MKT 345 Module Four Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric Overview: For this assignment, due in Module Four, you will submit a brief 1- to 2-page paper in which you first analyze the various stages of the consumer buying process and then develop 8 to 10 survey questions that can be used when evaluating a purchase decision for a product. This assignment will help prepare you for your Milestone Two presentation on the consumer buying process. Prompt: First, read the article Consumer Buying Process and watch the video 7 Tips for Good Survey Questions. In a brief 1- to 2-page paper, address the following:  Which stage of the consumer buying process do you believe leads most directly to a consumer’s purchase decision? Explain your reasoning.  How does an understanding of these stages help companies determine consumers’ different influences and motivations in making purchases?  Which survey questions should you ask in order to obtain the most important and relevant information for your selected market segment for the final project? Include 8 to 10 sample questions.  How will the survey be administered? How will results be collected?  Justify your use of the survey: Why does the survey need to be conducted? What are you trying to answer with the survey? Be sure to discuss demographic profiling and the type of scale used. Cite from the article, the video, and other research to support your responses. Specifically, the following critical element must be addressed: I. Describe the stages of the consumer buying process that lead to a purchase decision and examine how an understanding of these stages informs a company’s marketing campaign. II. Create 8 to 10 survey questions that target a specific market segment for a consumer product, and describe how the survey will be conducted. https://toughnickel.com/starting-business/Stages-of-the-Consumer-Buying-Process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_fhTuY1hw Rubric Guidelines for Submission: The short paper should follow these formatting guidelines: 1–2 pages in length, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and citations in APA style. Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value Stages of Consumer Buying Process Meets "Proficient" criteria and description contains original ideas that provide clear insight into the stages of the consumer buying process Describes the stages of the consumer buying process that lead to a purchase decision and examines how an understanding of these stages informs a company’s marketing campaign Describes the stages of the consumer buying process that lead to a purchase decision but does not sufficiently explain how an understanding of these stages informs a company’s marketing campaign Does not describe the stages of the consumer buying process that lead to a purchase decision 40 Survey Questions Meets "Pr ...

1. MKT 345 Module Four Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric
Overview: For this assignment, due in Module Four, you will
submit a brief 1- to 2-page paper in which you first analyze the
various stages of the consumer
buying process and then develop 8 to 10 survey questions that
can be used when evaluating a purchase decision for a product.
This assignment will help prepare
you for your Milestone Two presentation on the consumer
buying process.
Prompt: First, read the article Consumer Buying Process and
watch the video 7 Tips for Good Survey Questions. In a brief 1-
to 2-page paper, address the
following:
leads most directly to a consumer’s purchase decision? Explain
your reasoning.
determine consumers’ different influences and motivations in
making purchases?
most important and relevant information for your selected
market segment for the final
project? Include 8 to 10 sample questions.

2. collected?
be conducted? What are you trying to answer with the survey?
Be sure to discuss
demographic profiling and the type of scale used.
Cite from the article, the video, and other research to support
your responses.
Specifically, the following critical element must be addressed:
I. Describe the stages of the consumer buying process that lead
to a purchase decision and examine how an understanding of
these stages informs a
company’s marketing campaign.
II. Create 8 to 10 survey questions that target a specific market
segment for a consumer product, and describe how the survey
will be conducted.
https://toughnickel.com/starting-business/Stages-of-the-
Consumer-Buying-Process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_fhTuY1hw
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: The short paper should follow these
formatting guidelines: 1–2 pages in length, double spaced, 12-
point Times New Roman font,

3. one-inch margins, and citations in APA style.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs
Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Stages of Consumer
Buying Process
Meets "Proficient" criteria and
description contains original
ideas that provide clear insight
into the stages of the
consumer buying process
Describes the stages of the
consumer buying process that
lead to a purchase decision and
examines how an
understanding of these stages
informs a company’s marketing
campaign
Describes the stages of the
consumer buying process that
lead to a purchase decision but
does not sufficiently explain
how an understanding of these
stages informs a company’s
marketing campaign
Does not describe the stages of
the consumer buying process
that lead to a purchase
decision

4. 40
Survey Questions Meets "Proficient" criteria and
survey questions are well
developed and relevant to the
particular consumer product
Includes 8 to 10 survey
questions that target a specific
market segment for a
consumer product, and
describes how the survey will
be conducted
Includes 8 to 10 survey
questions that target a specific
market segment for a
consumer product, but does
not sufficiently describe how
the survey will be conducted
Does not include 8 to 10 survey
questions that target a specific
market segment for a
consumer product
40
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented

