Download the Syllabus

Consumer Behavior

MKT 610- 70 & 80

Fall 2024 Syllabus

PROFESSOR: Latrelle Standifer, MBA

Office Location: D320

Office Hours: Via Zoom or Google Meet. Tuesday’s 1:30-3:30 PM (EST); Email for an appointment.

Phone: 336-297-7913

Email Address: standiferl@carolinau.edu 

Carolina University Mission Statement

Carolina University is a Christ-centered University committed to educating aspiring leaders worldwide through exceptional teaching, scholarly research, creative innovation, and professional collaboration.

Course Information

Course Prerequisites

N/A

Course Description

This course introduces students to the theories and concepts underpinning consumer behavior with a view to understanding how these can be applied to marketing decisions. Students will be exposed to the elements of motivation, perceptions, attitudes, consumer psychology, and how these influence consumers to act.

Course Delivery and Methods

This is a hybrid course. Students with main/on-campus admission must attend the class in person once a week (10/21/2024- 12/8/2024; Tuesdays, 9:00 am- 10:15 am). They will also watch the pre-recorded class lectures, posted through the course on the Resources Tab.

Objectives (Course Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Compare and explore trends, perspectives, and elements of consumers’ behaviors in response to products and services. 

2. Analyze consumers’ values, characteristics, psychology, and the need for (re)creation of values and standards. 

3. Study about the influential factors in consumers’ loyalty and decision-making processes, and review examples of un/successful consumer behavior analysis. 

4. Study emotional, professional, and social elements of a team member and a team leader.  

5. Explore what may make a business-consumer relationship successful and long-lasting, and realize marketing/ sales management responsibilities.

6. Explore the role of ethical standards and organizational citizenship, culture, and climate in creating and maintaining consumer relationships.

Course Resources

Required Texts: 

Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, 15th Edition By David Mothersbaugh

 ISBN13: 9781266131615

Note: Please make sure to read/watch the weekly materials that are posted @ e-learning > Resources before attending the class and be prepared for the online discussions and participation.

Required Resources: 

Computer/Internet Access

Recommended Resources: 

1- APA Manual, 7^th Edition:  ISBN 978-1433832161  and  APA7.org  

2- Scholarly Writing Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfNBaSNl-u4  

Course Requirements and Assignments

Final Grades are weighted. More information about each category is displayed below:

Quizzes (25%) 

Each student will complete four 10-question quizzes throughout the course based on the chapters discussed in the corresponding week. You will have 1 hour to complete each quiz with only forward progress allowed. If desired, you will also be allowed one retake attempt 30 minutes after completing the quiz. Quizzes will not be reset under any circumstances once the two attempts are exhausted, so make sure you have a secure, reliable internet connection before attempting tests.

Discussion Board/Experiential Learning (25%) 

Main campus students will participate in experiential learning activities during our weekly meetings on Tuesday based on the assigned chapters for the week. These activities will typically include public speaking and group work. It is expected that students arrive to class dressed in a “professional manner”. Participation is required and included in your final grade. Students who miss class will be given a makeup assignment. Assignment details will be provided by the professor. 

Online students will contribute to Discussion Forum prompts weekly. Each Student must provide an initial post responding to the prompt (250-300 words) by Thursdays at 11:55pm and comment meaningfully on two of their classmates' posts (100-200 words) by Sunday at 11:55 am. 

Final Exam (25%) 

Each student will complete a final exam in the class. The exam will comprise thirty (30) 

multiple-choice questions. You will have two (2) hours to complete the test, with only forward progress allowed. One retake is allowed for each student.  Exams will not be reset under any circumstances once the two attempts are exhausted, so make sure you have a secure, reliable internet connection before attempting tests. 

Group Project  (25%)

Students will create a social media marketing plan for a local restaurant called McAlister's Deli that desires to attract more customers through online marketing. Detailed information on the restaurant and its location will be provided in the assignment description on the course page. 

Each student has been distributed into one of two predetermined groups for the class project. Each 

group will have a mix of online and main-campus students. 

To view your group and corresponding presentation time, use this link:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ru7z3tofD-cz78uJ9eoVqpA4mLFZTFiB5jzL1F_1GIk/edit?usp=sharing 

The project will be broken down into two parts:

• Marketing Plan Paper: 5-7 Pages, APA 7 format.

  • Each member must contribute equally and submit the paper on the course page for grading.

• Group Presentation: 25-30 minutes in class, PowerPoint required.

  • Each group member must present. Members that do not participate will receive a zero for the assignment.

  • Online students may present their slides live online with their group or record themselves presenting their section of the PowerPoint presentation by adding a YouTube link to their section that will be played during their group’s presentation (must have camera on).  

  • All members of the group should wear “business attire” when presenting their presentation in a classroom environment or online.

