Module manager: Tao jiang
Email: tj@lubs.leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
In today’s interconnected business environment, cultural understanding is no longer an optional skill but a strategic imperative. Global brands routinely invest millions in market entry strategies, only to falter when they misread local values or social norms. Completing this module not only demonstrates mastery of cross-cultural consumer insights but also signals readiness to design inclusive campaigns, manage global product portfolios, and drive sustainable growth in diverse markets. Investing in cross-cultural competence from Year One establishes a robust foundation for every subsequent marketing s module. By grounding students in the principles of cultural variability and consumer psychology at the outset, the programme ensures they are better prepared to tackle advanced topics in their subsequent studies. From an employability standpoint, the demand for marketers who can navigate cultural complexity has never been higher. International firms, consultancy agencies, and non-profits alike seek professionals who combine solid theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience in cultural analysis.
This module aims to give students an insight into consumer buying behaviour from cognitive, social, and cultural theoretical perspectives and how these consumption theories and principles can be adopted to achieve marketing success. In this module, students will also explore the latest aspects of AI technologies and emerging digital trends to understand their impact on consumer behaviour.
In the cultural section, students will investigate how consumers interpret products, messages, and experiences through the lens of shared symbols, beliefs, and values. Drawing on relevant cultural models and frameworks, they will learn and analyse how cultural schemas shape purchase preferences and decision making. A key focus will be on cross-cultural challenges, where students learn to identify and respect local meanings, ensuring that global campaigns resonate emotionally across diverse markets and avoid costly misunderstanding or misinterpretations. Practical exercises will encourage students to adapt strategies for multicultural audiences.
In the cognitive strand of this module, students will explore how individuals navigate the full decision-making process, from recognising a need to post-purchase evaluation—using mental shortcuts and heuristics. Through real-world examples and guided exercises, they learn how individual consumers form perception, attitude, are motivated to engage with brand and develop loyalty. By mapping each stage of the purchase journey against cognitive principles, students will gain practical insight of how to design sound marketing activities.
The social component of the module focuses on the role that reference groups play in shaping consumer preferences and behaviours. Students will examine relevant theoretical concepts about how membership groups (such as peers and family) and aspirational groups (influencers, celebrities, professional networks) establish norms around product use, brand status, and quality perceptions. Case-based discussions, role-plays and team-based exercises will be used to demonstrate the mechanics of conformity pressure and social approval so that students can understand and reflect on influencer marketing.
Together, these three perspectives equip year-one students with a multidimensional toolkit for understanding and influencing consumer behaviour across diverse cultural landscapes.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe foundational cognitive, social, and cultural theories that explain consumer buying behaviour in diverse global contexts.
2. Compare how cognitive heuristics, social reference groups, and cultural norms influence each stage of the consumer decision-making process across different cultural settings.
3. Apply core consumption principles to design simple marketing tactics that guide consumer choices and foster brand engagement in culturally varied markets.
4. Analyse the role of membership and aspirational reference groups in shaping brand preferences, social proof, and community-building both online and offline in multiple cultural environments.
5. Evaluate how emerging AI technologies and digital trends impact consumer search, evaluation, and sharing behaviours, highlighting cross-cultural differences.
6. Assess how effective B2C brands’ marketing activities are in different cultural contexts by applying cognitive, social, and cultural consumer behaviour insights.
On successful completion of the module students will develop the following skills:
1. Oral communication: deliver clear, concise and focused communication, being able to tailor message for the audience and listening to the views of others.
2. Written communication: present clear, concise and focused written communication, being able to tailor writing for the target audience.
3. Teamwork: build positive relationships with other people which then enable successful collaborations.
4. Digital skills: The ability to find, evaluate, organise and share information across a variety of formats and media, ensuring the reliability and integrity both of the sources that you use and of the ideas that they help you to generate; The ability to communicate and collaborate constructively and professionally with peers through a variety of digital tools and networks in order to share ideas, to produce research, materials and resources, and to engage in online dialogue and debate; The ability to use digital technology and techniques to create digital items (such as images, documents and mind maps), and the willingness to engage with new practices and perspectives to solve problems, make decisions and answer questions.
5. Global and cultural awareness: understand diverse national environments, recognizing and adapting to cultural differences, and taking a holistic view of global interconnectedness.
6. Critical thinking: weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 2 | 22 |
| Seminar | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Private study hours | 167 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students will have multiple opportunities to receive formative feedback throughout the module to support their learning and assessment preparation:
1. Assignment Clinics: Designated sessions will allow students to bring draft versions of their assessment for discussion and receive constructive feedback to refine their work before submission.
2. Weekly Seminars: Seminars will provide structured time for students to apply lecture content directly to their assessment tasks. During these sessions, students will engage in practical exercises and receive on-going formative feedback from tutors and peers.
3. Weekly Quizzes: Students will complete short quizzes each week, with answers and formative feedback provided to help them reflect on their understanding and monitor their progress.
4. End-of-Module Quiz: At the end of the module, students will take a comprehensive quiz with answers and feedback, enabling them to consolidate learning and identify areas for further development.
5. Discussion Boards on Minerva: students can post questions, share ideas, and receive formative feedback from tutors and peers.
6. Interactive Polls and Live Q&A: During lectures and/or seminars, students can check their understanding and get immediate feedback on key concepts through quick polls and Q&As.
7. Drop-in Hours / Office Hours: Students can seek one-to-one guidance from tutors and receive tailored formative feedback.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Collaborative coursework (10 minutes video) | 30 |
| Coursework | Individual coursework (2,000 words) | 70 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resit will be 100% individual written coursework (2,500 words).
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team