IMPACT OF ONLINE PAYMENTS ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

Essay Submission: 3000 Words
Leaning Outcomes Assessed 2 and 4.
2) Assess and appraise customer behaviour theories and concepts from a critical perspective.
4) Critically investigate research evidence, theories and practice to evaluate change agents
predicted to significantly influence the behaviours of customers and event participants in the
future.
Your task is to write an essay that addresses the following question in 3000 words. In doing
so you need to review the feedback given to you in your original submission and make sure
that you can use some of the feedback to guide you in working your next assessment. You
are also advised to drop into the ML’s office hours on Tuesdays between 3-5pm shall you
need any help or advice.
Evaluate the impact of a technological advancement on consumer behaviour in
any country and one sector/industry of your choice. From your evaluation, draw
conclusions and recommendations on how marketing to consumers will need
to evolve in the future.
Some suggested technological advancements that you can choose to
investigate are listed below:
● Social media
● Electric/Hybrid cars
● Driverless cars
● Wearable technology
● Online payments
● Renewable energy
● Online portals
● Virtual reality
● Augmented reality
● Gamification
● Any others within the remit of the scope (confirm with a member of the
teaching team)
Your evaluation must include a critical appraisal of relevant theory to inform
your arguments. Additionally, you must include evidence of relevant changing
consumption behaviours and predictions from relevant experts.
What is this question asking you to do?
In this question you are being asked to evaluate how technological advancement is
transforming the behaviour of consumers and consequently how marketing will need
to adapt its interactions with its existing and prospective customers in the future. You
should include an account of the chosen transforming/transformed behaviour. Focus
on one only one sector/industry and one country.
Your paper must include a critical review of relevant academic theory and therefore
must include a relevant theoretical framework/model to structure and present your
analysis of consumer attitudes and behaviour. You should give a very brief explanation
of the theory and then focus on critically applying and evaluating it.
We suggest you focus on the impact on a 5-10 year time period; however you may
look further into the future if relevant to your selected industry/country.
To address this question you will need to review current evidence and ideas/future
predictions from ‘experts’ in order to identify and frame your chosen influence. You will
then need to evaluate the existing scholarship on your chosen issue, appraising it
against the expert ‘future predictions’ evidence you have assimilated.
In your conclusion you must build on the argument presented in your paper (do not
ignore it!) to evaluate how marketing will need to evolve, including specific examples
of your chosen transforming/transformed behaviour. Additionally you must give
recommendations to marketing practitioners on the adaptations to their thinking and
practice that they will need to implement.
You may find these sources helpful in supporting the development of your paper. However
you are expected to predominantly source your own material.
1. Castells, M., Caraça, J. and Cardoso, G. (Eds.) (2012). Aftermath. The Cultures of the Economic
Crisis. Oxford University Press.
2. Pleyers, G. (2010). Alter-Globalization. Becoming Actors in the Global Age. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
3. Randers, J. (2012). 2052: A Global Forecast for the next forty years. USA: Chelsea Green
Publishing.
4. Tukker, A., Charter, M., Vezzoli, C., Stø, E. and Andersen, M.M. eds., 2017. System innovation for
sustainability 1: Perspectives on radical changes to sustainable consumption and production.
Routledge
5. From Marketing to Mattering. Generating Business Value by Meeting the Expectations of
21st Century People. The UN Global Compact-Accenture Study on Sustainability. In collaboration
with Havas Media RE:PURPOSE. Available via google.
6. Let them eat cake. Satisfying the new consumer appetite for responsible brands. ‘Instead of
preaching about the moral responsibility of business to further the goals of sustainability, this report
exposes the considerable commercial potential of a new approach to business, based on the
provision of more “responsible” mainstream brands. This potential comes from an increasing
demand among mainstream consumers for their regular brands to come with environmental and
social responsibility “built in”. These consumers are not usually prepared to pay more or put
themselves out to buy “green” or “ethical”, but they do value these attributes as part of the brand
package. Sustainability can act as a differentiator between mainstream brands, encourage loyalty
and even change people’s perceptions of themselves. To unlock this commercial potential,
environmental and social values must be built into the DNA of mainstream consumer brands.’ This
document is the full version of Let Them Eat Cake. An abridged version of the report can be
downloaded from www.wwf.org.uk/letthemeatcake.
