HOLMES INSTITUTE
FACULTY OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
HOLMES INSTITUTE
FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
SUBJECT OUTLINE
HK2011 Buyer Behaviour
TRIMESTER 1 / 2016
Holmes Institute is committed to providing the highest quality education in a dynamic, student-centred learning environment. Holmes Institute fosters in its students rational thought, intellectual integrity and social responsibility.
www.holmes.edu.au
HK2011 Buyer Behaviour T1 2016
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Holmes Institute Faculty of Higher Education offers business courses that combine discipline-based excellence with practical application. The faculty operates on campuses in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hong Kong.
The faculty offers a Bachelor of Business, a Bachelor of Professional Accounting, Bachelor of Fashion and Business, a Master of Professional Accounting, a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Business.
Details about the members of the faculty can be found on the homepage of the Faculty of Higher Education at www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate.
HOLMES INSTITUTE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
At Holmes Institute, the insert: Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Professional Accounting programs offer domestic and international students the opportunity to study a set of contemporary subjects in the field of business. These subjects prepare students for the challenges in business environments of the 21st century. These programs emphasize the global and cross-cultural dimensions of business. Teaching utilizes a combination of delivery methods and includes critical analysis and case study methods. A combination of exams, case studies and company analysis are used in assessment.
The Bachelors’ programs of Holmes Institute focus on:
• Developing career related capabilities
• Emphasis on business numeracy and literacy
• Managerial proficiency
• The new economy
• Leadership
• Entrepreneurship
• Social responsibility and ethics
SUBJECT OVERVIEW & RATIONALE
Welcome from the Subject Coordinator: Jas Paul Chawla
Welcome to HK2011 Buyer Behaviour: In the pursuit of knowledge of how and why people behave in the marketplace, marketers have applied the theories and findings from many of the social sciences — psychology, sociology, economics and anthropology. The study of consumer behaviour is based on the need to integrate the social science disciplines into a practical approach to understanding how people’s needs are determined and influenced both by internal and external factors, such as perception, learning, family and culture. Consumer behaviour also looks at how needs are translated into purchase behaviours and how marketers can facilitate this process to serve consumers more effectively.
The subject will be studied from both a marketing management and applied social sciences perspective with the aim of assisting you in using your knowledge of consumer behaviour to make better marketing decisions.
SUBJECT OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of this subject you will be able to:
Knowledge
Graduates will be able to, evaluate theoretical and practical knowledge of Buyer Behaviour.
Skills
Graduates will be able to, analyze how buyer behaviour is influenced by internal and external factors and they will be able to appreciate the importance of buyer behaviour form marketing perspective. Core concepts like intrinsic and extrinsic values, culture, family and reference groups are discussed in the subject to make them understand the buying process they go through. Graduates can appreciate how buyer behaviour can help marketeers to formulate their marketing strategies.
Application of Knowledge and skills
Graduates will be able to apply theoretical and practical knowledge of Buyer Behaviour in the diagnosis of organizational issues and the formulation of appropriate marketing strategies.
Students will demonstrate research skills, showing initiative in consulting the academic literature and integrating fresh ideas into the discourse in preparation for life-long learning.
Students will demonstrate the capacity to write persuasive reports containing sound recommendations, in preparation for their career in business.
SUBJECT ADMINISTRATION
Awards Duration Core/Elective Subject weight
BBus, BPA 1 semester Core 3 credit points
Mode of delivery On campus
Prerequisites Nil
Workload Students are expected to attend all classes
Delivery 2 hrs of lectures and 1 hr tutorial or equivalent
Independent study 5 hours
CONTACT DETAILS
Students please note:
Holmes Institute provides each student with a Holmes webmail. Faculty and Administrative staff can only communicate with you using your Holmes Institute mail address. Emails from private and/or business email accounts cannot be used and may not be answered.
CONSULTATION TIMES*
Please check with your lecturer
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Sydney Campus 3 to 5 2 to 4 2 to 4
Melbourne Campus TBA
Brisbane Campus TBA
ASSESSMENT TYPE
DUE DATE WEIGHT LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT 1 (Group):
Consumer Behaviour Audit (Groups of 4 to 5) Week 8 30% 1,2
ASSESSMENT 2 (Individual):
Students will report findings on a major purchase they have made. Week 11 20% 1,2
End of study period examination Exam week 50% 1, 2, 3
ASSESSMENT POLICY
To be eligible to pass this subject, students must complete all forms of assessment and demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes. All assignments must be submitted electronically using a word processor, uploaded to Blackboard via SafeAssign. You must print and attach the full SafeAssign report with the Holmes Institute Cover Sheet to the printed assignment (hard copy). The assignment cover sheet must include the student/s name, number, subject code and subject name, subject lecturer’s name, assignment due date and time of submission.
All hard copies must be submitted to the designated Assignment Submission Facility on Campus during opening hours.
