| CODE | MCS3500 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Consumer and Organizational Buying Behaviour | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Media and Communications | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit examines the internal and external factors that influence the way consumers behave before, during and after a purchase situation. It provides a deeper understanding of both rational and irrational behaviour demonstrated by consumers and seeks to integrate pertinent theory from marketing, sociology, psychology and cultural anthropology. This study-unit also looks at how organisations approach a purchase decision and the major differences in the decision making process, between organisations and individual consumers. The major topics covered include motivation, personality, perception, learning, attitudes, culture and social class, as well as household influence. Organizational buying behaviour covers the most salient differences, pertaining to purchasing activities, from an organizational perspective. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims: - to provide a deeper understanding about the way that intrinsic and environmental forces interact with consumer personality traits and attitudes during the consumer decision-making process; - to describe the process and critical drivers that characterize organisational buying and the implications for marketing communications. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyse the effect of both internal and external factors on the consumer decision-making process; - appreciate the significance and role of social class and culture; - conceptualise how the use of social media empowers consumers; - analyse the theoretical underpinnings of consumer behaviour and organizational buying behaviour; - appreciate the important differences in purchasing decision making, between individual consumers and organizations. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will: - become more sensitive to the subtle ways by which suppliers seek to entice consumers to select their products or services; - be able to effectively scan social and environmental aspects that should be considered before choosing appropriate marketing communications tools; - be able to develop appropriate marketing communications activities. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Consumer Behavior 7e by Hoyer/MacInnis/Pieters, Cengage, 2018. ISBN: 9781305507272. - Solomon Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, Global Edition, 12/E. ISBN: 9781292153100. Supplementary Readings: Relevant chapters from any reputable consumer behaviour textbook, such as the ones listed below: - Babin & Harris (2018) CB8 8th edition. ISBN: 9781305577244 (or any previous edition). - Blythe & Sethna (2019) Consumer Behaviour 4th edition. ISBN: 9781526450012. - Schiffman & Wisenblit (2019) Consumer Behavior 12th edition. ISBN: 9780134734828. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Joseph Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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