Course description

The course will provide managerial understanding about internal and external consumer behavior factors that affect consumer decisions from problem arousal to product usage and assessment. Knowledge and skills necessary for the implementation of unsophisticated consumer behavior research will be provided. Holistic understanding of consumer behavior, translated into meaningful instruments for managerial solutions is expected after the course.

Course aim

The aim of this course is to introduce students with the major consumer behavior theories and importance of their application in marketing practice, as well as to train how to implement unsophisticated consumer behavior research following scholarly methodologies.

Learning outcomes

• Will be able to explain major theories, models, concepts, classifications, etc. of consumer behavior.
• Will be able to find and select relevant consumer behavior articles and other sources; will be able to derive meaningful insights and reflect personal observations regarding self and others’ consumer behavior on the basis of literature.
• Will be able to perform consumer behavior research by applying relevant scholarly measures; will be able to analyze the results interrelating several variables.
• Will be able to draw meaningful managerial insights from research results, to apply proper managerial tools for researching and directing consumer behavior towards desired state.
• Will be able produce meaningful written analysis of the research, to present and discuss research results for the specialists’ and non-specialists’ audiences.

Course annotation

It is a practical course which is designated for practical application of knowledge and skills that were acquired during the studies. The major focus in the course is on practical managerial and business aspects that are usually not evident to students because of the lack of practical experience in business.

During the internship students work in selected company. There are two ways of finding a company for an internship:

1. Place of internship is found by a student.
2. ISM Career centre supports in finding an internship place.

While working in a company student gets knowledge on the factors that affect international activity of a company. Therefore they collect general information on a company and implement strategic analysis for the entire company or selected product/brand/branch in the foreign market. Students submit internship report to Study department on appointed time and present (defend) it in class on appointed time.

Overall volume of internship is 15 credits (405 academic hours). Out of them:

1. 360 hours are internship in company;
2. 10 academic hours as in-class consultations and feedback on reports;
3. 35 hours are student‘s self-study.

Goals of the internship

1. To increase students‘ understanding about international business practice.
2. To consolidate specialization knowledge that was acquired during the studies.
3. To provide practical skills that are necessary in analysing company’s situation.

Learning outcomes

• To implement analysis of internal and external company factors.
• To collect data on a company which operates in local or foreign market for the analysis.
• To be pursue PESTEL analysis, SWOT and TOWS analysis, consumer needs, market size, positioning analysis for the company (product, brand, branch).
• To identify strategic position and suggest strategic guidelines for the company (product, brand, branch).
• To present findings in written form, reasoning proposed decisions.
• To assess a written report on a company.