Submission deadlines are strictly enforced and late submission incurs penalties of 5 (five) % of the assessment value per calendar day unless an extension and/or special consideration has been granted by the Subject Coordinator prior to the assessment deadline. Unless an extension and/or special consideration has been granted by the Subject Coordinator prior to the assessment deadline, no assessments are accepted after 14 calendar days of the due date or the end of the trimester for assessments due later in a trimester. Students are requested to familiarize themselves with the Holmes Institute Assessment Policy located on the Blackboard Student Subject: HE-General Study Information (HGEN_HE) General Information Policies and Procedures Holmes Institute Student Assessment Policy v1.pdf.
STANDARD GRADING SYSTEM AND DISTRIBUTION
GRADE LETTER RANGE
High Distinction HD 80% and above
Distinction D 70 – 79%
Credit CR 60 – 69%
Pass P 50 – 59%
Fail NN 0-45% (did not meet the standard required according to the learning outcomes in the Subject Guide )
Faculty Pass* FP 46 – 49% (awarded by Board of Examiners)
Supplementary Exam Granted (a temporary grade) NS Supplementary examination granted
Deferred Exam (a temporary grade) ND Officially Deferred examination
Fail NA Student did not submit any work according to the schedule in the Subject Guide
Result Withheld RW Additional assessment and/or work required
Result Withheld WH Outstanding fees or non-return of Holmes Institute materials
* This grade is sometimes referred to as a conceded pass at other institutions Explanation of Letter Grade
HD Outstanding work which exhibits sophisticated understanding and critical synthesis, analysis and evaluation of the subject matter. While the work utilizes opinions of others, judgements about the value of the subject matter are made and drawn together in an organized whole. Gaps in the subject matter might also be identified and the implications discussed.
D Substantial work of high quality, which demonstrates a clear understanding of the subject matter, in which the relationship between the constituent elements are identified clearly and discussed with some level of critical analysis. The work also applies abstract ideas in concrete situations.
CR Sound and competent work, which demonstrates a reasonable but not complete grasp of the subject matter. The work utilizes recall and paraphrases the work of others concerning the subject matter. Some basic level of critical analysis is evident. Originality in the work is rarely evident.
P Work that demonstrates a satisfactory engagement with the subject matter such that the student is said to have a general understanding of the field. Provides an adequate basis for further study.
NN Did not meet the learning objective of the subject
VIEWING STUDENT GRADES
Results including the final grade can be viewed via the Grade Centre on Blackboard. Results for all assessments are published within two weeks of the due date of the assessment and the final examination. Students who wish to appeal their mark for a specific assessment are advised to follow the procedures outlined at www.holmes.edu.au /undergraduate/appeals.
PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Holmes Institute view any forms of academic misconduct as most serious offences. Academic misconduct in any form during an examination is not tolerated and will be dealt with according to the policies and procedures set out in the Holmes Institute Student Handbook (located on Blackboard in the Student General information Subject: HE-General Study Information (HGEN_HE) General Information Student Handbook 2012 v.2.pdf).
Plagiarism occurs when one uses another person’s ideas or manner of expressing them and passes them off as one’s own work by failing to give appropriate acknowledgement (that is, referencing the source). Any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with promptly).
It is important that student reference their work appropriately. The Faculty of Higher Education at Holmes Institute uses the Harvard style of referencing. A detailed guide to referencing can be found in the Student Handbook and Resource Centres. It is expected that you will be familiar with the Harvard style of referencing.
USE OF BLACKBOARD
Holmes Institute uses Blackboard as its online teaching platform and all students enrolled have access to Blackboard to view and download their lecture material, grades, important announcements on their subjects and discussion rooms for selected subjects.
Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to check Blackboard on a regular basis. It is expected that students will have viewed lecture materials and additional readings before class. All students are advised to familiarize themselves with the use of Blackboard. Guides to Blackboard are available in the Resource Centre on each campus. Should you have difficulties accessing and/or using Blackboard, please contact your lecturer or the Holmes Institute Blackboard Helpdesk on: bbhelpdesk@holmes.edu.au.
USE OF RESOURCE CENTRE AND PROQUEST
For most subjects, students are expected to engage in additional research. Textbooks and teaching materials available in the Resource Centre will be of use here. In addition, current students have access to a range of electronic academic journals via Proquest, which is accessible once you log into Blackboard.
Should you require any assistance with the use of Proquest and/or online research, please contact your lecturer and/or the Resource Centre staff on your campus.
STUDY SKILLS & ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Students who have difficulties with their studies and/or specific forms of assessment should contact their lecturer/tutor or Higher Education Coordinator on campus. Holmes Institute also offers regular Academic Support, which is free for any student enrolled. Students with insufficient academic progress are required to attend regular Academic Support sessions. Academic Support sessions are timetabled each trimester. For more details see http://www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate/Information.
DETAILED INFORMATION ON SUBJECT ASSESSMENTS
Students who have difficulties with their studies and/or specific forms of assessment should visit online
Study Skills on www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate/studyskills. Holmes Institute also offers regular Academic Support, which is free for any student enrolled. See details on http://www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate/Information.
