MKF5912 Marketing research. Unit Guide. Semester 2, 2014

Transcription

1 MKF5912 Marketing research Unit Guide Semester 2, 2014 Copyright Monash University All rights reserved. Except as provided in the Copyright Act 1968, this work may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the host Faculty and School/Department. The information contained in this unit guide is correct at time of publication. The University has the right to change any of the elements contained in this document at any time. Last updated: 17 Jul 2014

2 Table of Contents MKF5912 Marketing research - Semester 2, Mode of Delivery...1 Workload requirements...1 Additional workload requirements...1 Unit Relationships...1 Prohibitions...1 Chief Examiner(s)...1 Campus Lecturer(s)...1 Caulfield...1 Your feedback to Us...2 Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit...2 Academic Overview...3 Learning Outcomes...3 Unit Schedule...4 Teaching Approach...4 Assessment Summary...5 Hurdle Requirements...5 Second marking...5 Return of final marks...6 Assessment criteria...6 Assessment Requirements...7 Assessment Tasks...7 Assessment task Assessment task Assessment task Examination(s)...10 Examination Learning resources...10 Feedback to you...10 Assignment submission...10 Online submission...11 Required Resources...11 Recommended Resources...11 Other Information...12 Policies...12 Graduate Attributes Policy...12 Student Charter...12 Student services...12 Monash University Library...12 Moodle Disability Liaison Unit...13

3 MKF5912 Marketing research - Semester 2, 2014 Topics include the nature and conceptualisation of research problems; theory building; exploratory and qualitative research; literature and secondary data reviews; data collection methods; measurement concepts; sampling and fieldwork; sources of error, evaluation of statistical and practical significance; data analysis and presentation; report writing; examples of industry applications. Mode of Delivery Caulfield (Off-campus) Caulfield (Evening) Workload requirements Minimum total expected workload equals 144 hours per semester Additional workload requirements ON-CAMPUS: This is a six credit point unit with three hours class contact per week over 12 teaching weeks. OFF-CAMPUS: This is a six credit point unit. Unit Relationships Prohibitions MKF9120 Chief Examiner(s) Dr Dominic Thomas (First semester) Dr Stanislav Stakhovych (Second semester) Campus Lecturer(s) Caulfield Dr Stanislav Stakhovych Campus: Caulfield Phone: Stanislav.Stakhovych@monash.edu 1

4 MKF5912 Marketing research - Semester 2, 2014 Your feedback to Us Monash is committed to excellence in education and regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) survey. The University s student evaluation policy requires that every unit is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement. For more information on Monash s educational strategy, see: and on student evaluations, see: Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to 2

5 Academic Overview Learning Outcomes The learning goals associated with this unit are to: 1. provide a working knowledge of key concepts and methods used in marketing research 2. develop a capability in formulating a theoretical framework for a marketing problem/opportunity 3. provide an understanding of how to formulate a research design 4. provide experience at developing and presenting a research proposal. 3

6 Unit Schedule Week Activities Assessment 0 See extended schedule for lectures and tutorials on MUSO Blackboard 1 Introduction. Marketing research process (Chapter 1) 2 Planning for research (Chapters 2-3) Mini-task 1 due 3 Secondary data methods (Chapter 4) Mini-task 2 due 4 Qualitative research methods (Chapters 5) Mini-task 3 due 5 Descriptive research (Chapters 6, 8, 9 & 10) Mini-task 4 due No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0 6 Sampling (Chapter 11 & 12) Mini-task 5 due. Assignment 1 due 7 Field Work and Data Preparation (Chapter 13 & 14) Mini-task 6 due 8 Data Analysis I (Chapter 15) Mini-task 7 due 9 Data Analysis II (Chapter 16) Mini-task 8 due 10 Data Analysis III (Chapter 17) Mini-task 9 due 11 Research proposal (No readings and no mini task) Assignment 2 due 12 Presenting research (Chapter 23) Mini-task 10 due SWOT VAC Examination period No formal assessment is undertaken SWOT VAC LINK to Assessment Policy: academic/education/assessment/ assessment-in-coursework-policy.html Teaching Approach Lecture and tutorials or problem classes ON CAMPUS: This unit provides three contact hours per week of teaching and learning. The tuition program will include lectures, tutorials, statistical support resources and student presentations. For all weeks except week 11, the scheduled contact hours comprise a combined lecture and tutorial. Lectures will provide a framework for learning about marketing research. Students are expected to expand their understanding beyond the material covered in lectures. The lectures, text and suggested readings should give each student the opportunity to learn about the conceptualisation, design, implementation and use of research. Tutorials will give students the opportunities to discuss issues and obtain feedback on their developing research skills. All students are required to attend the Week 11 presentations which will run for three hours. The teaching program will be supported by assignments which will give students the opportunity of applying their learning from this unit to a marketing research projects. OFF CAMPUS: This unit is also offered online and through Open Learning (X3403). This unit provides the equivalent of three contact hours per week of teaching and learning. The tuition program will include on-line discussions, on-line task submissions, and statistical support 4

