MKIB155 Consumer Behaviour – Assessments 24/25

Assessment for this module is via a group essay and individual reflective account.

The relative weighting of the assessment is: group essay 60% and individual reflective account 40%.

The group essay comprises: 30% individual component & 30% group component. Specific guidance on how to achieve a good mark in the group essay and the individual reflective account will be given in your lectures.

Assessment - Group Essay (part 1)

Deadline: 2pm, Friday 14^th March 2025

This is a piece of coursework (2000 words) with a 60% weighting.

You are asked to write an academic essay on the following topic:

Critically assess how ‘individualism’ and ‘collectivism'  might  explain  differences in  consumer  behaviour in  different  countries.  How might advertisers use an understanding of  these  ideas  to  develop  appropriate  advertising  messages? Illustrate your answer with examples. 

Students will be invited to self-select their group of four or five students.  Any student not in a group by the end of week 2 will be allocated to one.

The individual element will require students to write 400 words if they are in a group of five and 500 words if they are in a group of four. Thirty percent (30%) of the module mark will be for an individual element of the essay (c. 400 words each if 5 students in a group) and thirty percent (30%) will be for a group element, i.e. how well the essay ‘fits together’ as a collective whole.

The group essay should be no more than 2,000 words. See the ULMS policy on assignment word count below. A full briefing about the content and format of the group essay assignment  and  the  criteria  by  which  student work  will  be  assessed  will  be  provided in week 1.

Any instances of a malfunctioning group, e.g. non-engagement by any individual(s) within the group should be brought to the attention of the module leader (Dr Natasha Clennell), within the specified timescales.

The peer review assessment sheet will be available to download on Canvas (you will be notified in the week 1 lecture). This must be completed and uploaded, individually, by the assessment one deadline.

This module operates the ‘yellow card’ and ‘red card’ system of penalties (see Appendix A). The latest a ‘yellow card’ can be issued is Friday 28^th February 2025 (2 weeks prior to the deadline); the latest a ‘red card’ can be issued is Friday 7^th March 2025 (1 week prior to the deadline). The group leader should make the module leader  aware  of  any  problems  regarding non-contribution as soon as possible, to ensure that the appropriate action can be taken. For the avoidance of doubt, should a student receive a red card he/she will be required to write a 500-word essay alone and will receive a 10% deduction to his/her mark for it.

Marking is consistent with the University and ULMS policy on group work.

Assessment (part 2) Individual reflective report

Deadline: 2pm, Friday 9^th May 2025

This is a piece of coursework (1000 words) with a 40% weighting. The individual reflective report will comprise c. 500 words on students’ reflections about working together on the group essay (students will focus on their learning through the process of undertaking the assignment and the input they have had into the group). It will also include c. 500 words reflecting on group/cultural influences on their own consumer behaviour – how group influences (covered in topics 7-10) affect student behaviour as a consumer in the marketplace. 

Reassessment Opportunity: To pass the module students are required to achieve an overall mark of at least 40%; they do not need to pass both parts of the assessment. If a student fails to score an overall mark of at least 40% then he/she will need to resit the failed assessment(s). Please note the following:

If a student fails the group essay, he/she will be required to write a 500-word individual essay based on individualism and collectivism.

If a student fails the individual reflective account, he/she will be required to rewrite it, taking account of feedback from the first sit.

If a student fails both parts of the assessment, he/she will be required to undertake both resits.

If the student did not take part in the group work, then the 1,000-word individual reflective account (assignment two) should be solely on how group influences affect his/her consumer behaviour. Further details on resits will be provided to students who need to take them.

Submission deadlines and date of return of work to students:  

· The submission deadline for assignment one is: 2pm, Friday 14^th March 2025

· The submission deadline for assignment two is: 2pm, Friday 9^th May 2025

For both assignments, feedback will be returned to students within 3 weeks.

Penalty for late submission: Standard UoL penalty applies

How to submit your work:

Both assignments must be submitted to the ‘Assignment’ area on Canvas and require online submission only. You do not need to submit a hard copy of the coursework. You should submit your coursework via Turnitin, which is a plagiarism and collusion detection system. If you do not submit to Turnitin your work will not be marked.

To submit via Turnitin, you go to the assessment area for the module on CANVAS and you will find a link for the coursework. Click on View/Complete and then on the “submit” icon for the paper. You are then prompted to submit a title for the paper. Use the “browse” button to locate the file you want to submit, then click “submit”. You will then be asked to confirm that you want to submit by clicking the “Yes, submit” button. Note that Turnitin does not permit multiple submission attempts – your submission is accepted as ‘first and final’.

By submitting your work, you are acknowledging that you understand the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, that you have not plagiarised, colluded, or bought your work, and that you have not copied work extensively from previous assessments you have submitted.

Please note that only one student from each group is required to submit assignment one (group essay).

Maximum length of coursework elements:

Students are asked to note that the word limit is the absolute upper limit. There is no leeway over this, i.e. you will be penalised if you submit work that exceeds the word limit (the suggestion that you may exceed the word count by 10% is a myth.)

The following are not included in word counts:

Reference lists/ bibliographies and question titles.

Appendices/footnotes – provided these have been used only when necessary. If appendices or footnotes are used excessively, or contain material which should clearly be included in the main body of the essay/report, it is at the markers’ discretion to include these in the word count.

Tables/graphs – provided these have been imported from elsewhere (correctly referenced not produced by the student).

Contents pages and front pages of reports – as well as the essay/report itself.

The following are included in word counts:

Citations/quotations – this includes the material paraphrased/quoted itself as well as the name, date, and page information.

Tables and graphs – if they have been produced by the student.

Executive summaries in reports – unless otherwise stated.

Tips for achieving good marks in assessments:
Learning tips: Learning activities in Seminar 1 will provide students with guidance on the individual reflective account.

Assessment policies

Policies for the below can be found via:

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/intranet/management-school/assessment/

· Re-sits

· Penalties – presentation, use of Wikipedia, late submission

· Referencing work

· Marking criteria

· ULMS group work policy

· Requests for extensions