Understanding Customer Behaviour (5 cr)

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.

Location and time

On campus in Leppävaara according to schedule and Covid-19 allowing.
Presence is compulsory on the first day, 17.03.2022 12.30 - 15.00.

Materials

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.

Teaching methods

According to the latest corona- guidelines (7.1.2022) the study unit will start 17.3.2022 at Leppävaara Campus. The study unit consists of contact classes, team work, individual work. ZOOM-meetings will be arranged if necessary and by visiting lectures request. Students are informed of any changes in implementation as soon as possible.

Exam schedules

Contact classes and deadlines.

Completion alternatives

You may have acquired competence, for example through work experience, training organised in the workplace, organisational activities or hobbies. Familiarize yourself with the process in LINK
( https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/linken/studypath/planningofstudies/recognitionofpriorlearning/Pages/default.aspx. )
To apply for the recognition of this study unit, complete the form for recognition of prior studies (in the menu on the right). Enclose with your application any documents you refer to. If required, also enclose a description of the content of the substitutive studies. The partial recognition of studies must be agreed on with the lecturer of this study

Student workload

The workload is approximately 135 hours total.

Content scheduling

1. Orientation, Customers, Customer Relationships, The Business Idea
2. Buying Behaviour
3. Understanding Customer Behaviour in Practice

Evaluation scale

H-5

Further information

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.