7 Unit Schedule resources. For all twelve weeks, the scheduled activities will comprise an on-line discussion on the week s mini-task and required readings. The lectures will provide a framework for learning about marketing research through an on-line posting at the beginning and end of each week. Students are expected to expand their understanding beyond the material covered in discussions. The discussions, text and suggested readings should give each student the opportunity to learn about the conceptualisation, design, implementation and use of research. On-line submission of the mini-tasks will give students the opportunities to discuss issues and obtain feedback on their developing research skills. The teaching program will be supported by assignments which will give students the opportunity of applying their learning from this unit to a marketing research projects. Assessment Summary Within semester assessment: 60% Examination: 40% Assessment Task Value Due Date Assignment 1: Prepare a Market Research Brief 15% Week 6 Sunday Midnight Assignment 2: Prepare a Research Proposal 35% Week 11 Sunday Midnight Mini-Tasks 10% Each week prior to the tutorial Examination 1 40% To be advised Hurdle Requirements There is a hurdle requirement in this unit. The learning outcomes in this unit require students to demonstrate in the individual summative assessment task a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in the unit. This is demonstrated by the requirement that the student must attain a mark of at least 50% in the final summative assessment task. A student s final mark is normally the sum of the marks obtained in all of the individual assessment items in the unit. Where a student fails the unit solely because of failure to satisfy the hurdle requirement a mark of 48 will be returned for the unit. The individual summative assessment task is the final exam. Second marking Where an assessment task is given a fail grade by an examiner, that piece of work will be marked again by a second examiner who will independently evaluate the work, and consult with the first marker. No student will be awarded a fail grade for an assessment task or unit without a second examiner confirming the result. Note: Exceptions to this are individual pieces of assessment contributing 10% or less of the final mark, unless the total of such pieces exceeds 30% of the final mark. 5

8 Unit Schedule Return of final marks Faculty policy states that 'the final mark that a student receives for a unit will be determined by the Board of Examiners on the recommendation of the Chief Examiner taking into account all aspects of assessment'. The final mark for this unit will be released by the Board of Examiners on the date nominated in the Faculty Calendar. Student results will be accessible through the my.monash portal. Assessment criteria Assessment Criteria Grading Descriptors available at: 6

9 Assessment Requirements Assessment Tasks Assessment task 1 Title: Assignment 1: Prepare a Market Research Brief Due date: Week 6 Sunday Midnight Details of task: Students are required to write a research brief based on a research problem faced by a company. A consultant, from a leading market research firm (week 3), will present the problem faced by the management of one of their clients. In response students need to take the role of the client and prepare a research brief. Any documents referred to in the brief must be referenced and must exist in the public domain. Please note that neither the briefs nor any attachments are to contain confidential information. Students are required to write a research brief that would have current relevance to a company of their choosing. It is not necessary that the company is Australian. Any documents referred to in the brief must be referenced and must exist in the public domain. Please note that neither the briefs nor any attachments are to contain confidential information. These briefs may be used for Assignment 2. This task is to be done in a group (maximum of FOUR (4) students). Your submission should consist of the following six (6) parts: 1. Introduction of the commissioning organisation and general purpose of the research 2. Background of any factors that prompt the need for research 3. Purpose of the research (i.e. the management decisions pending the research findings) 4. Research objectives 5. Project scope, timing and budget 6. References (listed on a separate page) Marks will be allocated according to the following regime: Component 1. Introduction of the commissioning organisation and general purpose of the research Background of any factors that prompt the need for research 3. Purpose of the research (i.e. the management decision pending research findings) Research objectives 5. Project scope, timing and budget 6. Readability; conformance with requirements; references %

10 Assessment Requirements Word limit: A strict 1,000 words limit applies (excluding reference list). Weighting/Value: 15% Estimated return date: Two weeks from the day of submission Learning objectives assessed: Learning objectives 1, 2 and 3 Submission details: The following guidelines will assist you in completion and submission of the assignments: 1. You must keep a copy of all your assignments. 2. You are expected to prepare and present your work in a professional manner. Attention to basic elements of expression spelling, punctuation, and grammar is essential. 3. Assignment should be submitted electronically via Moodle by due date. 4. Faxing or ing of assignments is not permitted in this unit. Penalties for late lodgement: A penalty of 10% of the mark allocated to this assessment task will be deducted for each day that the assessment is late. Assessment coversheet: All students must agree to Plagiarism Statement posted on Moodle. This is done only once and will replace old Cover Sheets. Failure to agree to this statement will result in inability to submit assignments and receive grades. Assessment task 2 Title: Assignment 2: Prepare a Research Proposal Due date: Week 11 Sunday Midnight Details of task: You will be required to write a Research Proposal in response to the brief assigned to you by your lecturer. In the process, you will investigate any relevant secondary data, develop a conceptual model of the topic area, scope out a research design and develop a draft discussion guide and/or questionnaire, as appropriate. The secondary data analysis should take the form of a literature review. A summary of key findings of the literature review should appear in the Background section of your proposal. Any additional relevant material should be included in an appendix. The conceptual model may be drawn from relevant literature or from the students own understanding of the situation. An overview of the model and research hypotheses should appear in the Research Approach section of your proposal. This task is to be done in a group (maximum of FOUR (4) students). Your written submission should consist of the following seven (7) parts: 1. Executive summary 2. The research problem (Background; Purpose of study; Research objectives) 3. Research approach (Conceptual model; Research questions and hypotheses) 4. Research design 8

