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Fall 2009
BMGT 350H
HONORS SECTION
MARKETING PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATION
Professor:
Office:
Office Phone:
email:
Office Hours:
Dr. Roxanne Lefkoff Section 0101: T, Th 9:30 – 10:45
3455 VMH
(301) 405-2122
Fax: (301) 405-0146
rlefkoff@rhsmith.umd.edu
T, Th 10:45 – 11:45 or by appointment
VMH 1335
Required Course Materials
Basic Marketing, A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach , 17th Edition by William D.
Perreault, Jr., Joseph P. Cannon, and E. Jerome McCarthy (McGraw-Hill Irwin 2009 )
ISBN 978-0-07-338105-3
Course Objectives
This course provides a decision-oriented overview of marketing management in
modern organizations. The most basic objectives of the course are to provide you with a
broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in society and in the firm,
and the various factors that influence marketing decision making. Like other introductory
survey courses, you will be exposed and to expected to learn the "language of marketing"
(that is, terms, concepts, and frameworks used by practicing marketing managers).
However, it is also expected that by the end of the course you will have a solid
understanding of the major decision areas under marketing responsibility, the basic
interrelationships of those decision areas, and an appreciation of how to apply key
frameworks and tools for analyzing customers, competition, and marketing strengths and
weaknesses. In combination, then, the course should help you to develop insight about
creative selection of target markets and blending decisions related to product, price,
promotion, and place (i.e. the marketing mix) to meet the needs of a target market.
A new objective of this course is to also explore sustainability and its implications
for marketing managers. In a marketing context, sustainability is defined as the idea
that it is important to meet the needs of present customers without compromising the
ability to meet the needs of future customers. In previous introductory marketing
courses, “green marketing” has been a topic. However, with society’s increasing
concerns about sustainability, it is important to consider this concept in greater
depth. So, we will explore sustainability through out the course as we study each of
the functional areas of marketing (i.e. product, place, price, promotion). In addition,
so you can investigate one particular issue in greater detail, you will be challenged to
conduct an independent marketing research project on a topic of your choice dealing
with sustainability and its implications for marketers. In this course we will
investigate several alternative methods of data collection such as observation, focus
groups, personal interviews, and questionnaires. Depending on your topic, you will
select the appropriate method of data collection and design your test instrument.
You will collect and analyze the data and then based on your results develop
marketing implications and recommendations. You will present your findings in an
oral presentation with PowerPoint slides to the class and also submit a written
report. The coursework and independent research project are designed to give you
both breath and depth on your understanding and appreciation of sustainability and
its relationship to marketing decisions.
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These objectives can only be achieved through joint effort. I will work to stimulate
your interest and learning in these areas, but you will be expected to display initiative and
a program of self-study as well. In that sense, a complementary objective of the course is
to provide you with an environment that will encourage and reward your own intellectual
effort, while simultaneously maintaining rigorous standards that identify those who are
motivated to purse excellence in their own educational preparation for a successful career.
Course Requirements:
1. Exam 1 (multiple choice and essay).
2. Exam 2 (multiple choice and essay).
3. Active participation during class discussions of concepts, cases, and in-class
exercises. Failure to regularly attend and participate will result in a lower class
participation grade.
4. Sustainability Marketing Research Project. Refer to ATTACHMENT 1 for the
details.
5. Research Experience . Refer to ATTACHMENT 2 for the details.
Grading
1. Final grades will be determined by your performance according to the following
weights:
Exam #1
Exam #2
Active Class Participation
Marketing Research Project
Oral Report
17 %
Final Paper
17 %
Research Experience
25%
25%
11%
34%
5%
2. Letter grades based on weighted total scores will be assigned as follows:
A+ 97-100
B+
87-89
C+
77-79
D+
67-69
A
93-96
B
83-86
C
73-76
D
63-66
A- 90-92
B80-82
C0-72
D60-62 F<60
Course Format
This course is an honors seminar. The word seminar means "a meeting for an exchange of
ideas." So, rather than sitting back passively and listening to the professor speak, you will
be challenged to actively participate through multi-way interaction with classmates and the
professor. Please read the assigned material prior to class. There will be no formal lecture
simply repeating the material in the text. Instead, classes will be conducted in a discussion
format. Please come prepared to raise issues not fully understood. I will clarify these and
link marketing principles with one another and with contemporary marketing problems.
Also, please come prepared to discuss the assigned exercises and business cases. By
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actively listening and participating in class discussions, you will have the opportunity to
enhance your understanding of the textbook concepts with "hands-on" applications.
