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Course specification
The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at http://www.usq.edu.au/course/specification/current.
Please consult the web for updates that may occur during the year.

MKT8001 Buyer Behaviour

Semester 1, 2019 Online
Short Description: Buyer Behaviour
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Management and Enterprise
Student contribution band : Band 3
ASCED code : 080599 - Sales and Marketing not elsewh
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner: Frances Woodside

Other requisites

Recommended pre-requisite MKT5000, but it is not compulsory.

Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at http://www.usq.edu.au/current-students/support/computing/hardware.

Rationale

It is becoming increasingly recognised that in order for firms to successfully develop the products and services that will fulfil the needs and wants of the individuals and organisations in the marketplace, a sound knowledge of buyer behaviour is necessary. An understanding of buyer behaviour principles is important for the marketing manager and the public policy maker to make effective decisions that take into consideration how buyers are likely to respond to the actions of the firm.

Synopsis

This course will take an integrated approach to buyer behaviour focusing on how the psychological and behavioural concepts can be used to develop and evaluate marketing strategies. This course will begin with an overview and critique of the basic organisational and consumer decision processes, followed by a detailed examination of the process phases and factors that may impact each phase. At each stage the processes will be considered in terms of their relevance for the development and implementation of effective marketing strategies, as well as how the processes are permeated by global digitization.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. critically evaluate and synthesise buyer behaviour and marketing theory to generate marketing applications
  2. critically evaluate analytics with buyer behaviour theory to inform strategic marketing decision making
  3. demonstrate learning of buyer behaviour concepts and theories and apply this in a marketing context
  4. critically evaluate and adapt ethical decision making approaches within the context of marketing and application of buyer behaviour theories
  5. produce evidence of written communication that presents ideas and arguments, and demonstrates structure and purpose to a professional standard.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Foundations of buyer behaviour - an introduction and overview to the course 10.00
2. Internal influences on buyer and consumer behaviour:- perception, learning, self, personality & attitudes 30.00
3. Choosing and Using Products:- attitudes and persuasive communications, decision making, buying, using and disposing 30.00
4. External influences on buyer and consumer behaviour:- group, social and cultural settings 30.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2019&sem=01&subject1=MKT8001)

Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Solomon, MR 2018, Consumer behavior: buying, having, and being, global, 12th edn, Prentice Hall, Boston, Massachusetts (global edition).
(This text may be purchased as an eBook by people residing in Australia with an Australian credit card. Search the Pearson VitalSource website for your region.)

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Students are encouraged to source up-to-date consumer behaviour texts and journals to support their study.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 40.00
Directed Study 50.00
Private Study 80.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ASST 1 - CASE STUDY 25 25 01 Apr 2019
ASST 2 - CASE STUDY 35 35 21 May 2019
EXAMINATION 40 40 End S1 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This is a closed examination. The total working time for the examination is 2 hours. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official examination timetable has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure http://policy.usq.edu.au/documents.php?id=14749PL (point 4.2.4)
  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
  6. Examination information:
    This is a closed examination. Candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
  8. University Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

  1. Referencing in assignments:
    Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.