Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- define the factors that underlie customer actions, feelings and judgment processes
- describe purchasing decisions from the perspective of the individual and the organization*
- analyze patterns and trends in customer behavior

*The verb 'understand' has been replaced effective 1st of August 2024.

Teaching methods

Contact classes, team work, individual work.

Location and time

In Leppävaara according to schedule.

Learning materials and recommended literature

Barden, Phil. (2013). Decoded. The Science Behind Why We Buy. Wiley.
Blythe, Jim. (2013). Consumer Behaviour. Sage.
Kahle, Lynn R. & Valette-Florence, Pierre. (2012). Marketplace Lifestyles in an Age of Social Media. Theory and Methods. Routledge.
Kahnemann, Daniel. Thinking Fast and Slow. (2011). Penguin Books.
Kotler, Philip & Armstrong, Gary. (2012). Principles of Marketing. Pearson.
Robbins, Stephen P. & Judge, Timothy A. (2016). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Pearson.
Robbins, Stephen P., Judge, Timothy A. & Campbell, Timothy T. (2010). Organizational Behaviour. Pearson.
Solomon, Michael R. (2011). Consumer Behavior. Buying, Having, and Being. Pearson.
Soman, Dilip and N-Marandi, Sara. (2010). Managing Customer Value. One Stage at a Time. World Scientific.
Thaler, Richard H. & Sunstein, Cass R. (2009). Nudge. Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Penguin Books
Walden, Steven. (2017). Customer Experience Management Rebooted - Are you an experience brand or an efficiency brand? Palgrave Macmillan.

Important dates

Contact classes and deadlines.

Further information for students

Understanding customers can be challenging. How do we define what is valuable for an individual customer? What about organizations as customers? Today, many of the trends are international, but their local interpretation and implementation may still be very multifold. The study of the human mind has gone a long way, but part of the mind’s operations, especially on individual level, still remain difficult to forecast.
During this course we will define the factors that underlie customer actions, feelings, and judgment processes. We strive to understand purchasing decisions from the perspective of the individual and the organization, and analyze patterns and trends in customer behaviour.
The course grade is composed of two assignments which both need to be successfully completed and handed in by the deadlines. The assignments that arrive late will be graded only if the late handing in has been agreed in advance with the teacher.

Evaluation methods and criteria

BACHELOR'S DEGREE INITIAL STAGE STUDENTS
EXCELLENT
grade 5
Students are able to:
• Apply professional concepts expertly.
• Comply with occupational safety instructions responsibly and independently.
• Justify activities using research knowledge.
• Work independently and take initiatives in line with objectives. Operations are often flexible, systematic, development-oriented, creative and active.
• Select the appropriate techniques and models for activities, and justify the choices.
• Act in customer-oriented ways and according to the situation.
• Promote group activities.
• Able to critically apply ethical principles in the subject field in one's conduct and tasks.
GOOD
grade 3
Students are able to:
• Apply professional concepts systematically.
• Apply occupational safety instructions in their activities.
• Justify, compare and analyse their activities using general guidelines.
• Able to cope independently in different tasks in each operating environment.
• Apply acquired techniques and models diversely.
• Act professionally in customer situations.
• Work in a group in line with objectives.
• Justify their activities in accordance with ethical principles..
SATISFACTORY,
grade 1
Students are able to:
• Apply most important/individual and appropriate professional concepts, and indicate their familiarity with the knowledge base.
• Act safely, although activities are often schematic/ experimental/ fumbling/ self-involved.
• Comply with rules and instructions, and justify their activities using provided instructions.
• Act appropriately under guidance.
• Use acquired techniques and models.
• Take customers into account in their actions.
• Act as group members.
• Act in accordance with ethical principles.