MMM092: Consumer Behaviour

Module code: MMM092

Module provider: Marketing and Reputation; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Bahram Mahmoodi Kahriz, email: bahram.mahmoodikahriz@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

To provide an understanding into the psychological and sociological factors that influence consumer behaviour before, during and after purchase and consumption in contemporary consumer markets. To discuss the effective engagement and handling of business customers. The purpose of the module is to explore and apply consumer and business customer buying behaviour models in a contemporary context.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Recognise and analyse the key aspects and dimensions of understanding customers as individuals in terms of motivation, perception, learning attitude formation and change and their personalities.
2. Recognise and analyse the key aspects and dimensions of understanding customers within their cultural and social settings by considering the influences of reference groups and families, culture and its erosion.
3. Evaluate the underlying theories of consumer behaviour and apply concepts of the consumer decision making process in both consumer and business-to business markets in both high and low involvement purchasing.
4. Evaluate psychographic and behavioural approaches to and practitioner models of segmentation.
5. Define and create strategic marketing tools, pricing, communication and promotion responses, which are pertinent to the customer and the stage of purchase.
6. Relate consumer behaviour learning to the issues of satisfaction and loyalty and service consumption and evaluation.

Additional outcomes:
Effectively organise, plan, and work both collaboratively and individually in understanding and applying the principles of critical analysis. To communicate consumer analysis effectively through both verbal and written reporting, appropriately applying buyer behaviour theory in practice in different market contexts.

Module content

• Psychological Influences- Drive & motivation, perception, learning & attitudes, personality and self concept.
• Sociological Influences- reference groups, family and culture
• Behavioural and psychographic segmentation
• Consumer and organisational buying behaviour and processes for products and services 
• Consumer satisfaction and loyalty

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Understanding customers, whether in consumer or business-to-business is at the heart of the marketing discipline. This module uses contributing social sciences such as psychology, sociology and economics to understand the drivers to consumer behaviour.

Understanding consumer psychology is a key requirement for effective marketing management. Marketing managers need to be able to identify and respond appropriately to different consumer audiences who vary in terms of their perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, emotions, personalities and behaviours. Changing lifestyles and values in society mean that the influence and impact of culture, family and friends play a key role in motivation and on consumer choice. The Internet has significantly increased the ease of access to product and/or service information, as well as the easier communication and transfer of information between consumers. This means that the consumer is highly knowledgeable and able to take a more proactive position in relation to the purchase process. This is leading to shifts in the power relationship between the consumer and organisations.

The processes of consumer decision making and activity, triggers of need, information search, evaluation of options, purchasing decisions, consumption of goods, and post-use evaluation, are vital to the marketer in understanding the application of marketing tools. The wider possibilities for behavioural segmentation, satisfaction and loyalty in products and services are considered. 

Study hours

At least 25 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will receive formative feedback on a number of occasions, including feedback given during the seminars, as well as lectures.

Reassessment

Additional costs