Course Syllabus: Marketing Research

Transcription

1 Course Syllabus: Marketing Research, Marketing 1210, Spring semester 2013, Section 7079, classroom N1018, Tuesday & Thursday from 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM, New York City College of Technology (City Tech), the City University of New York (CUNY) Paul Allen Salisbury, Ph.D, Adjunct Associate Professor, Office hours are: Monday & Thursday 5:20 PM 6:10 PM, or by appointment, room TBD. me for an appointment to schedule a meeting time. Try to give me 48 hours notice. You can fly standby after class usually works out. If you cannot get to my office hours, we can arrange another time. I m on campus Monday through Thursday. Best wishes for a wonderful semester! Course Description: This course emphasizes the use of Scientific Research Methods to develop marketing strategies, and assist marketing managers in making prudent marketing decisions. The course provides an overview of product, consumer, competitive and market research. This includes a wide variety of research techniques, stages in the empirical research process, qualitative research, survey research methods, questionnaire construction, an analysis of the various types of secondary data, types of sampling designs and procedures, data collection methods, data analysis and elementary statistical applications. Welcome to my world! Course Learning Objectives provide the students with: 1. An understanding of the importance of marketing research as a management decision-making tool. 2. An understanding of the value of marketing research for managers, and its role in the development and implementation of marketing strategies as well as the marketing concept. 3. An introduction to the six stages in the marketing research process by conducting a class-based research projects. 4. The ability to interact with marketing research professionals, including corporate research executives, corporate managers, media and marketing research personnel and research supply firms. 5. The necessary information to determine whether or not they want to pursue a career in the field of marketing research. Student Learning Outcomes: At the conclusion of the course, the student should have acquired the following skills and knowledge: 1. Students will have the ability to collaborate with others in marketing research teams. This will enhance your leadership, management, organizational, presentation, problem solving, analytical and networking skills. 2. Students will improve their quantitative reasoning skills, as well as their theoretical and conceptual reading ability. You will be better able to read for details and incorporate information from secondary sources into research reports. 3. Students will understand the stages in the empirical marketing research process and be able to apply them to real-life marketing research studies. 4. Students will have a thorough, basic understanding of the marketing research industry vocabulary and how it is used by marketing professionals. 5. Students will be able to compile, analyze and use marketing research as a decision making tool to help them to solve problems and make decisions. Class Rules: All students are expected to behave in a responsible, courteous professional manner at all times. Mobiles (e.g., cell phones, Blackberries, IPhones, etc.), must be turned off during the class.

2 Each unexcused absence, (beyond the basic three), will mean a one point reduction in your grade for the semester. (If you are being deployed during the semester, or are hospitalized, contact me ASAP. I will work with you). If you do not understand something during the class, please raise your hand. I am happy to answer your questions about the class. If your question is about course work, assignments, etc., it is vital that you ask me during the class. Your question will enable you to kill two birds with one stone you will get credit for classwork that day, and you will do a good deed. There are at least five other students who want to ask that question but they are too shy. Help yourself, and do a good deed. Please see me after class if you have personal (confidential) concerns or want to schedule an appointment. I will make time to talk with you. Attendance Policy: Students are allowed three absences during the 30-session regular college semester. Students are considered to be late if they arrive more than 15 minutes after the start-time of the class session. If you are late three times during the 30-session regular college semester, that equals one absence. Businesspeople are expected to be on time for meetings. People who are late too often develop bad reputations, and tend to lose their jobs. Work can be fun, but it is also very serious. Cheating. According to the New York City College Student Handbook, the terms cheating and plagiarism are defined as follows: Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. The following are some examples of cheating. It is not an exhaustive list. 1. Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another student to copy your work. 2. Unauthorized collaboration on a take-home assignment or examination. 3. Using notes during a closed-book examination. 4. Taking an examination for another student, or asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you. 5. Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit. 6. Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting each instructor. 7. Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam book) before an examination. 8. Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including the use of term paper services. 9. Giving assistance to acts of academic misconduct/dishonesty. 10. Fabricating data (all or part). 11. Submitting someone else s work as your own. 12. Unauthorized use during an examination of electronic devices such as cell phones, palm pilots, computers or other technologies to retrieve or send information. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is this an exhaustive list:

3 1. Copying another person s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source. 2. Presenting another person s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source. 3. Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source. 4. Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and other assignments. Internet Plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and cutting & pasting from sources without proper attribution. Reminder: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person s ideas, research or writing as your own. According to CUNY Policy, plagiarism is punishable by penalties including failing grades, suspension and expulsion. Please review the NYCCT policy on this subject on the City Tech web site: You are required to read this City Tech policy. This policy will be enforced. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: EXPLORING MARKETING RESEARCH, by William G. Zikmund and Barry J. Babin, South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2010, Tenth Edition. (If you order ASAP used copies are available). TOPIC CHAPTER - PART I. INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING RESEARCH - The Role of Marketing Research: Applied & Basic, Strategic Management Orientation, etc. 1 - The Marketing Research Process: Decision-making, Types, Stages, Strategies, etc. 3 - The Human Side of Marketing Research: Organizational & Ethical Issues Suppliers, etc. 4 - Problem Definition: Jumpstarting the Research Process Research Objectives & Proposals 5 - Part II. MEASUREMENT CONCEPTS - Measurement: What to Measure, Levels of Measurement, Indices, Good Measurement, Validity 13 - Attitude Measures: What s An Attitude, Rating Scales, Attitudes vs. Intentions, Measuring Scales 14 - Questionnaire Design: Basics, Question Phrasing, Question Sequence, Not What But How, etc 15 - Midterm Exam - Chapters: 1, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, and PART III. BEGINNING STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TOOLS: What is Qualitative? Qualitative vs. Quantitative, Techniques 6 - Secondary Data Research in a Digital Age: Definitions, Sources, & Objectives 7 - Part IV. Sampling & Fieldwork - Sampling Designs & Procedures: Why Sample, Probability vs. Non-probability, Methods 16 - Fieldwork: What is it? Who Does it & Why? Training Interviewers, Project Management 18 - PART V. SURVEY RESEARCH IN PRACTICE - Research Designs for Primary Data: Survey Research Overview, Advantages & Disadvantages 8

