 |
|
|
[ Lectures & Schedule ] [ Exam ] [ Reading Material ] [ Coursework ] [Class Participation ] [ Course Purpose ] [Course Content ] [Group Project ] [Peer Evaluation ] [Honor Code ] [ Attendance & Behavior ] [ Feedback ] [ Contact ] NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITYJ.L.KELLOGG GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Marketing 450 Professor Stephen Brown Research Methods in Marketing Autumn 2003 NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE COURSE According to Professor Philip Kotler, conventional marketing thinking is unsuitable for tomorrow’s marketing strategies and the challenges of the information age. New times call for new methods and this course seeks to rise to the research challenge by combining the best of the old with the possibilities of the new. It is aimed at managers, those who are the ultimate users of research and responsible for determining the direction of marketing research activities. It attempts to inculcate an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of marketing research, whilst recognising their potential contribution. The emphasis of the course will be on the interpretation and meaning of market research findings, rather than the technicalities of their derivation. The course is broadly structured to reflect the old research/new research paradigms, with each paradigm divided into two distinct categories. The first part focuses on traditional qualitative and quantitative schools of marketing research. Topics covered include problem definition, research design and data collection and analysis. The second part of the course concentrates on cyberal and cultural research perspectives. The former refers to the Internet as a research context, where quantitative and qualitative approaches combine, whereas the latter pertains to creative research insights available from the wider cultural sphere. 1. Gilbert A. Churchill, Jr. (1999), Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations, 7th Edition, Dryden Press. 2. Dawn Iacobucci (ed.), (2001), Kellogg on Marketing, Wiley. 3. Course Packet (transparencies will be made available on line). RECOMMENDED MATERIAL David Carson et al (2001), Qualitative Marketing Research, Sage. Stephen Brown (2001), Marketing – The Retro Revolution, Sage. COURSE PRE-REQUISITES The pre-requisites for this course are: Marketing D30 Decision Sciences and Statistics D34 It is assumed that students will be familiar with basic estimation, hypothesis testing, regression analysis and related D34 material, as well as statistical analysis software (e.g. SPSS or Excel). Each student will be evaluated on the following basis: 25% Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 30% Group Project 15% Class Participation Both midterm and final exams are closed book and in-class. The midterm exam includes topics covered in weeks 1 through 4 and the final exam will be based on the material covered in weeks 5 through 10. The examinations will comprise short problems or mini-cases relating to the analysis and interpretation of marketing research data. Creative rather than mechanistic answers will be rewarded. Classes will comprise a mixture of lectures, cases and exercises, with an emphasis on student participation. The overall aim is to demonstrate how different marketing research methods can be adapted to real-world problems. More specifically, class discussion will focus on the appropriateness and applicability of research methods and procedures, as well as the strategic issues arising. Students are expected to have read and digested all assigned material prior to the pertinent class, either individually or in a group. For discussion cases and exercises, it is recommended that you conduct the necessary analysis beforehand and be prepared to speak out on the issues. A substantial part of the benefit that you will derive from the course is a function of your willingness to expose your viewpoints and conclusions to the critical judgement of the class, as well as your ability to build upon and critically evaluate the judgements of your classmates. Participation in class discussion is very important and each student is expected to contribute. Feel free to ask questions and voice your ideas and opinions. Fifteen per cent of your final grade depends on class participation, with an emphasis on participation in discussions of exercises and cases. Effective participation (that is, both quality and quantity) can mean the difference between a higher and lower grade. Some of the criteria used to evaluate class participation are: Do comments go beyond facts and add to our knowledge and understanding? Do comments reflect an understanding of theories and tools presented in class? Are comments relevant to the discussion and points made by others? Do comments move the discussion along through the provision of new perspectives? Are comments concise and clear or are they confusing and rambling? Do comments help maintain a civil and constructive classroom atmosphere? The objective of the research project is to provide you with some hands-on experience of applying the concepts and methods of marketing research to a real-world research problem; namely, the rise of offensive marketing. The project will be pursued in self-selected groups of 4 or 5 persons. Please note the following deadlines for the project: ACTIVITY Group composition and brief project description - By week 4 Research - By week 6 Group project presentation and report proposal - Week 10 Since the research project requires a significant amount of time and effort on your part, it is suggested that you pick a specific marketing problem which interests the entire team. The problem has to be approved by the instructor, to ensure inter-project compatibility, though freedom of research expression within the context of the overall theme of offensiveness is encouraged. The principal constraint is that the project is relevant to marketing and that it involves gathering primary data. All