DETAILED INFORMATION ON SUBJECT ASSESSMENTS
Item Due date Weighting Length
Assessment 1: Group Assignment (4 to 5)
Please refer to the Consumer Behaviour Audit (Table 1.1) on pages 14 to 16 of your text book. The group needs to do a consumer behaviour audit for a specific product or service, covering the following aspects:
• Internal Influences on Consumers
• External Influences on Consumers
• Market segmentation
• Product Positioning
• Pricing
• Distribution
• Promotion.
Marking Criteria:
• Introduction
• Internal and External Influences on consumers
• Selection of the target Market
• Determination of product positioning
• Structuring the elements of Marketing Mix
• Report format, referencing and presentation Week 8 30% 2500 words
Assessment 2: Individual Assessment
The Consumer Journal Report requires you to analyse the internal and external factors influencing the consumer decisionmaking process for a major purchase – e.g. a car or a holiday. Your analysis MUST be based on reality, that is, you are required Week 11 20% 1500 words
to research this topic with someone who has recently made such a decision. The assignment should be in report format. Your analysis will integrate a number of elements covered in Lectures 7-10. It is important to be analytical and NOT descriptive, demonstrating an understanding of which theories were at play in this purchase situation.
Marking Criteria
• Description of Internal Influences (Perception, Learning, Motivation, Personality & Attitude)
• Description of External Influences (Group Influence, Culture)
• Analysis and demonstration of understanding
• Report format, presentation and referencing
• Overall impression of excellence
Final Examination Exam Week 50% 2 hrs 10 minutes
SUBJECT RESOURCES
Prescribed Textbook (compulsory)
Quester, P. (2011) Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy, 6/e Enhanced McGraw-
Hill.
Recommended Reading
Risk preferences and the marketing of financial services: Segmentation by birth order, Rink, David R ; Roden, Dianne M ; Cox, Steven R . Journal of Financial Services Marketing 18.1 (Mar 2013): 17-26
The Effect of Customers’ Social Media Participation on Customer Visit Frequency and Profitability: An Empirical
Investigation, (2013), Rishika Rishika (Texas A&M University), Ashish Kumar (Aalto University), Ramkumar
Janakiraman (Texas A&M University), and Ram Bezawada (State University of New York, Buffalo), Information
Systems Research; vol. 24, no. 1 Market Segmentation http://www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsr/market_segmentation 21 mar 2014
LECTURE SCHEDULE/SYLLABUS
Wk Topics scheduled Assessment Tutorial Activities Chapters
1 Introduction: Buyer Behaviour & Marketing strategy No tutorial Ch 1
2 Situational Influences See BB Ch 2
3 The Decision Making Process: Problem Recognition & Information Search See BB Ch 3
4 The Decision Making Process: Information Search See BB Ch 4
5 The Decision Making Process: Evaluation & Selection, Outlet Selection and Purchase See BB Ch 5,6
6 The Decision Making Process: Post purchase processes See BB Ch 7
7 Internal Influences: Perception & Learning See BB Ch 8,9
8 Internal Influences: Motivation, Attitude & attitude change Group Assignment Due See BB Ch 10,11
9 External Influences: Group influence & Social Class See BB Ch 14,15
10 External Influences: Culture & Cross cultural variations See BB Ch 16
11 Class Presentations: Shopping Experience Individual
Assignment Due See BB
12 Class Feedback and revision See BB
Study week*
Exam week*
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
Studying in higher education presents many experiences and challenges. These might involve academic, personal and/or professional issues. At Holmes Institute, we have a range of people who can help you with various challenges. The following table identifies contact points should you require any support.
SUPPORT REQUIRED WHO TO CONTACT
Information for Current Students Holmes Institute Student Handbook
Academic Probation / Mentoring Academic Mentors, Associate Dean
Accommodation Holmes Institute Home Stay
Computers, Blackboard, Email IT and Blackboard Help Desk emails: ithelpdesk@holmes.edu.au; bbhelpdesk@holmes.edu.au
Disability Needs Holmes Institute Campus Directors
Employment and Careers Career Development Team
Enrolment Higher Education Coordinator on Campus
Exams Higher Education Coordinator on Campus
Financial Issues Holmes Institute Campus Directors
Personal Issues National Higher Education Program Manager, Mentoring Team
Proquest Database Librarian on each Campus
Study Skills Holmes Institute Academic Support & Study Skills Team
Visa Issues, COEs etc. Higher Education Coordinator on Campus
This subject outline was prepared by the Course Development Team for the Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Higher Education, Holmes Institute. It was correct at the time of publication. Change to the Subject Outline may occur at any time. However, the Faculty of Higher Education endeavours to inform the students accordingly. This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process or placed in computer memory without written permission. Enquires should be made to Holmes Institute Faculty of Higher Education. © Copyright 2012.