Unit Outline

For marketers, understanding how buyers and consumers behave is an integral part of correctly identifying their needs, and developing effective marketing strategies. Buyers often go through decision-making processes before making a purchase or making a decision to continue to buy and to consume a product or service. Thus, consumer decision-making, and the popular use of the term consumer behaviour, refers to the decision-making processes and behaviours of consumers.

Understanding consumer behaviour enables marketing managers to critically analyse their potential or current target markets and design strategies tailored to meet their needs. The focus of this unit is on developing students knowledge of consumer decision-making processes and the factors that influence consumers decisions, purchases and consumption of products and services.

The unit will help students identify, synthesise and critically evaluate how consumers perceive marketing stimuli and make decisions to purchase. The unit will develop students theoretical and applied knowledge of consumer behaviour theories and concepts in order to analyse, explain and predict consumers behaviour. The unit will help students to identify what stimuli marketers can use to influence consumers decision-making, purchase and consumption.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Explain consumer decision-making behaviour theories and concepts.
2.	Critically evaluate marketing actions and strategies in relation to consumer decision-making.
3.	Analyse the role of sustainable and non-sustainable consumer behaviour in marketing.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

To be determined.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Assignment	Week 10	45 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Presentation and Quiz	Refer to Assessment Description	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Final Exam	Exam Period	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Assignment

Task Description:

Consumer Behaviour (CB) - Brand Analysis
The CB - brand analysis assignment is designed to allow students to develop through research a practically orientated project. It is an individual project. The ‘CB - brand analysis’ offers the opportunity for students to tap into different aspects of the concepts and theories covered in the unit on an applied basis to develop a deeper understanding of key areas of consumer behaviour and decision-making and develop a report. The focus of the assessment requires that students apply the concepts and theories they have learned during their study in this unit to a single branded product from a list of selected brands.The list consists of a range of brands including but not limited to those focusing on environmentally sustainable products, experience promoting consumer wellbeing, as well as conventional products.
** NOTE: The list of brands and detailed information for the assessment task will be placed on MyLO.

Task Length:

3000 words ± 10% (excluding references).

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify consumer behaviour theories/concepts and apply these to the ‘real-world’ of both sustainable and non-sustainable consumer behaviour.	LO1
2	Critically analyse the application of consumer behaviour and decision-making knowledge in business marking activities and make recommendations.	LO3
3	Research, analyse, and synthesise information relevant to consumer decision-making and behaviour relevant to firms.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Presentation and Quiz

Task Description:

Workshop Activity 1 - Student presentation and discussion. Students will form teams of three or four and prepare for presentations to be delivered in workshops . Workshop topics will be allocated to students within the class. The presentation topics and schedule will be made available on MyLO by the end of Week 2.

Students are expected to research topic-related theories and practices, utilise various resources, and identify the insights or provide solutions. It is important for students to be able to stimulate discussion. This workshop approach represents an opportunity for audiences to provide input and asking pertinent questions on the topics. A summary report will accompany the presentation and be submitted. Each member of the team needs to participate in the delivery of the presentation.

**Note: Assessment requirements and marking criteria will be placed on MyLO and discussed in the first workshop. Distance students are expected to undertake the same exercises and practices as face-to-face students. Distance students will submit recorded presentations, summary reports, and participate in online forum sessions for discussion (Q&A) on MyLO.

Activity 2: Online Quiz (10%)

Students will take an online test designed to assess their knowledge and application of key concepts and theories covered in the recorded lectures, textbook chapters, and the workshops from Week 1 to Week 6. The online quiz will be available on MyLO in Week 7. Students will have 50 minutes to complete the quiz, and only one (1) attempt will be permitted. The quiz is open-book and contains 25 questions randomly selected from Multiple Choice Question pools.

Task Length:

Activity 1: 25 minutes maximum (minimum length of 10 minutes and a maximum length of 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes for questions and presenter-facilitated discussion). Activity 2: 50 minutes (25 questions quiz)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain consumer behaviour theory and concepts.	LO1
2	Critically evaluate marketing actions and strategies in relation to consumer decision-making.	LO2
3	Compare and evaluate consumer decision-making and behaviour issues in various contexts.	LO3
4	Research, analyse, and synthesise information relevant to consumer decision-making and behaviour relevant to firms.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Final Exam

Task Description:

The final exam will be a take-home exam submitted through MyLO. The exam may consist of short/long answer questions and/or case study analysis related to the lecture and workshop material covered in the unit. The final exam focuses on knowledge of theory and concepts and their application. The format will be outlined on MyLO prior to the exam.

Task Length:

24hrs exam.

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain consumer behaviour theory and concepts and apply these to the ‘real-world’ of consumer behaviour.	LO1
2	Identify consumer behaviour theories/concepts and apply these to the ‘real-world’ of both sustainable and non-sustainable consumer behaviour.	LO2
3	Compare and evaluate consumer decision-making and behaviour issues in various contexts.	LO3
4	Research, analyse, and synthesise information relevant to consumer decision-making and behaviour relevant to firms.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Hoyer, W.D., MacInnis, D., Pieters, R., Chan, E. & Northey, G., 2020, Consumer Behaviour, Asia-Pacific Edition, 2nd ed., Cengage Learning, Australia.