7. HSBC Global Research, (2012).The World in 2050. This publication broadens our list of the
world’s top 30 economies to the top 100. The underlying theme is that the economies we currently
call “emerging” are going to power global growth over the next four decades. Our update tells the
story of the emergence of parts of Africa, the rise of some of the central Asian republics, as well
as some startling advances for countries such as the Philippines and Peru.
www.hsbc.com/~/media/HSBC-com/about-hsbc/advertising/pdfs/the-world-in-2050
8. 25 Predictions For What Marketing Will Look Like In 2020. ‘Elite players—members of the Most
Innovative Companies list—representing key marketing constituencies give us their educated
predictions on how the brand landscape will evolve in 5 years.’
https://www.fastcocreate.com/3043109/sector-forecasting/25-predictions-for-what-marketing-willlook-like-in-2020
9. 20 Predictions for the next 25 years. ‘From the web to wildlife, the economy to nanotechnology,
politics to sport, the Observer’s team of experts prophesy how the world will change – for good or
bad – in the next quarter of a century.’ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/jan/02/25-
predictions-25-years
10. Legris, P., Ingham, J. and Collerette, P., 2003. Why do people use information technology? A
critical review of the technology acceptance model. Information & management, 40(3), pp.191-
204.
11. Pikkarainen, T., Pikkarainen, K., Karjaluoto, H. and Pahnila, S., 2004. Consumer acceptance of
online banking: an extension of the technology acceptance model. Internet research, 14(3),
pp.224-235.
12. Ha, S. and Stoel, L., 2009. Consumer e-shopping acceptance: Antecedents in a technology
acceptance model. Journal of business research, 62(5), pp.565-571.
13. Ayeh, J.K., 2015. Travellers’ acceptance of consumer-generated media: An integrated model of
technology acceptance and source credibility theories. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, pp.173-
180.
14. Min, S., So, K.K.F. and Jeong, M., 2019. Consumer adoption of the Uber mobile application:
Insights from diffusion of innovation theory and technology acceptance model. Journal of Travel &
Tourism Marketing, 36(7), pp.770-783.
15. Lowrey, T.M., 1991. The use of diffusion theory in marketing: a qualitative approach to innovative
consumer behavior. ACR North American Advances.
16. Faiers, A. and Neame, C., 2006. Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power
systems. Energy Policy, 34(14), pp.1797-1806.
17. Lucassen, G. and Jansen, S., 2014. Gamification in Consumer Marketing-Future or
Fallacy?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, pp.194-202.
18. Javornik, A., 2016. Augmented reality: Research agenda for studying the impact of its media
characteristics on consumer behaviour. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 30, pp.252-
261.
19. Griffin, T., Giberson, J., Lee, S.H.M., Guttentag, D., Kandaurova, M., Sergueeva, K. and
Dimanche, F., 2017. Virtual reality and implications for destination marketing.
20. Haustein, S. and Jensen, A.F., 2018. Factors of electric vehicle adoption: A comparison of
conventional and electric car users based on an extended theory of planned behavior. International
Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 12(7), pp.484-496.
Guidelines
You should draw on a good range of high quality academic and expert opinion sources to
construct solid arguments for your paper. You are expected to use relevant examples and
data to support your claims. Ensure that all sources of information are fully referenced.
You are being asked to write a critique of transforming/transformed consumer behaviour,
informed by contextual information, evidence and relevant theory. Your critique will involve
you assessing varied data, ideas and scholarship from varied sources – be adventurous in
your searching but note the advice you have been given on reputable sources.
You are strongly advised to focus on one area of theory while discussing consumer attitudes
and behaviour. This will really help you to develop a stronger critical appraisal to show your
understanding and critical thinking. Multiple theorisation is much harder within the constraints
of a 3000 word paper and assessment deadlines. Please discuss with the module tutors if
you are determined to adopt a multi-theoretical approach. We will ask you for a very strong
justification.
You must choose only one country and first try and analyse consumer’s attitudes towards
technological advancement broadly and briefly. You are then advised to narrow down by
sector/industry and try to gauge the attitudes, beliefs, values and practice of consumers within
the industry by using technology to either purchase and/or use products/services within the
sector/industry of your choice.
After addressing the aforementioned attitudinal research, you are required to analyse how the
industry/sector responds to consumers’ attitudes and behaviour while using technology.
Lastly, based on your research and analysis of the current scenario of consumer use of
technology within your chosen sector/industry and country, you are required to extrapolate
your findings within a 5-10 year future and discuss how this is likely to change in the future
and what recommendations you would make to marketing.
You may also narrow by culture, region, consumer segments (e.g. Millennials), etc., – you
decide! However you must ensure the evidence you use to compile your paper relates to your
choices (i.e. do not use American evidence to discuss China!). Preliminary reading will help
you to make your choices.
Whatever you chose to do, ensure you present your argument for your choices at the start of
your paper – and justify them.
Assemble the evidence for your arguments, avoid unsubstantiated statements and bias – this
is an objective investigation. It is essential that you critique your chosen theory and evidence,
do not just describe it; evaluate the contribution it makes to our understanding of
transforming/transformed consumer behaviour and how marketing to consumers will evolve
as a result in the future.
