Advanced Seminar Marketing, Strategy, Leadership & Management: Advances in Consumer Research

This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the current research areas in consumer behavior, including theories and experimental methods. The aim of the seminar is to prepare students to become active researchers in the field of consumer behavior. The focus of the seminar will be on the critical assessment of theories, research designs, and analytical approaches employed to answer specific research questions. Additionally, this course allows students to develop their own ideas regarding a more specific topic that might be of future research interest.

At the end of the course students are able to critically analyze recent advances in consumer behavior. They know state of the art research approaches and are able to analyze the implications of current trends in consumer behavior for marketing and public policies. Students are able to apply their knowledge by developing and testing research hypotheses, drawing conclusions from the test results and providing marketing and/or policy implications.

Grading is based on an oral exam in form of an individual presentation on a study design. The presentation includes the following parts: theoretical background, hypotheses with regard to recent trends in consumer behavior, methodology for testing the hypotheses, results, discussion and conclusions. The presentation demonstrates that students are able to develop research questions and a corresponding methodology to analyze topics in current consumer research. Students are also able to critically analyze scientific papers and demonstrate their knowledge during class discussions.

Knowledge in consumer behavior theories and empirical research methods.

The module is a seminar, with the learning objectives reached through a combination of lecture, class discussion, developing a research project, and presenting a research project. Students are expected to read and discuss scientific papers on the topic. Students are also expected to develop a research methodology for testing hypotheses on recent advances in consumer behavior. The lecturer moderates in-class discussions and provides guidance and advice to students regarding their presentations.