GRA 6434 International Consumer Behavior

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

GRA 6434 International Consumer Behavior Responsible for the course Erik B Nes Department Department of Marketing Term According to study plan ECTS Credits 6 Language of instruction English Introduction The globalisation and internationalisation of consumer markets present businesses a plethora of opportunities but at the same time several challenges. A successful organization is a well prepared organization. For this, it is important to understand consumers’ behaviour in the global arena. Due to the interactive and participative format of the course, the class size is limited to 40 students. Learning outcome The students develop, through studies of important research papers, knowledge of current issues in international consumer behaviour. Such knowledge is pertinent for any firm operating internationally. The students become awere of some of the special challenges in conducting international marketing research and ways of overcoming such difficulties. Due to the interactive format of the course the students also develop their skills in making professional presentations, manage a discussion and participate actively in discussion of international consumer issues. Prerequisites Marketing Management and Consumer Behaviour at the undergraduate level is required. International Marketing Management is helpful to have had. Compulsory reading Collection of articles: A collection of scientific articles from e.g. Journal of International Marketing Review, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, American Sociological Review. Other journals may be added to this list. Other: During the course there may be hand-outs and other material on additional topics relevant for the course and the examination. Recommended reading Course outline - Cultural values and consumer behaviour - Ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism - Brand globalness and brand value - The impact of country image on brand image - Emotional relationships between people and countries and its impact on consumer behaviour - Consumer behaviour at the bottom of the pyramide - Comparing frameworks for culture Computer-based tools It's learning Learning process and workload A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours. 36 lecture hours during which the main topics (as listed in the course outline) are given extensive and in-depth coverage. Class time will also include group discussion of problems and general class discussions. Assigned readings should be carefully studied prior to each class meeting. The lecture hours will generally have one or two groups of students present the assigned reading and manage a class discussion. The professor will integrate and summarise the discussion in concluding remarks regarding the discussion topic. Please note that it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/It's learning or text book. Examination Students will be evaluated for the course based on two criteria: 1. Group presentations of assigned readings and/or class participation, accounting for 50% of the grade 2. Written term paper, accounting for 50% of the grade The term paper will require students to work in groups of two to three people. The objective of this term paper will be to develop a study based on an existing paper/study. The 'new' study as described in the paper is expected to extend or improve the existing work. In this course class attendence is mandatory. Unexcused absence can result in a lower score. Specific information regarding student evaluation beyond the information given in the course description will be provided in class. This information may be relevant for requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several elements of the overall evaluation. This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam elements) and one final exam code. Each exam element will be graded using points on a scale (e.g. 0-100). The elements will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades on the course site in It’s learning. Examination code(s) GRA 64341 accounts for 100 % of the final grade in the course GRA 6431. Examination support materials Exam aids at written examinations are explained under exam information in our web-based Student handbook. Please note use of calculator and dictionary. http://www.bi.edu/studenthandbook/examaids Re-sit examination It is only possible to retake an examination when the course is next taught. The assessment in some courses is based on more than one exam code. Where this is the case, you may retake only the assessed components of one of these exam codes. Where this is not the case, all of the assessed components of the course must be retaken. All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee. Additional information Honour Code Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and represent values that are encouraged and promoted by the honour code system. This is a most significant university tradition. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the ideals of the honour code system, to which the faculty are also deeply committed. Any violation of the honour code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for cheating. These issues are a serious matter to everyone associated with the programs at BI and are at the heart of the honor code and academic integrity. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honour code, please ask.

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