5. in a professional and easy-to-
read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
20
Total 100%
Post #1
Path-Goal theory proposes that in order for leaders to be
effective, they must “engage in behaviors that complement
subordinates’ environments and abilities in a manner that
compensates for deficiencies and is instrumental to subordinate
satisfaction and individual and work unit performance” (House,
1996, p. 1).
Using Table 6.1 Path-Goal Theory (Northouse, 2016, p. 121), I
have identified that my leadership challenge is that I have a
leadership behavior that does not necessarily align with the

6. subordinate and task characteristics of my staff members.
Taking the Path-Goal Leadership Questionnaire (Northouse,
2016, p. 133), has further confirmed that my leadership
behavior is generally directive and achievement oriented. My
scores for supportive behavior fell at the top level of low, and
participative aspects were extremely low.
Most of the tasks that we perform in accounting are repetitive
and mundane. We have monthly cycles of accounting,
reconciling and reporting. Challenges come up when we have
system glitches, special projects, or implement new processes.
While my strong achievement oriented behavior would benefit
these ambiguous, challenging, and complex situations, they are
rare (Northouse, 2016, p. 121). Therefore, in alignment with the
characteristics of the task we do daily, the supportive leadership
behavior would be most beneficial. Just as I identified in my
post regarding Situational Leadership, generally my staff need a
coaching and supporting leadership style. Supportive leadership
is nurturing and helps to maintain the motivation of followers
(Northouse, 2016, p. 120). My goal then is to improve
“psychological security” for followers by providing a
supporting relationship (House, 1996, p. 340). Using a
supportive leadership style will assist in “building camaraderie,
respect, trust, and liking” (Northouse, 2016, p. 72).
References:
House, R.J. (1996). Path-goal theory of leadership: Lessons,
legacy, and a reformulated theory. Leadership Quarterly, 7(1),
323-352
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1-
4833-1753-3
Post #2
In my leadership challenge I am tasked to change the process
which will change the culture within the adult division of the
probation department and get PO’s to do something that they
don’t normally do, which is to facilitate classes.

7. Because I may come across resistance to this change I am
tasked to make, I think a participative approach to my challenge
would work. The reason for that is if I include the team in
being a part of creating this new program, include them in
developing the schedule on when to teach and who will be
teaching, the team is invested because they were a part of this
process. This is also a way for getting the team to buy into this
because they were part of the planning. They will have no one
to blame if anything went wrong because they were involved on
the planning. As stated in Northouse, 2016, p. 121-122,
“participation gives greater clarity to how certain paths lead to
certain goals, and helps followers learn what leads to what”.
My score for the Path Goal Questionnaire was 27 on
participative style which is my preferred leadership style which
is the style that I would use for my challenge.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Post #3
Use Table 6.1 Path-Goal Theory: How it Works in Northouse to
assess the subordinate and task characteristics of your
leadership challenge, and determine which of the four leader
behaviors is predicted to be most effective? Compare this with
your score on Path-Goal Questionnaire at the end of chapter 6.
According to this theory, is your preferred leadership style
predicted to be effective in this situation or not? f not, what
style would be more effective?
In my leadership challenge one of my subordinates was
dogmatic and authoritarian and one was basically adrift.
Northouse states, “theoretically, the path-goal approach
suggests that leaders need to choose a leadership style that best
fits the needs of followers and the work they are doing.” (2016,
p.121) While my natural leadership style (unless I’m dealing
with my children) is non-directive, in this particular challenge
which was complex and the individual I was dealing with was
hostile and defensive I approached him in my natural

8. participative style, but quickly found that I needed to adjust to
directive. This was less comfortable for me, but got the desired
message across loud and clear. As for the employee who was a
bit clueless, I also used a directive style because he was
untrained and needed specific guidance.
My scores on the questionnaire were low directive, common
supportive, high participative, and common achievement-
oriented. These results were not a surprise to me. I did have a
bit of a hindsight epiphany about my style of leadership and
how it may have left some of my employees feeling
disconnected. The nature of the college program that I ran was
fairly repetitive with the same general education courses
running term after term. I can see how my low-common
supportive style may have not been enough to ensure that my
team felt valued and affiliated with the program as a whole.
What on my end was confidence and trust in my faculty and
staff may have been perceived as aloofness or even lack of care
for them as individuals. Something for me to keep in mind as a
leader in the future.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Los
Angeles, California: Sage Publications, Inc.