Tourism consumer Behavior
Order Description
Assessment Task 1 Due Date % SILOs Assessed
Research Paper 19 September 2014 , 1 2 pm 30% 1 4
Submission Details
Research Paper to be lodged in Assignment box on 2
nd
floor of DWB by due date.
A completed statement of authorship must appear as the first page of your assignment (available on LMS, the second floor DWB or at
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/learning/integrity.html). Missing statements of authorship signatures will result in a grade of ZERO.
R esearch P apers are to be in typed format with at least 12 size font and 1.5 justified spacing.
Grading Criteria and Feedback
Grading criteria detailed below. Feedback provided in following tutorial.
Description of Task
You are to prepare a Research Paper of between 2,000 and 2,500 words in length discussing one of your consumer experiences in terms of the
literature in the field.
Your text defines the field of Consumer Behaviour as the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or
dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires (Solomon, et. al., 2013, p. 3). In developing this field
researchers and others have developed a range of conceptual models that help to better understand consumers and their actions in our
market economy. This assignment provides an opportunity to relate those models to your own experiences. In so doing you will be able to
demonstrate both an understanding of the primary ideas and models that underpin the subject, and to show how these can be used to
understand and/or explain particular circumstances.
Using a recent personal consumption experience related to Tourism, Hospitality or Leisure, write a critical report outlining the way that
consumer behaviour models and ideas, outlined in the literature, can be used to better understand what happened and why. It is
recommended that you choose an experience that is complex and for a high involvement service experience that will give you so me
interesting aspects to discuss in terms of consumer behaviour. For example, you may select a tour or visit to a tourism site (rather than discuss
an entire holiday), or a leisure experience (e.g. sporting event, cultural event) that was of a high involveme nt nature. If you select a dining
experience’, please ensure that it was a high involvement experience e.g. 21
st
Birthday or other special event. You must submit your proposed
topic to your tutor for approval before commencing the assignment.
The report should include the following:
1. Introduction: An overview to foreshadow what is written in each section of the assignment.
¢ Provide the reader with an overview of what is coming in each area of the research paper and of the major discussion
themes.
2. Research Background and Conceptual Framework: A discussion of literature relating to the type of consumption behaviour
you experienced (e.g. wine tasting, sporting spectator).
¢ Review the literature that relates specifically to your consumer experience. This will involve an extensive search
(including library data bases) to find articles on your chosen form of consumption. For example, you may be researching
fan behaviour, dining consumption or travel consumers.
¢ Summarise and critique research in this area, setting the scene for the report.
¢ Clearly identify what research has found out about the kind of experience you had (in terms of consumer behaviour
theory) so that you can make a comparison in section four.
3. Description of Event: A systematic, step- by- step a nalysis of the activities and settings of your experience.
¢ Briefly describe your experience in sufficient detail to enable the reader to understand what factors and processes were
at work.
¢ No references are needed here.
¢ You should keep in mind that this description will be used in the next section to compare to existing research findings.
Assessment Task 1 continued
La Trobe University
16
4. Analysis and Discussion: An analysis of the relationship between the experience and what is already known from previous
research and literature.
¢ Discuss what you found for yourself in light of what is already known about the area in terms of consumer behaviour
theory from existing research and other literature.
¢ Specify where your experience is similar to what is already known and where it is different.
¢ The outcome of this section is the primary focus of your paper. That is, you need to tell the reader how your
experience contr ibutes to understanding your specific area of consumption better.
¢ How useful is the literature in helping you to make sense of what happened? Are there unique aspects about your own
consumption that were not in the literature? How can the theories and mo dels be adapted to improve our
understanding?
5. Conclusion: Summary of the report and its implications for the practice of marketing.
¢ Provide a summary of your paper and indicate how the combination of the literature you reviewed and your own
findings can be employed in marketing a similar form of consumption in the future.
6. References: A list of the references used throughout your repo rt.
¢ In this section you must provide at least 10 academic references. These references must have been used throughout
your paper. References must be in correct Harvard Style.
Assessment Task 2 Due Date % SILOs Assessed
Case Study Presentation Various 20% 1 5
Submission Details
Oral presentation in scheduled tutorial.
Grading Criteria and Feedback
Grading criteria detailed below. Feedback provided in following tutorial.
Description of Task
Each group to undertake a formal presentation of the allocated case study in the scheduled tutorial. The presentation to take a maximum of 25
minutes, including an interactive component of 10 to 15 minutes. The case studies will be allocated in tutorial 1, week 2. See tutorial 1
program for details.
A ssessment Task 3 Due Date % SILOs Assessed
The in class test comprises t wo quizzes . The quizzes are designed to
test student knowledge and application of what has been covered in
lectures, tutorials and readings in the weeks prior to their distribution.
Tutorial 4 ( 25 August)
Tutorial 1 1 ( 2 0 October)
5%
5%
1 4
5 11
Submission Details
Quizzes to be conducted in the scheduled tutorial.
Grading Criteria and Feedback
0.25 marks per correct answer. Feedback provided in tutorial following the quiz .
Description of Task
In class test covers multiple choice and true/false questions. Each test comprises 20 questions.
Assessment Task 4 Due Date % SILOs Assessed
Final Exam Exam period 40% 1 4
Description of Task
The final examination is designed to test students’ knowledge of consumer behaviour and related models and theory covered this semester.
The examination is a two hour closed book exam, and the structure of the exam will be announced during the semester.