11 Assessment Requirements 5. Proposed analysis 6. Reporting, costs and timing 7. Appendix: Discussion guide/draft questionnaire (including cover letter). Marks will be allocated according to the following regime: Component % 1. Executive summary The research problem, including the background, the purpose of the study and the research objectives Research approach, including the conceptual model, research questions and hypotheses Research design Proposed analysis Reporting, costs and timing Appendix: Discussion guide / questionnaire 10 Word limit: A suggested word limit of 2,500 word applies (excluding reference list). This word limit does not include the questionnaire, references and materials provided in appendices. Weighting/Value: 35% Estimated return date: Two weeks from the day of submission Learning objectives assessed: Learning objective 2, 3 and 4 Submission details: The following guidelines will assist you in completion and submission of the assignments: 1. You must keep a copy of all your assignments. 2. You are expected to prepare and present your work in a professional manner. Attention to basic elements of expression spelling, punctuation, and grammar is essential. 3. Assignment should be submitted electronically via Moodle by due date. 4. Faxing or ing of assignments is not permitted in this unit. Penalties for late lodgement: A penalty of 10% of the mark allocated to this assessment task will be deducted for each day that the assessment is late. Assessment coversheet: All students must agree to Plagiarism Statement posted on Moodle. This is done only once and will replace old Cover Sheets. Failure to agree to this statement will result in inability to submit assignments and receive grades. Assessment task 3 Title: Mini-Tasks Due date: Each week prior to the tutorial 9

12 Assessment Requirements Details of task: Mini-tasks are to be completed by individual students. There are 10 mini-tasks that needto be attempted prior to the tutorial each week. Each mini-task is worth 1 mark. The submissions will only be assessed in terms of whether or not the student satisfactory attempted the mini-task. Each mini-task will contribute equally to the assessment mark. Weighting/Value: 10% Estimated return date: Next week from submission Learning objectives assessed: Learning objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4 Submission details: Mini-tasks should be submitted in hard copy before each class. Examination(s) Examination 1 Weighting: 40% Length: 3 hours Type (open/closed book): Closed book Electronic devices allowed in the exam: None Remarks: A practice exam paper will be available on the Moodle website on Week 11. Calculators are not permitted. Learning resources Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit) Feedback to you Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are: Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes Graded assignments with comments Assignment submission 10

13 Assessment Requirements Online submission If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal. Required Resources Malhotra, Naresh (2010). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. Global 6th Edition, Pearson Education This text is available from the Monash University bookshop. Recommended Resources Books: Burns, A. & Bush, R. (2010), Marketing research, 6th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. ISBN: Churchill, G. & Brown, T. (2009), Basic marketing research, 7th Edition, Thompson/South-Western, Mason, OH. ISBN: X. McDaniel, C. & Gates, R (2006), Marketing research, 7th Edition, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. ISBN: Aaker, D. A, Kumar V & Day G.S, Lawley, M. & Stewart, D. (2007), Marketing Research. Zikmund, W. G., Ward, S., Lowe, B. & Winzar, H. (2007), Marketing research, Asia Pacific Edition, Thomson/South-Western, Australia. ISBN: Zikmund, W. (2009), Exploring marketing research, International Edition, Thomson/Southwestern, Mason, OH. ISBN: Journals: Journal of Marketing Research Australasian Marketing Journal Journal of Consumer Research Australasian Journal of Market Research Journal of Advertising Research International Journal of Market Research Market Research Abstracts 11

14 Other Information Policies Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash s Education Policies at: Key educational policies include: Student Academic Integrity Policy and Student Academic Integrity: Managing Plagiarism and Collusion Procedures ; Assessment in Coursework Programs; Special Consideration; Grading Scale; Discipline: Student Policy; Academic Calendar and Semesters; Orientation and Transition; and Academic and Administrative Complaints and Grievances Policy. Graduate Attributes Policy education/management/monash-graduate-attributes-policy.html Student Charter Student services The University provides many different kinds of support services for you. Contact your tutor if you need advice and see the range of services available at Monash University Library The Monash University Library provides a range of services, resources and programs that enable you to save time and be more effective in your learning and research. Go to or the library tab in my.monash portal for more information. Moodle 2 All unit and lecture materials, plus other information of importance to students, are available through the virtual learning environment Moodle site. You can access Moodle via the my.monash portal. Where to go for help If you're stuck, confused or simply not sure how to approach Moodle, there are a number of Moodle resources that you can tap into. 12

15 Other Information Disability Liaison Unit Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis. Website: Telephone: to book an appointment with a DLO; dlu@monash.edu Drop In: Equity and Diversity Centre, Level 1, Building 55, Clayton Campus. 13