The goal of this assignment is to integrate a piece of primary research (in psychology or consumer behavior) with management decision-making. You should survey the literature to find a paper of interest and think about how those findings could be extended and applied to a real-world situation. Once you’ve identified an interesting paper, you should write up a summary, critique, and extension. Throughout the paper, your goal is to explain how the research questions could help a business make better decisions or create a stronger strategy.
Find an empirical paper on any aspect of consumer behavior that you find interesting — To get you started you can read this analysis of various topics that are often published in the field of consumer behavior (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244016645638) or peruse the consumer behavior section of HBS’s Working Knowledge publication (https://hbswk.hbs.edu/Pages/browse.aspx?HBSTopic=Consumer%20Behavior).
These resources are just a starting point; in both cases be sure to search for, read, and use the primary source you identify.
Write up a brief (approximately 250 words) summary and critique of the paper.
Based on your critique, formulate a follow-up hypothesis, and propose an experiment that could test that hypothesis.
The experiment proposal should be approximately 500-750 words and clearly indicate your hypothesis, proposed methodology (including independent and dependent variables), and expected results. Remember when it comes to experimental design, simple does not mean that it is bad. Being able to test an important idea with a simple design is ideal.
Throughout the paper, be sure to explain how the research questions could help a business make better decisions or create a stronger strategy.
Learning Outcomes Added :
CustomerCentricity: Identify customer needs and explain how their fulfillment leads to better business.
ConsumerBehavior: Design studies and evaluate research in consumer behavior.
ResearchStrategy: Assess the role of market research and consumer psychology in decision-making and strategy formation.