  • Presentation slides must be emailed prior to the presentation date.

Presentation Grading Criteria 

• The quality of the PowerPoint presentation. 

• Did the group meet the time requirement? 

• Did ALL members participate in the preparation of the presentation? 

• Did ALL members participate in the presentation, whether in the classroom or recorded (visibly on camera)? 

• Are members dressed in business/professional attire? 

• Do members know the information or are they simply reading the information? 

• Voice projection: are members speaking loudly and clearly?

• Demeanor: are members conducting themselves in a professional manner (lack of eye contact, moving around while speaking, etc.)? 

• All group members will receive the same grade from their “group” effort. 

• NOTE: One underperforming, unprofessional, or non-participating group member can negatively affect the group’s grade. This assignment will require “teamwork” from start to finish.

The marketing plan paper and presentation should provide fundamental essentials such as Market Research, Market Strategy, Target Audience, Competitive Analysis, etc. 

Be creative and work together!

Course Schedule

Course Specific Policies

No late work is accepted under any circumstances.

No extra credit will be given.

Use of Artificial Intelligence 

The use of generative AI tools is permitted in this class for the following activities:

• Brainstorming and refining ideas

• Fine-tuning research questions

• Finding information on a topic

• Drafting an outline 

• Checking grammar and style 

• AI-specific assignments (per the provided instructions) 

The use of generative AI tools is not permitted for the following activities:

• Impersonation in classroom context (e.g. composing discussion board posts) 

• Completing group work 

• Writing a draft of a writing assignment 

• Writing entire sentences, paragraphs, or papers to complete class assignments

Course Grading

University Policies

Attendance Policy

• Students are expected to inform professors prior to a scheduled absence. 

• Upon an unexpected absence from class, the student should contact the professor immediately.

• Students should not wait until the end of the session to deal with concerns about absences.

Grading Scale

Instructor Student Interaction & Communication

• Please use email whenever possible.

• Throughout an active course, faculty should respond to all emails and voicemail messages within 24 hours. 

• Grading of assignments is to be done within 3 days for regular assignments (this includes attendance) and 7 days for larger assignments. 

• Some assignments may require additional time to grade due to the length of the project and the directive to provide substantive feedback that will assist you throughout the learning process. In cases where the assignment is not returned with feedback within the stated period, refer to communication from your professor to facilitate expectations on subsequent assignments. Students are not expected to apply adjustments on subsequent assignments in advance of returned grading and feedback. 

All CU faculty and students are provided with means of electronic communication (e.g. email, video conferencing, chat features, discussion boards, etc.) All employees and students are required to use official university electronic accounts for official university correspondence. This policy is meant to include both synchronous and asynchronous communication. Faculty and staff are not obligated to read, receive, or respond to communications where these guidelines are not followed. Email must be checked regularly, especially when enrolled in an active course. Adhere to the following guidelines when communicating online with professors, university employees, and other students.

• Accounts: Only university email and related systems should be used for institutional communications. Do not use personal email or video conferencing accounts. 

• Names: Refer to professors and CU employees by their last names with appropriate honorifics (e.g., “Dr.” or “Prof.”). For professors, if you cannot easily verify their degree or status, “Prof.” is most appropriate—not “Ms.” or “Mr.” Under no circumstance should you use first names unless given explicit permission.

• Introductions: Use subject lines appropriately and begin any course-specific email with your first and last name, the course number, and your exact section number or meeting time (e.g., “101-05,” “9 am MW,” but not “this morning”). 

• Grammar and Style: All written communications must conform to standard English. Emails and discussion board posts should not resemble text message, chat, or social media posts. Use complete sentences with correct capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. 

• Coordination: All members of a synchronous, online interaction should participate by the same mode of interaction when possible. For example, join video conferences with video. This is especially true for one-on-one meetings with your professor and small group video discussions in or outside of class. 

• “Class” Conduct: When participating in synchronous classes or meetings (especially when using video), conduct yourself as if in the classroom. Be on-time and mentally present. Be seated at a desk or table. Dress according to classroom standards. Do not introduce distractions into the interactions and be prepared to stay for the duration of the session per normal classroom behavior.

• Complexity: In general, asynchronous communication is appropriate for simple questions and activities. Complex questions that require more than one simple response should be addressed synchronously—during class is often best. If you are unable to ask your question during class, or it is too personal to do so, use an asynchronous method to arrange a synchronous meeting.

• Boundaries: Synchronous communication is less formal than asynchronous. However, the appropriate use of names, language, acronyms, and emojis must still conform to classroom standards. Since we do not all share the same online culture, be prepared to explain yourself if your acronym or emoji is not understood. Be polite and respectful when asking for clarification, and gracious when misunderstandings occur. 

