• Be able to formulate a research question integrating some of the key theoretical concepts introduced in the course
• Be able to explain factors influencing international consumer behaviors and their relevance to STP (Segmenting-Targeting-Positioning)
• Be able to argue a an overall research methodology (incl. philosophical approach) and select (or combine) appropriate consumer research method(s)
• Be able to design an empirical study by selecting segmentation variables
• Be able to design a survey to test a theoretical consumer behavior model by specifying independent and dependent variables
• Be able to statistically evaluate the theoretical consumer behavior model

Consumers increasingly expect to be addressed and met on their own terms. This can only be achieved if businesses can handle complex insights into culturally diverse subgroups (segments) of consumers and their behaviour across the global market place. The key challenge is understanding how consumers prioritize and choose their consumption behaviors. The identity formation and thereby value formation of modern consumers are becoming increasingly complex due to their belongings to local, national and global communities accessible via contemporary media technologies and the world-wide web.

In order to understand consumers across cultures, the course reviews theoretical concepts from two aspects: 1) cultures and consumer segmentation (consumers diversified identities and values, and their relations with their attitudes and consumption choises in the contemporary society); and 2) consumer behavior models ("Cognitive and Behavioral Consumer Models")

The course will support students to design a methodologically sound empirical study by selecting (or combining) appropriate methods relevant to a research issue. For example, for investigating cultures and consumers segments, the students will aquire skills for exploring quantitative secondary data such as World Value Survey and Eropean Social Survey; for understanding consumers identities and values relevant to their product choice, the students will aquire skills for conducting a qualitative interview, and for testing consumer behavior models, the students will aquire skills for designing a survey to collect primary data and process and analyze the collected data. 

Expected literature (indicative):

·       Gutman, J. (1982) A Means-End Chain Model Based on Consumer Categorization Processes. Journal of Marketing, 46(2) 60-72

·       Markus, H.R. & Kitayama, S. (2010) Cultures and Selves: A Cycle of Mutual Constitution. In Perspectives on Psychological Science 5(4) 420-430

·       Schwartz, Shalom H. (2012) An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

·       Inglehart, R. & Baker, W.E. (2000) Modernization, cultural change, and the persistence of traditional values. In American Sociological Review, Vol. 65

·       Cleveland & Laroche (2007) Acculturation to the global consumer culture: Scale development and research paradigm. In Journal of Business Research Vol. 60

·       I. Ajzen (2011), The theory of planned behaviour: Reactions and reflections. Psychol. Heal. 26, 1113–1127.

·       I. Ajzen (2015), Consumer attitudes and behavior: the theory of planned behavior applied to food consumption decisions. Rivivista di Econ. Agrar. 2, 121–138.

·       Ölander, F. & Thøgersen, J., 1995. Understanding of consumer behavior as a prerequisite for environmental protection. Journal of Consumer Policy, 18(4), pp.345–385.

·       Thøgersen, J. (2005). How May Consumer Policy Empower Consumers for Sustainable Lifestyles? Journal of Consumer Policy, 28(2), 143-177.

·       Bertrand, M., Mullainathan, S. & Shafir, E., 2006. Behavioral Economics and Marketing in Aid of Decision Making Among the Poor. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 25(1), pp.8–23.

·       Reynolds, T.J. & Gutman, J. (1988) Laddering Theory, Method, Analysis, and Interpretation. In Journal of Advertising Research, 28(1), 11-31.

·       Michael Wedel & Wagner Kamakura (1999) Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations – second edition Part 1 – Section 1 & 2

·       Sarstedt, M. & Mooi, M. (2014) A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data, and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics.