MARKETING FIELD PROBLEMS
Spring 2014
Professor James L. Ginter
Room 355B Fisher Hall
2100 Neil Avenue
Office Hours: by appointment
Phone: 292-2267
Fax: 292-0879
Email: ginter.1@osu.edu
INTRODUCTION
Marketing Field Problems is designed as an advanced Marketing course for full
time and evening MBA students. The students act as a consulting team and
work with a client firm on a marketing problem through the entire semester. At
the end of the term the team presents a final written report and a final
presentation to the client. In addition, each team will submit a written report to
the instructor that provides substantive foundation and justification for the report
submitted to the client.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the course is to provide students with an opportunity to
develop their problem solving skills on an actual business problem. Specifically,
the course is designed to provide students with:
1.
2.
3.
an opportunity to develop and apply their knowledge and skills in an actual
business setting while receiving guidance and feedback from the
professor and the client firm.
an opportunity to frame a research question from a business problem,
develop a research design, analyze and evaluate the results, and
communicate these results and their implications to an executive
audience.
important knowledge on business practice and problem solving in
marketing.
For students concerned about their lack of marketing experience in the U. S.
business climate, this course can provide an extremely valuable opportunity.
COURSE FORMAT
The course will be a combination of classroom sessions and individual team
meetings. The format of the course is:
2













Prior to the beginning of the semester, the professor will meet with potential
client organizations and assist them in preparing a problem description that
provides background information.
Students will organize themselves into teams of four or five members.
The class will meet on the first day of the semester (Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014)
to establish course mechanics, expectations, and evaluation.
In this first class meeting student teams will review the potential projects and
select the project on which they will work for the term. It is possible that there
will be two student teams working with a single firm.
Each team will meet with the client firm and then develop a draft proposal for
review by the professor and subsequent submission to their client. Proposals
are to be submitted, revised, and accepted by Thursday, Jan. 23.
In weeks two through fourteen each team (all members) will meet with the
instructor regularly to discuss progress, develop plans, and discuss marketing
issues associated with their project.
In the middle of the semester (Feb. 18 and 20) the entire class will meet
together. Individual teams will make an interim report (20 minutes) and the
class will offer questions and suggestions with respect to the team’s approach
to the problem.
On week eight of the term (Thursday, Feb. 27) each team will submit a
detailed outline of their marketing underpinnings report. This outline is to
include a listing of the bibliographic entries of the expected resources for the
underpinnings report.
On the last week of class, April 15 and 17 the entire class will again meet.
Each student team will make a practice presentation (30 minutes) of their final
client report. Although these are practice presentations for the purpose of
collecting useful feedback, they should be as complete and polished as if they
were the final version.
The written marketing underpinnings report is due on Friday, April 11.
The written client report is due on Friday, April 18.
The project log is due on Friday, April 18 (see description below).
Final client presentations will be scheduled for no later than Tuesday, April
29.
DELIVERABLES
Each team is responsible for several deliverables throughout the term:
1. Project Proposal
The team will study the client’s problem, prepare a written project proposal,
and submit it to the client firm. Elements of the proposal are:
 A restatement of the problem to be addressed and a statement of the key
issues that surround the problem.
 Statement of the key research questions to be answered by the team.
3

A description of how the research team proposes to answer the questions
(research design). This should include information and other support
expected from the client.
 The work plan (milestones, timetable). This should include interim
meetings with the client.
 An estimate of any out of pocket expenses that are anticipated for the
project.
A draft of the proposal is to be submitted to and approved by the professor
before it is sent to the client. Once the project proposal is signed off by the
client, any revision of the project plan must have agreement of the client (and
the professor).
2. Project Log
Each team will maintain a project log. The log begins with the project
proposal. The intent of the log is to encourage you to think carefully about the
management of the project as well as the substantive issues. It should
include a sense of the progress of the project, challenges that were faced,
how they were overcome, and any lessons for future projects. Specifically,
the log will include:
 Meeting minutes for all client contacts.
 A listing and minutes for all team decision-making sessions.
 Agenda and minutes for each status meeting with the professor.