Student Complaints

Informal Resolution

Carolina University seeks to provide an excellent educational experience for all students. If a student wishes to make a complaint of an academic nature, in the first instance, they should seek to resolve the matter by informal discussion with the faculty member. If the discussion is in person, it is recommended that the student follow up with an email summarizing the discussion (complaint and resolution if one is reached).

If the discussion with the faculty member does not resolve the issue, the student may also contact Dr. Chris Ronk (ronkc@carolinau.edu). 

Filing a Formal Complaint

If informal discussions do not resolve the complaint, a student may file a formal complaint. No student shall suffer retaliation or other punitive action for the sole reason of filing a complaint or participating in a related process. A student must be enrolled at the institution to file a complaint under this policy. A student may file a complaint about a matter related to teaching, learning, assessment, grading, or student performance in a course.  A student must complete and submit the Student Academic Complaint Form to the Registrar's Office no later than 7 days after the events that are alleged to have caused the complaint. Any supporting evidence must be attached to the form. A vague complaint stating unsupported allegations, obvious falsehoods, based on differences of opinion about academic content or faculty expertise, or is unrelated to academic matters is liable to be dismissed summarily.

For the full text and a thorough explanation of the university’s complaint policy, visit: https://catalog.carolinau.edu/student-academic-complaints

Course Attendance and Participation

All courses follow specific attendance policies found in the Academic Catalog for that course level and format. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these policies and to keep track of their own attendance. Per the university attendance policy, accrued absences may contribute negatively toward a student’s final grade. Attendance and participation may be used by instructors to determine a portion of a student's grade for a particular course. Whereas attendance is typically defined by statuses identifying a student’s presence in a class, participation typically includes the assessment of activity within that course. In some cases, the methodology, subject matter, learning environment, or other factors may require attendance.

Faculty will take attendance during class for on-campus students and will take attendance for online students by academic engagement in a weekly discussion forum. Students should refer to the course syllabus for the course’s grade weighting table and course-specific policies regarding the grade percentages attributable to each component in a course, which may include attendance and participation. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these policies and to keep track of their own attendance and comply with the rules.

Disability Assistance

Carolina University welcomes students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities to our campus and to our programs. Our goal at CU is to ensure an accessible, inclusive welcoming learning and working environment for individuals with disabilities while complying with federal and state regulations. Students with disabilities are encouraged to reach out to University Accessibility Services (UAS) as soon as possible to explore possible accommodations. UAS serves as a central resource on disability-related information, procedures and services for the university community and partners will work with the student and any other campus partners to identify barriers and implement plans for access. More information about UAS can be found at https://carolinau.edu/university-accessibility-services

Academic Integrity and Misconduct

The Student Handbook has a detailed list of different ways students show a lack of academic integrity, including academic technology misuse, cheating, complicity, fabrication or invention, falsification, forgery, multiple submissions, plagiarism, and sabotage. 

Academic integrity is the honest and responsible conduct of studies, scholarship, research, information collection, and presentation. The university expects students to submit assignments that are original to them and to properly cite and reference other peoples’ ideas using the prescribed style guide. The very foundation of a good university education is academic integrity. Learning how to express original ideas, cite sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that carry students beyond their academic careers. If a student is uncertain about an issue of academic honesty, they should consult the faculty member to resolve questions in any situation prior to the submission of the academic exercise.

Maintaining your academic integrity involves:

• Creating and expressing your own ideas in course work.

• Acknowledging all sources of information including verbal, written, digital, and graphic.

• Completing assignments independently or acknowledging collaboration.

• Attending classes, exams, and required academic events.

• Accurately reporting results when conducting your own research.

• Honesty during examinations. Not tampering with or misusing technology.

• Not aiding or abetting other students in violating any academic rules or policies.

Courses at Carolina University will utilize proctoring for select exams to ensure exam integrity. Per Carolina University directives, all exams that represent 25% or more of a course grade are required to be proctored. Instances of cheating or inappropriate behavior will be considered violations of the Academic Integrity policy and will result in disciplinary action.

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s distinctive ideas or words without acknowledgment. All researchers are expected to acknowledge the use of another author’s words by the use of quotation marks around those words in the text of a paper and by appropriate citations. Plagiarism can occur in an oral, written, or media project submitted for academic credit or for some other benefit. Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to), the following:

• Word-for-word copying of another person’s ideas or words;

• Mosaic (interspersing of one’s own words here and there while, in essence, copying another’s work);

• Paraphrasing without citation (the rewriting of another’s work, yet still using their fundamental idea or theory);

• Submission of another’s work as one’s own;

• Having another person write a paper;

• Buying or procuring a ready-made paper from a research paper “service” on the Internet or from another such service;

• Neglecting quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged;

• Fabrication of references (inventing or counterfeiting sources)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

None.