CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Instruction 4 hours per week

Duration of Semester End Examination 3 Hours
Semester End Examination 70 Marks
Continuous Internal Evaluation 30 Marks
Credits 4

Course Objectives: The Objectives of the course are:

1. To give perspective of consumers and their buying behavior patterns.
2. To address the importance of environmental influences on consumer behavior.
3. To make them aware of the consumer motivation, personality and perception and their
marketing implications.
4. To help them to acquire knowledge on individual determinants of consumer behavior.
5. To enable them to understand the consumer decision making process.
6. To give insight into comprehensive models of consumer behavior..

Course Outcomes: After completion of the course, student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate how concepts may be applied to marketing strategy.
2. Identify the environmental factors affecting consumer buying behavior.
3. Understand that the impact of socio cultural settings on the consumption behaviour.
4. Develop the marketing strategies by applying the dynamics that influence while
consumers take decisions.
5. Analyze the challenges that might influence the formulation of effective Marketing
Strategies from a consumer behavior perspective.
6. Identify the dynamics of human behaviour and the basic factors that influence the
consumer decision process.

Unit-I
Introduction
Introduction, Definition, Customers and Consumers, Consumer Behavior and its
Applications, Evolution of Consumer Behaviour, Market Research and Consumer Behaviour,
Market Segmentation and Positioning, Consumer Behaviour Model.

Unit-II
Environmental Influences on Consumer Behaviour
Culture – Definition, Characteristics, Cross-Cultural understanding of Consumer Behaviour;
Subcultures – Nature. Social Class – Process of Social Stratification, Nature, Measurement
and Categorization, Social Class and Consumer Behaviour. Social Groups – Group,
Classification of Groups, Group Properties, Reference Groups- Nature. Family –
Significance, Family Life Cycle, Family Purchasing Decisions. Personal Influence and
Diffusion of Innovations – Nature and Significance, Communication and Influence Flow,
Opinion Leadership, Adoption and Diffusion of Innovations.

Unit-III
Individual Determinants of Consumer Behaviour
Personality and Self-Concept – Personality Theories and Applications, Personality and
Marketing, Self-Concept and Consumer Behaviour; Motivation and Involvement – Nature
and Role of Motives, Dimensions of Involvement. Information Processing – Information
Acquisition, Perceptual Encoding, Marketing Implications. Learning and Memory –
Characterizing Learning, Classifying Learning, Characteristics of Memory Systems,
Retrieval of Information. Attitudes – Characteristics, Functions, Sources of Attitude
Development, Attitude Theories and Models.

Unit-IV
Consumer Decision Processes
Problem Recognition- Types, Situations, Results, Marketing Implications. Search and
Evaluation – Information Search Process, Information Evaluation Process, Marketing
Implications. Purchasing Processes – Choosing a Store, In-Store Purchasing Behaviour,
Nonstore Purchasing Processes, Purchasing Patterns. Post Purchase Behaviour –
Postpurchase behavior, Product Disposition.

Unit-V
Models of Consumer Behaviour
Traditional Models of Consumers – Microeconomic Model, Macroeconomic Model.
Contemporary Models – Nicosia Model, Howard-Sheth Model, Engel-Kollat-Blackwell-
Model, Sheth Family Decision Making Model, Bettman’s Information Processing Model,
Sheth-Newman-Gross Model of Consumption Values

Text Books:
1. David L. Loudon and Albert.J.Della Bitta,“Consumer Behaviour”, , IVth Edition, TMH,
2008.
2. Schiffman and Kannik “Consumer Behaviour” 11th ed., Pearson Edition, 2015.
3. Black-well, R.Miniard PW and Engel, “Consumer Behaviour”, Thompson learning, 2010

Suggested Readings
1. Suja R .Nair, “Consumer Behaviour in Indian Perspective”, HPH, 2013.
2. Sheth and Mittal, “Consumer Behaviour”, Thompson learning, 2015.
3. MichealR.Solomon,“Consumer Behaviour”, 7/e, PH, 2016.