 Evaluation of objectives versus outcomes for each client meeting and
each status meeting (with the professor).
 Any project workplan changes and how they were presented to and
accepted by the client.
Teams submit a copy of the log at the same time as the final written report
(April 19).
3. Presentations
Each team will make an interim presentation to the class, a draft final
presentation to the class, and a final presentation to the client. Each of these
presentations is to be formal and professional, with appropriate visuals, etc.
All members of the team will participate in each of the presentations.
4. Reports
The team will prepare two written reports.
 A final written project report will be submitted to the client. This report
will include an executive summary as well as appropriate references.
 A “marketing underpinnings” report will be submitted to the professor.
This report will tie the logic and the recommendations of the client report
to underlying marketing concepts. It will describe how material in
marketing books, texts, and articles supports the client report. The
marketing underpinnings report must be developed from at least fifteen
different bibliographic entries (all parts of one book count as one entry).
For this report, the team will identify two or three basic marketing issues
4
that are involved with the project. For each of these issues they will
review the marketing literature to describe or explain the issue. Then they
will explain how this information has be used in their project.
GUIDELINES
1. The project team is under the same restriction as a consultant in honoring the
confidentiality of information collected from the client or for the client. All
information collected for or from the client remains the property of the client.
Each class member will sign a confidentiality statement that includes these
materials for all course projects by all teams.
2. Each team will appoint one member as a point of client contact. All client
contacts should be made through this team representative. To ensure that
we do not burden or confuse the client, the professor should be apprised of all
client contacts before they take place.
3. A client representative will be appointed by the client firm. All contact with the
client firm should be made through this designated client representative.
COURSE EVALUATION
Evaluation of course performance will be based on the following course
components.
1. Process management and log
10%
2. Project proposal
10%
3. Written client report
30%
4. Client presentation
20%
5. “Marketing Underpinnings” report
30%
A group grade will be assigned to each project team. Peer evaluations will also
be taken. On the basis of these peer evaluations and/or instructor evaluations,
the grade of an individual team member may vary from the group grade.
5
The following statement is provided by and requested by the OSU Office of Academic Affairs:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
(ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT)
Academic integrity is essential to maintaining an environment that fosters excellence in
teaching, research, and other educational and scholarly activities. Thus, The Ohio State
University and the Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) expect that all students
have read and understand the University’s Code of Student Conduct, and that all students
will complete all academic and scholarly assignments with fairness and honesty. Students
must recognize that failure to follow the rules and guidelines established in the
University’s Code of Student Conduct and this syllabus may constitute “Academic
Misconduct.”
The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section 3335-23-04) defines
academic misconduct as: “Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity
of the University, or subvert the educational process.” Examples of academic misconduct
include (but are not limited to) plagiarism, collusion (unauthorized collaboration),
copying the work of another student, and possession of unauthorized materials during an
examination. Ignorance of the University’s Code of Student Conduct is never considered
an “excuse” for academic misconduct, so I recommend that you review the Code of
Student Conduct and, specifically, the sections dealing with academic misconduct.
If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am
obligated by University Rules to report my suspicions to the Committee on Academic
Misconduct. If COAM determines that you have violated the University’s Code of
Student Conduct (i.e., committed academic misconduct), the sanctions for the misconduct
could include a failing grade in this course and suspension or dismissal from the
University.
If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic
misconduct in this course, please contact me.
Other sources of information on academic misconduct (integrity) to which you can refer
include:



The Committee on Academic Misconduct web pages
(oaa.osu.edu/coam/home.html)
Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity (oaa.osu.edu/coam/tensuggestions.html)
Eight Cardinal Rules of Academic Integrity
(www.northwestern.edu/uacc/8cards.html)
6
1/14
Field Studies in Marketing
Prof. James L. Ginter
Spring 2014
Note to Business Clients
Background:
The use of student projects as a practical educational tool is becoming more
common in the Fisher College of Business MBA program. These projects give
our students experience in identifying the key issues underlying a problem or
management question, i.e. in learning the right questions to ask. In addition, the
projects can give valuable experience in “putting it all together” into a marketing
plan…an experience that does not come from serial coverage of individual topics
in a text.
