UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING, BUSINESS ECONOMICS, AND LAW COURSE SYLLABUS – MARKETING 312/A2
Instructor: Webb Dussome, CMRP Class Time: MWF 10:00 – 10:50 Class Location: BUS B-05 Office: BUS 1-29
Business Phone: (780) 492-0675 Fax: (780) 492-3325
E-mail: [email protected]
U of A Website: https://ulearn.ualberta.ca/webapps/login Office Hours: MWF 12:00-13:15, or by appointment COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES
In today’s competitive business environment, organizations are expected to make good decisions that are often based on incomplete information or uncertainty about future demand. Many organizations have also adopted the marketing orientation, where they want to understand consumer preferences before, and hopefully not after, products and services are brought to market. These realities of organizational life make a good case for the need for quality information, which marketing research can provide.
Our objectives in this course will focus on developing an understanding of the tools that marketing researchers use to assist management in making decisions in business
organizations. Beyond gaining an understanding of marketing research methodologies this course, through the completion of a marketing research project for a local
organization, will provide students with the opportunity to develop the skills required to actually perform marketing research. These skills will include the development of a research proposal and questionnaire, the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, and the construction of a research report.
TEXTBOOK(S) Required:
Marketing Research Essentials (Canadian Edition) by McDaniel, Gates, and Sivaramakrishnan. John Wiley and Sons Canada, Ltd., 2009
Optional:
Modern Marketing Research Step-by-Step by Chuck Chakrapani and Ken Deal (2011), available from http://www.mria-arim.ca/EDUCATION/InClass.asp#TextBook
Students are not expected to purchase this book.
EVALUATION
Midterm 1 25% October 12, 2012
Midterm 2 25% November 28, 2012
Group Project 50% see ‘Group Project’ section for due dates
Students should familiarize themselves with the University’s guidelines regarding exam deferrals. Each phase of the group project will not be accepted after the due dates, unless prior approval has been granted by the instructor.
GROUPS/PARTICIPATION
A significant component of the course evaluation (50%) is based on a group project.
Students will be expected to form groups (maximum of 4 members), and to provide the instructor with a list of their group members by September 17. If students are not in a group by September 17, the instructor will assign them to a group.
Important: A final student evaluation will be conducted at the end of the term by each group member. This evaluation will be based on a charter that each group member will agree to and sign when the group has its initial meeting. A sample copy of a group charter is available on the course web site.
These evaluations are an important component in assessing each student’s final project mark. For example, if a group receives a final project mark of 80% (or 40 of the possible 50 marks), and group members (based on the agreed to components of the group charter), assign a group member a score of 70 out of 100 for their participation, then that student’s final mark for the project would be 56% (or 28 out of the possible 50 marks). So the student’s final project mark is based on the quality of the group’s project and their peers’ assessment of their performance in the group.
Because these evaluations are an important part of each student’s final grade, it is important that each group member maintains copies of meeting agendas and group minutes throughout the term. Sample copies of agenda and minute formats are available on the course web site.
Note: Should a student feel the evaluation given by their other group members is incorrect, it is the affected student’s responsibility to provide the instructor with: a written statement of how they contributed to the project, original copies of their project contributions, plus group meeting agendas and minutes that clearly show they attended meetings and completed the work that was assigned to them. Without these
documents, the instructor will be unable to entertain an appeal, and the evaluation provided by the other group members will be considered correct.
RESEARCH PROJECT
Students will be expected to complete a marketing research project for a local
organization. This project is meant to be practical in nature, and will require students to collect primary and secondary marketing research data, perform statistical data analysis, and write a comprehensive research report. To complete this project, students will need to complete the following phases:
Phase 1 (5%) – students will be required to write a short research proposal. The format and contents will be discussed in class early in the term. This proposal should not exceed 3 double spaced pages (12 point font, 1 inch margins). The due date for this assignment is October 5, 2012.
Phase 2 (10%) – students will be required to develop a questionnaire and sampling plan.
This assignment should not exceed 5 doubled spaced pages (12 point font, 1 inch margins). The due date for this assignment is October 26, 2012.
Phase 3 (15%) – students will be required to perform an analysis of the data they have collected (both qualitative and quantitative). This analysis should include both software output and a written summary. This assignment should not exceed 5 doubled spaced pages (12 point font, 1 inch margins), plus any key related computer output. The due date for this assignment is November 16, 2012.
Phase 4 (20%) – students will be required to write a comprehensive report based on the sum of their research and analysis. This report should not exceed 15 double spaced pages (not including appendices), 12 point font, 1 inch margins. The due date for this assignment is December 5, 2012.
You will note in the course schedule that the instructor has reserved four ‘project days’
for students to work on their projects. On these days, the instructor will be available for consultation, but there will be no formal lectures.
ETHICS
In completing this project, students will be expected to maintain the highest possible level of ethics and diligence. Students will be expected to download the ethics forms from the course web site, and then bring them to class on September 7. The instructor will explain the ethics procedure required for the course, and also explain how the forms are to be completed.
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 www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
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.
Date Topic
September 5/7 Course Introduction, Ethics/Project
Guidelines, Chapter 1 (start)
September 10/12/14 Chapter 1 (finish), Chapter 2 (start) September 17/19/21 Chapters 2 (finish) and 7 (start)
Teams selected (17th)
September 24/26 Chapter 7 (finish)
September 28 Project Day (proposal development)
October 1/3/5 Chapters 6 and 8
Project Phase 1 Due (5th)
October 8 Thanksgiving Day (no class)
October 10 Guest speaker
October 12 Midterm 1
October 15/17/19 Chapters 10 and 11
October 22 Project Day (questionnaire, sampling plan)
October 24/26 Chapters 12 and 13
Project Phase 2 Due (26th) October 29/31, November 2 Chapter 4
November 5/7 Chapter 5
November 9 Project Day (data collection)
November 12 Remembrance Day Break, no class
November 14/16 Chapter 9
Project Phase 3 Due (16th)
November 19/21/23 Chapter 3
November 26 Chapter 14 November 28 Midterm 2
November 30 Project Day (final report) December 3 Panel discussion
December 5 Project Phase 4 Due (5th)
