Consumer Insights (MBA; MK 856)
Marketing, in particular, begins and ends with the consumer – from determining consumer needs to ensuring customer satisfaction. In this course, we will explore the most recent scientific research in marketing, psychology, and behavioral economics on judgment and decision making. We will develop your ability to understand and influence what consumers want, how consumers decide what and when to buy, and whether consumers will be satisfied or dissatisfied with their decisions. These psychological insights are particularly useful for marketing strategy, brand positioning, and marketing communication decisions, but also yield insight into common biases in judgment and decision making, beyond marketing, to which you would otherwise fall prey. Why consumers are willing to drive across town for $5 off a tank of gasoline, for example, when they would not drive a minute to save $5 on a refrigerator. We will discuss some of these applications in class. In addition, we will examine the methodology of market research (specific to consumer behavior) to build the tools you will need to interpret and base managerial decisions on it. Readings will include primary empirical research articles (e.g., Journal of Consumer Research articles), business journal articles, cases, and research reviews (e.g., Harvard Business Review articles). The course includes lecture, discussion, cases, experiments, and exams.
Experimental Design and Methodology (PhD; DS913)
This course provides an introduction to research methodology applicable to marketing and other related experimental social sciences. The course will survey the major research methodologies used in marketing, organizational behavior, psychology, and behavioral economics. It will focus on both theoretical and practical considerations of research methods. This is not a statistics course. The purpose of the course is to give you the background to choose the methods that are most appropriate for your area of study, help you anticipate the shortcomings and problems you will encounter executing your chosen methodologies, and to defend your methodological choices against criticism in your interactions with investigators from allied and not-so-allied disciplines.