Abstract:

The paper discusses the complexity of the modern marketing environment and the need for a more comprehensive view of buying behaviour. Over the past decade several new factors, such as increasing government intervention in industry and commerce and the highly articulate and organised criticism of business practices, have indicated the need for management to acquire a broader appreciation of trends in their markets. By taking note of psychological, sociological, and cultural factors as well as economic variables, a far more realistic appreciation of buying behaviour can be obtained, marketing education should include some systematic introduction to the fundamental principles of psychology and sociology, which, together with economic theory, are able to offer a more complete explanation of the complex needs of modern society.