
  • How consumers learn and apply knowledge
  • Attitude development, and strategies for attitude change/persuasion
  • The consumer in a social context among friends, family, culture and social class
  • The consumer's decision-making process and decision rules
  • Diffusion and adoption of innovations
  • Ethical issues in consumer behaviour
Teaching and learning activities

The learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of lectures, in-class discussions and exercises, and a semester-long group project.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all sessions, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

The group size for the group project is 3-5 students (depending on class size). Further instructions on assignments and presentations will be given in class.

Various software tools may be used in the course, including (subject to change): Qualtrics, Excel, data analysis tools (e.g., SPSS or R).

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components). Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

Software tools
Software defined under the section "Teaching and learning activities".
Additional information

Class attendance is expected and checked (2 unexcused no-shows are permitted).

Come to class well prepared (i.e., make sure you have read the assigned readings)

Electronic devices: Out of respect for fellow students and faculty, please do not use laptops, iPads, cell phones, or other gadgets in class (unless requested by me).

For electives, re-sit is normally offered at the next scheduled course. If an elective is discontinued or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, re-sit will be offered in the electives ordinary semester.

RE-SIT EXAMINATION in ELE 37671 is possible (last time) autumn 2019.

 

Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Required prerequisite knowledge

A basic course in marketing is required.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
40
Grouping: 
Group (3 - 5)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Group project; group size and composition will be determined in first session by the professor.
Exam code: 
ELE37672
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Class participation
Weight: 
20
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Assessed through various in-class and out-of-class tasks
Exam code: 
ELE37672
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Invigilation
Weight: 
40
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
  • Bilingual dictionary, Native tongue - English
Duration: 
2 Hour(s)
Comment: 
Exam on-campus
Exam code: 
ELE37672
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
36 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
30 Hour(s)
Group work / Assignments
20 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
114 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.