4 - Basic Methods of Communication with Respondents: Survey Techniques, Pre-testing, Ethics 9 - PART VI. DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION - EDITING AND CODING: TRANSFORMING RAW DATA INTO INFORMATION Editing, Coding 19 - Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics Crosstabs, Measures of Central Tendency, Graphics 20 - PART VII. CLASS PRESENTATIONS and Review For Final Exam, (chapters: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20) Required Online Readings: Each student is required to subscribe to the following free publication, and resource: o Advertising Educational Foundation (AEF). Go to The AEF is an excellent source of information on issues and careers in all areas of advertising. Supplemental Materials:.. o There will be case examples of key concepts posted on Blackboard; a copy of the syllabus will be posted too. We will review examples/cases often. The extra-credit questions on the midterm exam will be based on these examples. The research project and the homework assignments will be posted here too. It is essential to become familiar with accessing Blackboard. Blackboard: As a City Tech student it is necessary to become familiar with Blackboard, the online instructional software. In order to learn more about Blackboard you should visit the City Tech web support team in room G600 or call to find out about workshops for students. You may also visit, (use link), for a Beginner s Guide to Blackboard. The best thing is to go to G600 and sign up for a workshop on how to use Blackboard. The support team is very helpful -- nice people too. Suggestion: visit Blackboard a few times each week, on different days too. This will help you get comfortable with Blackboard. Once logged in, double-click on the Spring 2013 Mkt 1210 (7079) link; this should display areas (tabs) such as Discussion Board, Announcements, Course Information and Course Documents. Important, be sure to register at the CUNY Portal if you need a CUNY Portal ID to access Blackboard and other online resources. Go to click on: Portal Log in, then click on Create a new account, then follow instructions. The following are some of the tabs you will see on the left side of your screen once logged in successfully to Blackboard: Course Documents, Information, etc. Here you ll see the Syllabus, supplemental articles/cases for each chapter, the research and homework assignments, information, etc. I will give you a copy of the syllabus in class too. Just in case you misplace your copy, you can check on Blackboard for the syllabus, etc. You still have to buy the textbook; that will not be posted on Blackboard. Used copies are available if you buy the textbook ASAP. Weekly Marketing Article Review: The research report and homework assignments must be in the form of a memo. A memo is the most basic written communication for a businessperson. Use the following format. To: Dr. Salisbury From: Your Name Date: The date you are giving it to me Subject: Analysis of Census Data for New Business Planning

5 Per your request, I am giving you an analysis of the Census Data on Blah for a Lady Gaga retail shop.. Advice. The most common formal, written communication in business is a memo. Even s are typically an informal memo. It s essential that everyone become comfortable with a memo format. There are several variations on the above format, but all are quite similar. Entry-level staff, (new graduates), typically write short memos to communicate their work to their managers often with a spreadsheet or deck (PowerPoint presentation) as an attachment. We will review some business communication issues in class before your assignments are due. Lateness is penalized with a lower grade. five points per day. We must submit our work on time. Course Expectations, Preparation & Participation: Each student will be expected to Complete the assigned readings, the research projects and report memos, and the two examinations. Attend and actively participate in all classroom discussions. We businesspeople must participate in meetings even if we re shy. We can be shy in our personal lives. o Read the assigned chapter prior to class to help you participate in class. o If you need to be late, leave class early or be absent from a class, please let me know in advance. o Three unexcused absences are permitted each semester no questions asked. Each additional absence results in a one point reduction in your final grade for the semester. There are only 15 weeks in the semester. Grading: The final term grades will be based on the following criteria: % of Semester Grade Midterm Examination (multiple choice & short-answer questions) 20% Research Project, (analysis of Census data to help plan a new business) 20% teaching syllabus mkt 1210 spring 2013 term Final Examination (data TBD during Final Week) 20% Attendance & Homework, (show-up on time, three short homework assignments) 20% Presentation, (five-minutes, based on your research report, last week of semester) 20% 100% GRADING SYSTEM: All grades will follow the following scale: A A B B B C C D F 59.9 and below 0.0 Extra-credit: Many students are way too shy to participate in class. They will accept a lower grade rather than say anything in class. I respect your feelings, but your behavior is inappropriate. Incentive participate regularly in class, (ask questions about the assigned chapters, respond to questions that I present to the class, etc.), and you will earn up to five points on your grade for the semester. For example, five points will raise your grade for the

6 semester from a B to a B+. You must participate in 27 classes you can rest during three class sessions. Reminder, management staff are expected to participate in meetings. A class is practice for that participation. You have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Even the best students have a question about almost every chapter. People who don t participate in meetings develop a bad reputation. S/he s not a team player. S/he never contributes. Is s/he looking for another job? Let s hire someone with management potential. Suggestion, participate in class & enjoy a very successful career, (e.g., be able to afford White Castle).

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