Prof. Ginter has developed an offering of Field Studies in Marketing. This course
has been offered in prior years and has been well received by both students and
client firms. Since his retirement from full-time faculty status Professor Ginter
has continued to teach this course periodically. Prior to retirement, he served as
Director of the MBA programs in the Fisher College of Business and Chair of the
Marketing Department. He has taught the MBA elective course in marketing
planning for several years.
In the field studies course students work as a consulting team (in groups of three
to five) with a client organization over a fifteen week semester. At the end of the
term they present a written report and make an oral presentation to the
client/sponsor. Students in this course are second year MBA students in our full
time and evening programs.
Objectives:
The general objective of the course is to provide students with an opportunity to
develop their problem solving skills on an actual business problem. Specifically,
the course is designed to provide students with:
1. an opportunity to develop and apply their knowledge and skills in an actual
business setting while receiving guidance and feedback from the
professor and the client firm.
2. an opportunity to frame a research question from a business problem,
develop a research design, analyze and evaluate the results, and
communicate these results and their implications to an executive
audience.
3. important knowledge on business practice and problem solving in marketing.
7
Client Firm Benefits:
We anticipate that participation in this course will provide several benefits to the
client firms.
1. A group of highly motivated second year MBA students will spend
considerable time focusing on a client problem. This can result in:
 acquisition of data that the client did not have,
 analysis and interpretation of data that the client has not been able to
develop on their own,
 some new ideas and perspectives on the client’s problem,
 a well thought out plan for addressing the problem.
2. The client firm and the students will get to know each other. This could lead
to exploration of employment opportunities.
3. The client firm will have been an active and valuable partner in the
instructional mission of the Fisher College of Business.
Format:
The course will be offered in spring semester of 2014, from January through late
April. Prior to the beginning of the semester the professor will discuss the
possibility of sponsoring a student project with potential course clients. These
discussions will involve scoping a project in a way that will enable the students to
understand the problem without providing too much structure to their approach.
Student teams will review the potential clients’ problem descriptions and select
the project on which they will work. It is possible for two student teams to work
with the same client. It is possible that some potential clients may not be
selected by a student team. It is important that potential clients prepare a
thoughtful description of their project so that the students can easily see the
educational benefits of selecting it.
The client’s problem description will provide a basis for a proposal from the
student team to the client. Specifically, it will allow students to select their
projects and to prepare for an initial client meeting. Students will develop a
proposal that outlines the objectives of the project, describes the research to be
conducted, and specifies the methodology, the time table, and the cost. The
project cost will include an estimate of out-of-pocket costs (e.g. phone, copy
work, postage, travel) that may be incurred in the research process. The
proposal will also include a timetable for reporting interim project status to the
client.
Since the fifteen week term provides a very short time frame for the course, the
client is expected to turn around the proposal within a few days so that the
students can begin their work.
8
Other Issues:





The client will be asked to designate one person as the contact in the
company for the student team. This contact should be capable of obtaining
data clearance etc. on short notice and respond to the students with quick
turn around.
The student team will designate one person as its contact with the company.
This person will be responsible for scheduling all meetings, communicating
data requirements, and serving as the primary contact between the firm and
the student team.
The students are expected to manage the client relationship as part of the
project requirement. The professor will intervene only if the project objectives
and/or progress seem to be breaking down. The professor will meet with the
entire team several times during the quarter.
All proprietary information and reports collected during the course of the
project will be held confidential and returned to the client at the end of the
term.
Each student and the professor will keep one copy of the final report. These
will be considered confidential documents by both the students and the
professor. Clients should be aware, however, that these documents may be
discoverable under Ohio open records legislation.
The Professor in charge of this course is:
James L. Ginter
Professor Emeritus
Department of Marketing & Logistics
Max M. Fisher College of Business
355B Fisher Hall
2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144
Telephone: (614) 292-2267
Fax: (614) 292-0879
E-mail: ginter.1@osu.edu
If you should have an interest in exploring the possibility of participating as a
client firm, please contact Professor Ginter.