Hobart, Online
Introduction
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.
Summary
| Unit name | Consumer Decision-Making |
| Unit code | BMA604 |
| Credit points | 12.5 |
| College/School | Tasmanian School of Business and Economics |
| Discipline | Marketing |
| Coordinator | Doctor Lin Yang |
| Delivered By | University of Tasmania and Third Party(ies): ECA |
| Level | Postgraduate |
Sustainable Development Goals
The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.
Availability
Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August
Key Dates
| Study Period | Start date | Census date | WW date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 2 | 4/7/2027 | 26/7/2027 | 29/8/2027 | 23/10/2027 |
* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).
Unit census dates currently displaying for 2027 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2027 will be available from the 1st October 2026. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).
Learning Outcomes
- Explain consumer decision-making behaviour theories and concepts.
- Critically evaluate marketing actions and strategies in relation to consumer decision-making.
- Analyse the role of sustainable and non-sustainable consumer behaviour in marketing.
Fee Information
2027 fee information will be available in August.
Teaching
| Teaching Pattern |
|
|---|---|
| Assessment | Presentation and Quiz (20%)|Final Exam (35%)|Assignment (45%) |
| Timetable | View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable |
Textbooks
| Required |
Hoyer, W.D., MacInnis, D., Pieters, R., Chan, E. & Northey, G., 2020, Consumer Behaviour, Asia-Pacific Edition, 2nd ed., Cengage Learning, Australia. |
|---|---|
| Recommended | Mothersbaugh, D. L. & Hawkins, D. I., 2016, Consumer Behavior: building marketing strategy, 13th ed, McGraw-Hill, USA.
Quester, P., Pettigrew, S., Kopanidis, F., Rao Hill, S. & Hawkins, D., 2014, Consumer Behaviour: implications for marketing strategy, 7th ed, McGraw-Hill, North Ryde NSW.
Sethna, Z. & Blythe, J., 2016, Consumer Behaviour, 3rd ed, Sage, London, UK.
Schiffman, L., O'Cass, A., Paladino, A. & Carlson, J., 2014, Consumer behaviour, 6th ed, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Solomon, MR 2013, Consumer behavior: buying, having and being, 10th ed, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. |
The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.