CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Credits: 03
Course workload: 3 hours per Week (2 hours
of theory and 2 hours of practical)
Evaluation: Continuous Internal Assessment -50
marks
Semester-end Examination-50 marks
Objectives: To understand the concept of
consumer behavior, decision making by
consumers, behavior variables and influences on
consumer behavior. To comprehend the social and
cultural dimensions of consumer behavior, factors
impacting attitudes and behavior.
Pedagogy: Lectures, Case study, Group
discussions and Seminars.
Module 1: Consumer Behavior: introduction,
nature, scope and application, Factors influencing
consumer behavior, Different models of consumer
behavior – Economic, Learning, Psychoanalytical,
Sociological, Howard Shett, Nicosia, and Engel
Blackwell model.
Module 2: Buying Decision Making Process:
buying roles, determinants of consumer buying
behavior, organizational buying behavior,
personality, theories of personality, perception-
concept, elements of perception
Module 3: Individual Influences on Consumer
Behavior: learning, elements, theories of
learning, Attitude, nature of attitude, factors
influencing attitude formation.
Module 4: External Influences on Consumer
Behavior: Social class and consumer behavior,
measurement of social class, social stratification,
reference group, and family life cycle.
Module 5: Consumer Behavior audit: Need for
consumer protection, responsibilities and rights of
consumer, consumer protection act, consumer
research.
Suggested materials:
Books:
1. Assael, H., Consumer Behaviour and
marketing Action, Ohio, South Western
2. Engle, J F, Consumer Behaviour, Chicago,
Dryden Press
3. Howard, John A, Consumer Behavior in
Marketing, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey,
Prentice Hall Inc.
4. Hawkins, D I, Consumer Behaviour
Implications for Marketing Strategy,
Texas, Business.
5. Mowen, John C, Consumer Behaviour,
New York, Mc Millan
6. Schiffman, L G and Kanuk, L L,
Consumer Behaviour, New Delhi, Prentice
Hall of India.
URLs:
 http://www.pondiuni.edu.in/sites/default/
files/Consumer
%20Behaviour200813_0.pdf
 http://nptel.ac.in/downloads/110105029/
 http://164.100.133.129:81/econtent/
uploads/
understanding_consumer_behaviour.pdf
Practical Component:
 Students can go to malls and unorganized
retail outlets and observe the behavior of
consumers of different demographic
segments while buying different category
of goods. Come back to class and present
the findings / observations followed with a
group discussion.
 Students can prepare a questionnaire and
do a survey on consumer buying behavior
and present the findings in the class