Submission Information:
Your essay should be 3000 words maximum (2500 minimum), excluding the title page,
reference list and any appendices (if relevant), charts, tables and illustrations you may choose
to include. Content in excess of the word limit will not be assessed.
The assignment must be presented in the following format:
o Assignments must be word-processed in 11 font Arial, or similar (so we can read your
text!).
o New paragraphs must be indented; preferably leave spacing between paragraphs
o All pages must be numbered
o Margins should be ‘normal’ (within Word).
o Have a full and accurate reference list using Harvard style referencing
o Submitted as a WORD document NOT PDF
An essay normally includes:
o An introduction
o A main body of argument made up of linked paragraphs
o A conclusion which draws together the main points and answers the title question
o A complete reference list
Your essay should reveal wide reading, detailed research, critical analysis of the resources
used, and application of relevant course concepts and models. Use of www.wikipedia.com,
www.marketingtutor.com and other non-attributable sources is not allowed. Because the
subject you are researching is developing so rapidly it is recognised that you will need to use
web-based sources to provide some of the latest thinking. However, you are expected to
corroborate your findings from multiple and diverse sources in order to provide more robust
conclusions.
Marking Criteria Individual Assignment %
Marks
Identifies & evaluates a major influence from critical analysis of evidence on
future predictions gained from a comprehensive & reputable range of
informative sources
30%
Applies relevant models and concepts to support the critical discussion of the
major influence & future predictions 30%
Fully addresses the brief, and reaches conclusions that are clear, logical and
well supported in appraising the feasibility of the predictions and in giving
insightful recommendations to marketing. 30%
Presents a professional-looking and well-structured essay, which is correctly
referenced 10%
Total 100%
Criteria 70%+ 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% <40% Identifies & evaluates a major influence from critical analysis of evidence on future predictions gained from a comprehensive & reputable range of informative sources (30%) Excellent understanding of the key issues under analysis. Proficient exploration of a wide range of Appropriate academic and practitioner literature. Very good understanding of the issues under analysis. Competent inclusion and review of relevant academic and practitioner literature. Good understanding of the issues under analysis. Satisfactory use of academic and practitioner literature. Limited or unfocused consideration of the issues under analysis. Reliance on mainly one area or type of literature, or insufficient exploration of literature. Does not draw on academic sources. No consideration of the critical issues related to the problem. Reliance on mainly one area or type of literature, and insufficient exploration of literature. Does not draw on academic sources. Applies relevant models and concepts to support the critical discussion of the major influence & future predictions (30%) The analysis is informed by an excellent choice of frameworks, which are relevant, competently identified and expertly applied. Excellent analysis of the evidence presented, moving beyond description and offering an insightful evaluation of the emerging issues. Proficient use of marketing terminology and concepts. The analysis is informed by an excellent choice of frameworks, but there are some failures in their description and/or application. Very good analysis of the evidence presented, including evaluation of the evidence. Inconsistent use of marketing terminology and concepts. Satisfactory choice of frameworks, but their application is incomplete and/or contains some errors. Good discussion of the key issues but limited level of analysis and interpretation. Misses opportunities to use relevant terminology and concepts. Names relevant frameworks but their application is very incomplete and/or contains significant errors. Limited discussion of the emerging key issues. Insufficient analysis or wrong interpretation. Unsatisfactory use of marketing terminology and concepts. Does not identify or apply suitable frameworks to inform the analysis. Very limited discussion of the emerging key issues. Insufficient analysis and wrong interpretation. Fails to use marketing terminology. Fully addresses the brief, and reaches conclusions that are clear, logical and well supported in appraising the feasibility of the predictions and in giving insightful recommendations to marketing (30%) Proficient consideration of critical issues highlighted in the analysis. Strong, clear and well supported conclusions that emerge logically from the overall investigation Very good consideration of the key issues highlighted in the analysis. Properly supported conclusions that are logical to the overall investigation Suitable consideration of the key issues emerging from the analysis. Logically supported, appropriate conclusions. Limited consideration of the key issues. Conclusions not clear or not well supported by the overall investigation No consideration of the key issues. Conclusions not presented. Standard of presentation (10%) Excellently presented work, properly referenced. Effective use of English. Appendices properly used and of an appropriate length Very good presentation and structure. Properly referenced. Competent use of English. Good use of appendices. Good presentation, satisfactory structure and suitable referencing. Clear use of English, with limited proofreading errors Appropriate appendices. Poorly presented or structured work. Referencing is poor or inconsistent. Poor use of English or no evidence of proof reading. Unselective use of appendices Badly presented or structured work. Lacks referencing. Poor use of English and no evidence of proofreading. Very poor use of appendices.