Consumer Behavior – MRKT 640
CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 02/01/2024
Course Description
Students will gain a strong foundation for critical thinking in the area of consumer decision making. A focus will be on the concepts and theories that are used to evaluate and predict consumer behavior, in addition to forecasting and analyzing the demand for products and services.
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.
Rationale
Marketing strategies are best formulated when grounded in an understanding of the needs and wants of the firm’s stakeholders, specifically the consumer. Modern day firms face unique challenges as consumer preference, taste, and other forces that drive consumer behavior rapidly evolve. Each element of the firm’s marketing plan benefits from understanding the consumer decision process. Understanding both current and potential consumer needs, wants, and desires enables the firm to more efficiently operate in the present, predict future buying decisions, and thus plan strategically.
Course Assignment
Textbook readings and lecture presentations
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.
Discussions (5)
Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 600 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 450 words. Each thread and reply must include a biblical integration and a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed source citations in current APA format. The course textbook may also be used.
Research Project Assignments
Annotated Bibliography Assignment
The student must research 10 scholarly articles from peer-reviewed journals to establish research for the final submission of the Research Project. The student will use a provided template to annotate each source. Proper APA formatting must be present. The student will submit the final version of the Annotated Bibliography. The student is required to read all instructor feedback and implement it on future assignments.
Outline Assignment
The student must work to complete a full sentence outline in preparation for the final submission of the Research Project. The outline will include a thesis statement, the research question(s)/issues being answered/addressed, how much space will be allotted to each section of the paper, and a preliminary reference list of at least 10 sources. The student will submit the final version of the outline. The student is required to read all instructor feedback and implement it on future assignments.
Final Document Assignment
The student will work on a 10 page, current APA-formatted paper, complying with the formatting and content instructions. The topic of the paper will be selected from a list of five theoretical approaches to the study of consumer behavior early on in the course. The student will submit the final version of this assignment.
Quizzes (8)
The student will complete 8 quizzes covering the Learn material from the assigned Module: Week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 30 multiple-choice questions, and have a 45-minute time limit.
