Services Marketing Theory
J. E. Cairnes School of
Business & Economics
Services Marketing Theory
- Course Outline -
Objective
Lecturer(s)
Times
This course builds on the student’s understanding of services at undergraduate
level. It also introduces contemporary issues which influence the evolution of
services both academically and in practice. The course addresses recent
developments in the services literature such as the concept of Dramaturgy and
the role of the front line employee as service creator.
Name
Office
Ext
E-mail
Dr. Elaine
Wallace
Room 302
Cairnes School
2603
elaine.wallace@nuigalway.ie
Day
Time
Venue
Lectures
Wednesday
9-11am BS116, Cairnes Building
Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following:
Knowledge based outcomes:
 A comprehensive understanding of services marketing theory.
 Further understanding of the Gaps model as a conceptual framework.
 A greater understanding of the relevance and role of both the employee and
the customer in the service encounter.
 An opportunity to build upon course material for dissertation purposes.
Overall
Learning
Outcomes
Format
Programme
Assessment
Skills based outcomes:
 An insight into literature searches and reviews, and a full understanding of
accessing material through the library databases.
 An understanding of the requirements of writing and referencing a report for
assessment, and presenting key points in a concise way.
 An ability to critically evaluate academic publications.
 An ability to synthesise material from the core text, select the key points, and
explain the material to others.
 Experience of working in groups, to specific deadlines.
 Greater experience in presentation skills, both through the use of
audiovisual media and oral presentation.
This course comprises one two-hour lecture across 12 weeks.
MSc in Marketing
The grade will be calculated as follows:
 20% Chapter Presentation (Group)
 20% Group Project
 10% Class participation
 50% Written Exam
Chapter Presentation (20%)
(Weekly, running order TBC)
 Working in groups of 2, students are required to lead the class by presenting
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Services Marketing Theory
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chapter material each week.
Presentations should be no longer than 20 minutes in duration, prepared
and presented using PowerPoint.
Presentations should include the following:
o An overview of the theory in the chapter
o A critique of ONE journal paper (post 2000) which addresses the
theory discussed in the chapter.
o An example of a service which students are familiar with to
illustrate the theory from the chapter.
Group Project (20%)
(Deadline 14th October, 2009)
 Working in groups of 2, students are required to select a service experience.
 Students should describe their prior expectations of the service, and how
these expectations were formed.
 Students should then discuss their experience of the service, and evaluate
the extent to which expectations were met.
 On the basis of their evaluation, students should offer three feasible
recommendations for the service.
 The evaluation and recommendations will be presented in class.
Presentations will last for 10 minutes. Presentations should be emailed to
E. Wallace, no later than 2pm on October 13th.
Class Participation10%
Class participation marks will be allocated according to the student’s knowledge
of the topic, and involvement in class discussion
Workload
Written Examination: 50%
All candidates are required to complete a written examination. The exam will be
two hours in duration and candidates will be required to answer three questions.
All questions will carry equal marks. Candidates must pass the written
examination to be awarded marks for assignments/class participation.
Note: A minimum of 35% is required in the final written examination before
marks for continuous assessment can be included in the determination of the
overall mark for the subject.
Credit weighting:
5 ECT
Lecture hours:
24
Assignment work and independent study:
99
Examination:
2
Total Student Effort:
125 Hours
Required Reading:
Core Text: Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M.J. & Gremler, D. (2008)
Services Marketing: integrating customer focus across the firm, 1st European
Edition, London: McGraw Hill.
Recommended Reading:
Course
Readings
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Fisk, R.P., Grove, S.J., John, J. (2008) Interactive Services Marketing, 3rd
Edition, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
de Chernatony, L. and M. McDonald (2003) Creating Powerful Brands in
Consumer Service and Industrial Markets, 3rd Edition, Oxford: Butterworth
Heinemann.
In addition, you will be required to read academic journal articles which will
support or address the material in your core textbook. The articles can be
sourced on the library database: http://eknowledge.library.nuigalway.ie.
Students are expected to read assigned course material in advance of class.
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Services Marketing Theory
Reading Schedule:
Students are expected to read all course material assigned. Each week, a group of 2 will be
required to lead the class with a presentation summarising the chapter contents.
Date
Discussion / Readings
Part 1: Foundations for Services Marketing
September 9
Ch 1 Introduction to Services
September 16
Ch 2 Consumer Behaviour in Services
September 23
Ch 3 Customer Expectations of Service
September 30
Ch 4 Customer Perceptions of Service
October 7
Ch 5 Conceptual Framework: the GAPS model
October 14
Assignment 1 presentations
Part 1 Outcomes: You will be able to …
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Explain what services are, recognise important trends in services, and identify resulting challenges
and opportunities for service businesses
Understand the philosophy of customer focus
Describe the servuction system model and the concept of the services triangle
Understand how consumers choose and evaluate services
Identify the role of consumer behaviour and its application for service firms
Recognise the role of customer expectations in service delivery and evaluation
Discuss the nature, influencers and outcomes of customer satisfaction
Critically evaluate the components of service quality: reliability, responsiveness, empathy,
assurance and tangibles
Explain the concept of the gaps model as a framework for understanding service quality.
Demonstrate (in presentation form) the application of the gaps model in a service business
Part 2: Understanding Customer Requirements
October 21
Ch 6 Listening to Customers through Research
October 28
Ch 7 Building Customer Relationships
Part 2 Outcomes: You will be able to …
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Present and evaluate the types of market research available for services
Show how market research information can be used for services
Describe ways that companies can facilitate interaction and communication between management
and customers, and between contact people and management
Explain relationship marketing, its goals and the benefits of long term relationships for firms and
customers
Describe how firms estimate customer relationship value
Evaluate relationship development strategies
Part 3: Aligning Service Design and Standards
November 4
Ch 11 Employees’ roles in Service Delivery
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November 11
Ch 12 Customers’ roles in Service Delivery
November 18
Guest Speaker – The role of Dramaturgy in Services Marketing (date TBC)
November 25
Course Review
Part 3 Outcomes: You will be able to …
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Discuss the importance of a service culture, and the critical importance of employees in
creating customer satisfaction and service quality
Identify the challenges inherent in boundary-spanning roles
Describe the service encounter as a performance, and explain the use of dramaturgy in
training service employees
Illustrate the roles played by customers in the co-creation of a service
Course Material
A course web is available at http://blackboard.nuigalway.ie
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