Professor Debra Stephens, along with Associate Professors Bill Barnes and Greg Hill, have come together to write a new book. Amazon describes it as, “an alternative to traditional textbooks for graduate students. Shorter than competing books, but no less rigorous, this book also includes unique material on vulnerable consumers and ethics. Balancing a strong academic foundation with a practical approach, Stephens emphasizes that consumer behavior does not simply equate to buyer behavior. She examines the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that shape consumers’ attitudes and motivations in relation to brands, products, and marketing messages. Providing a concise guide to the discipline, the author covers key themes such as vulnerable consumers, new technologies and collaborative consumption.”
Associate Professors Barnes and Hill contributed an “insightful, engaging, and very informative chapter to the book. It’s about the sharing economy, a timely topic,” said Dr. Stephens.
Dr. Morris B. Holbrook offered this glowing review of Dr. Stephens book. “In her new book entitled The Essentials of Consumer Behavior, Debra Stephens provides the interested teacher, student, or practitioner with a splendid alternative to other texts that address the field of consumer studies. After years of preparation, pursuing a broadly interdisciplinary perspective, Debra has created a carefully constructed and beautifully written treatise that covers the conventional decision-oriented information-processing approach to buyer choices and the traditional methods of data-driven research, but that also branches into such newer areas as ethnography and netnography, the impact of social media, and the special needs of vulnerable consumers – including the disabled, children, and even animals. Debra provides plentiful real-world examples and an engaging style throughout, perhaps most of all when she delves into the world of pet ownership and tells tales of her own beloved Gounguroo.” Morris B. Holbrook is a W. T. Dillard Professor Emeritus of Marketing Graduate School of Business Columbia University.
We congratulate Dr. Stephens and associate professors Barnes and Hill for their outstanding work on this important contribution in understanding consumer behavior.