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People as consumers

Choosing for the Master Leading Hospitality Innovation means studying at three great and well-respected institutes, each with their own focus and expertise. In Maastricht you will take a deep dive into people and consumer behaviour.  One of the modules you'll study is 'People as Consumers'. 

Dr Kimberley van der Heijden is the coordinator of this course and a researcher and lecturer at Hotel Management School Maastricht. Read her insights into this module!

A deep dive into human decision making

Every behaviour that we engage in starts with a decision. Understanding the psychological processes that play a role in this decision making process is thus crucial for understanding why people behave in a specific way. As such, in this module we take a deep dive into the psychology of human decision making and will help you to predict and shape (desired) behaviour. 

Understanding your consumers

Consumer Psychology (or behavioral science) is a growing field and becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry. Companies are understanding that in order to develop products and services that are relevant to the market, they need to understand the consumer. Being able to decode people’s behavior enables you to create transformational change.

Did you know that 95% of the innovations fail? That is because most innovations do not tap into consumers true needs, there is a lack of empathy and organizations do not understand how the consumers brain works. Understanding the consumer is key and knowledge is power!

Trends and developments in the industry

One of the main trends is the need for convenience. This also translates in Gen Z and Millenials being labelled as the convenience generation. All the supermarkets in The Netherlands offer ready-to-eat meals and some even freshly prepare them for you so you do not have to cook at home. Or, we like to go out for dinner. When we take the bus, we do not need to buy a ticket in advance anymore, we can just tap our debit card and we have paid for the trip. So, our whole environment is being designed on the convenience.

In the module, you will work on a group assignment and an individual assignment. For the group assignment, you will receive an academic article which you need to study and translate into practical implications for an organization in the hospitality industry. Afterwards, you will create a professional presentation where you will pitch their idea to an industry professional in the hospitality industry. 

In addition, you will complete an individual assignment in the form of a vlog (= video blog) where you present a framework based on the obligatory literature from several sessions of the course  and a case you select yourself. Through this assignment, we assess your ability to not only remember or understand literature, but more importantly to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create new knowledge about the course content!
 

About Dr Kimberley van der Heijden

Kimberley graduated from Maastricht University with a master degree in Human Decision Science and Strategic Marketing. She also holds a PhD in consumer behavior from Maastricht University of which her research appeared in leading international journals (PNAS & Food Quality and Preference) and received significant (inter)national media attention (Dailymail, Telegraph, Fox News, Psychologie Magazine). After her PhD she worked as a behavioral researcher at D&B gedrag in Nijmegen. Kimberley is skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research techniques and highly enjoys translating her academic knowledge about consumer psychology and research in plain language to others by using practical examples and small experiments.

Kimberley van der Heijden is a lecturer in consumer psychology at the Hotel Management School Maastricht, where she develops and teaches multiple courses on consumer psychology at bachelor and master level. She is also a member of the research center 'Future of Food' at the Hotel Management School Maastricht.