things considered, a project dealing with an authentic problem will be looked on more favourably than one engaging with a trivial or contrived topic. Group membership and a one-page (maximum) description of the project should be turned in and approved by week 4. As this summary will not be graded, there is no need to make it aesthetically appealing. A brief overview of what your group plans to do is quite sufficient. Each group must submit a formal research proposal by week 6. It should be approximately 3 pages long and consist of the following: Background (marketing context; nature of the problem; specification of the problem). Purpose (rationale for the research; statement of objectives). Methodology (sample, data collection procedures; justification for choice of method) Outcome (how the research findings will help solve the stated marketing problem). Group members can contact the instructor at any time with regard to the research project. The final week of class will be given over to formal presentations of the findings. The presentation is part of your grade. All members of the group must attend, though the presentation itself can be organised as the group sees fit. Creativity, once again, will be rewarded. The final group report is due at the start of week 10. The report should not exceed 15 pages (not including exhibits). It is important to write concisely and creatively. The printed output should be neat, text should be double-spaced, and typos avoided if at all possible. Remember to proof read the report prior to submission. It should consist of the following: Title page Table of contents Executive summary Background Statement of objectives Research design and methodology Methods Sample Data collection Analytical procedure Research findings Conclusions and recommendations Limitations Appendices The final copy will be retained by the instructor. Before turning in the report, ensure that sufficient copies are made for clients and group members alike. Peer evaluation forms will be made available to you. Group members are expected to evaluate each other’s performance. Everyone must return these forms on or before week 10. It is expected that everyone in the group will contribute equally to the project. Delegation of work is a good idea, though regular group meetings are also necessary. Individual grades will be adjusted up or down depending on the intra-group evaluations. The honor course will be applied to the course as follows. Students should not have access to case solutions, assignments or exams from any previous marketing research class. This constraint also applies to any material on reserve in the library from other marketing research classes. Group projects should be the work of group members only. The examinations are to be completed on an individual basis, without access to any previous marketing research examination papers. If you come across one, it should be returned to the instructor. Any violation of these guidelines constitutes an infraction of the honor code and should be reported to the instructor. Kellogg Code of Classroom Etiquette states “Attendance is compulsory the first week of class. Failure to attend will result in your exclusion from the class if a waiting list exists.” This policy will be enforced. Additionally, attendance at the class sessions is a course requirement. If a student is unable to attend, (s)he should notify the instructor in advance. Students may miss two class sessions at most, after which 3 percentage points (per session) will be deducted from their overall grade. Students are expected to arrive on time for class. Entering the class after it has begun is not only disruptive but discourteous to the student body. Similarly, students are expected to remain in class for its entire duration. Do not leave the class for a few minutes and then return, since this too is disruptive. If you must leave the class early, inform the instructor before the session starts and sit at the end of an aisle to avoid unnecessary disturbance as you depart. Reading newspapers or magazines in class, or using a laptop computer for activities other than those related to the day’s topic, is not permitted. A collegial atmosphere, based on mutual respect and a professional outlook, is desirable at all times. Feel free to contact the instructor at any time with questions pertaining to the course. The door of my office is always open and I can be reached by phone, fax or e-mail. I will be asking you to supply me with your e-mail address and I look forward to communicating with you not only in person but also via the Internet. I will routinely use e-mail to communicate with you about course-related matters. Treat e-mail as the preferred means of keeping in contact, though phone calls and faxes are equally acceptable. If you have any queries or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Your feedback is an important aspect of the course. Feel free to express your opinion at any time, on formal and informal occasions alike. I look forward to hearing from you. Please note that the schedule may be modified to accommodate guest speakers and/or student feedback. Week 1 - 28 Mar 2001: New Marketing, New Research? Week 2 - 4 April 2001: The Nature of Marketing Research Week 3 - 11 April 2001: Qualitative Research I Week 4 - 18 April 2001: Qualitative Research II Project Topics Due at Beginning of Class Week 5 - 25 April 2001: Quantitative Research I Mid-term Exam Week 6 - 2 May 2001: Quantitative Research II Project Proposals at Beginning of Class Week 7 - 9 May 2001: Quantitative Research III Week 8 - 16 May 2001: Cyberal Research Week 9 - 23 May 2001: Cultural Research Week 10 - 30 May 2001: Review for Final Exam Project Reports due at Beginning of Class Project presentations [ Lectures & Schedule ] [ Exam ] [ Reading Material ] [ Coursework ] [Class Participation ] [ Course Purpose ] [Course Content ] [Group Project ] [Peer Evaluation ] [Honor Code ] [ Attendance & Behavior ] [ Feedback ] [ Contact ] |
|