UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA School of Business
Department of Marketing, Business Economics, and Law
MARKETING 466, Section B1, Winter 2014 Course Outline – revised January 15
Instructor: Sharon Bell, MBA
Class Time: Tuesday and Thursday 3:30 to 4:50pm Class Location: BUS 1 – 9
Office: BUS 2-33 (Please note that I work off campus, so please use email first to reach me.) E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday - 2:50pm to 3:20pm in my office, or by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW
About 75% of Canadian GDP is derived from services industries. Much of the job growth in developed countries is in services companies. Moreover, what were historically product dominant firms are turning into service companies; for example, more than half of IBM’s revenues and GE profits are now derived from services. Research in service rather than product marketing didn’t start until the mid- 1980’s. The result is that academics as well as practitioners still have a lot to learn about the service phenomena.
This course will build on the core marketing concepts from Marketing 301, to make them specifically applicable to service industry settings. We will discuss how services are different, why they are
different, and what strategies result from these distinctions. We will cover why people are essential to service success, why expectations are important to service consumers, how the physical environment influences service delivery and how services firms should recover from failure. You will also learn how quality is evaluated in service firms.
To make Management decisions, managers need an understanding of services theory as well as how to use it in concrete situations. These are best learned by examining service problems that require managerial judgment and decision making. To that end, cases and an applied project will be used in this course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course objectives are as follows:
1. To appreciate the differences between services and physical goods 2. To understand how these differences translate into strategic direction 3. To understand what quality means in service delivery
4. To understand how perceptions of service quality are developed by customers
5. To understand how service customers determine value in a service exchange and how this translates into a satisfied customer base
6. To appreciate the role of physical evidence in service delivery and what constitutes an effective service environment
7. To have the knowledge necessary to manage the human element involved in service delivery 8. To appreciate the ramifications of service failure and the benefits of service recovery
strategies
9. To understand the important of keeping good current customers and finding good future customers
REQUIRED TEXT
Ziethaml et al (2009), Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm. 6th Edition.
McGraw-Hill Ryerson EVALUATION
Midterm 25%
Project 35%
Project Presentation 15%
Final Exam 25%
Professionalism - See section “Professionalism”
NOTE RE: EXAMS: Each exam is based on material in the textbook, PowerPoint presentations, and class discussion. Exams will test both factual knowledge as well as your ability to apply the concepts.
Students should familiarize themselves with the University’s guidelines regarding exam deferrals.
Absences from exams can be excused only on the basis of illness accompanied by a Medical Statement or, a family emergency/distress. Students should also familiarize themselves with the University’s guidelines for appeal of grades.
CALCULATION OF FINAL GRADES
https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=101
The University of Alberta academic policy on grading states the following: “Grades reflect judgements of student achievement made by instructors. These judgements are based on a combination of
absolute achievement and relative performance in class.” The rounding of final course grades is at the discretion of the instructor. Percentage grades are calculated and then converted to letter grades (using the conversion chart available on the U of A website) for posting as the student’s final grade.
Any grade that is rounded up will be based on the active, constructive contribution to the class by the student over the term.
PROFESSIONALISM
Students who behave in an unprofessional manner will have their final course grade reduced by 5%.
Examples of acting in an unprofessional manner include:
- Arriving for class late on a regular basis - Leaving class early on a regular basis
- Poor attention in class, particularly if it disrupts others – this might include texting, checking email, checking websites or using apps, listening to music, talking to other students, cell phone ringer on
- Addressing the instructor or other students in an inappropriate or disrespectful manner ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour – online at
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/governance/StudentAppealsRegulations.cfm - and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
UNIVERSITY POLICY ON COURSE OUTLINES
Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
COURSE SCHEDULE
The following schedule is provided as a general guideline. Depending on the flow of the course, it could change slightly, so students should keep current on in class activities.
January 7 Course Introduction -
January 9 Gaps Model of Service Quality Chapter 1 and 2
January 14 Customer Expectations of
Service
Chapter 3 January 16 Customer Perceptions of Service Chapter 4
January 21 Case Case 7: JetBlue
January 23 Listening to Customers through
Research
Chapter 5
Project – submit group, company selected, research planned
January 28 Building Customer Relationships Chapter 6, Case 2
January 30 Service Recovery Chapter 7
February 4 Case Case 3: United Breaks Guitars
February 6 Service innovation and design Chapter 8
February 11 Customer defined service
standards
Chapter 9
February 13 Review Case Case 6 – Jyske Bank
February 18 Reading Week – no class
February 20 Reading Week – no class
February 25 No class
February 27 Midterm
March 4 Physical Evidence and
Servicescape
Chapter 10
March 6 Employees’ Role in Service Delivery
Chapter 11 Case 1, Case 5
March 11 Customers’ Role in Service
Delivery
Chapter 12
March 13 Managing Demand and Capacity Chapter 13
March 18 Industry Panel
March 20 Integrated Service Marketing
Communication
Chapter 14
March 25 Pricing of Services Chapter 15
Projects Due
March 27 Financial and Economic Impact
of Services Case
Chapter 16 Case 4
April 1 Project Presentations
April 3 Project Presentations
April 8 Review
April 23 (TBD) 2pm Final Exam