Your Class Participation
In general, prepared and constructive participation in class is expected. Students who
show a pattern of not being prepared will be graded down accordingly. The significance of
substantive ("content") contributions will be evaluated relative to the context of the
assignment. It is also useful to think about criteria that are used in evaluating processoriented aspects of class participation. These are summarized by the set of questions listed
below:
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Is the participant a good listener?
Are the points made -- or questions raised -- relevant to the discussion?
Are points linked to the comments of others, but not just a restatement of a point that
has already been made?
Do comments show evidence of thorough analysis of the assignment?
Do comments contribute to our understanding of the situation?
Is there a willingness to participate?
Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments "safe" (e.g. repetition of
assignment facts without analysis and conclusions)?
Do comments show an understanding of theories, concepts, and analytical devices
from the assigned reading materials?
Do comments and questions reflect a critical but open-minded weighing of alternative
and sometimes conflicting points of view, or are they limited to advocacy of previously
held beliefs?
What's Expected
1. You are expected to keep current on reading assignments and to be prepared to discuss
the material.
2. All written assignments are due in class, at the beginning of the class, on the scheduled
dates. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you must miss class for a job
interview, etc., turn your work in early.
3. I will not give make-up exams or assignments unless required to do so under
University policy. Any requests for make-up exams or assignments must be justified
with supporting documentation.
4. Academic Integrity: The University's Code of Academic Integrity is designed to ensure
that the principles of academic honesty and integrity are upheld. All students are
expected to adhere to this Code. The Smith School does not tolerate academic
dishonesty. All acts of academic dishonesty will be dealt with in accordance with the
provisions of this code. Please visit the following website for more information on the
University's Code of Academic Integrity
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.htm On each assignment you will be
asked to write out and sign the following pledge. "I pledge on my honor that I have not
given or received any unauthorized assistance on this exam/assignment."
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Some General Guidelines
1. Please participate. What you put into the class will determine what you get out of it -and what others get out of it. Develop confidence in participating. Some people have
good ideas but are hesitant to speak up. Good ideas are lost if they are not shared.
And if you have a question it is likely that others will as well. If you are not confident
about participating, seize this opportunity to develop in that area.
2. Please come on time. Late arrivals disturb everyone else.
3. Please keep up with the assignments. It will make the class more interesting, and more
valuable to you in the time ahead. There is quite a bit of work-- but it is manageable if
you do it along the way.
Getting to Know You
I'll work at learning names and faces as quickly as possible. To speed the process, I'll
use name tents. So please remember to bring it to every class for the entire semester.
Since you are my "target market," I need to know more about you. Please complete the
"Student Information Form" that will be distributed to you.
Syllabus
A tentative schedule is presented in ATTACHMENT 3. Depending on circumstances
and class needs, it may be modified during the semester. The dates of the exams will not
change.
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ATTACHMENT 1
SUSTAINABILITY MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT
The objective of this assignment is for you along with your teammates to conduct an
independent marketing research project on a topic of your choice dealing with
sustainability and its implications for marketers. In Chapter 8 of the textbook, you will
be exposed to several alternative methods of data collection such as observation, focus
groups, personal interviews, and questionnaires. Depending on your topic, you will select
the appropriate method of data collection and design your test instrument. You will collect
and analyze the data and then based on the results develop marketing implications and
recommendations. You will present your findings in an oral presentation with PowerPoint
slides to the class and also submit a written report. Please follow these steps:
Defining the problem
• What were the problems you addressed?
• What were the research questions you asked?
• What was the purpose of your study?
Analyzing the situation
• What background information, relevant to your project, was already available?
Summarize.
• From informal talks with informed people, what did you learn?
• If there was relevant secondary data available, what did it suggest?
Getting problem-specific data
• What information did you collect in order to answer your research questions?
• How did you gather the information (i.e. did you conduct a focus group? a telephone
survey?)
• Who were your subjects? How many? What was the response rate? How did you
recruit them?
• What specific questions did you ask your subjects? (You may include a copy of your
test instrument in an appendix.)
• Any unusual problems or surprises? If so, how did you handle it?
Interpreting the data
• How did you analyze the data? Explain in detail.
• What statistics did you use? Explain in detail.
• What were the results? (You may insert charts, tables, graphs, etc. in the body of the
text, or you may order them sequentially at the end of the paper. Just make sure that
the exhibits are ordered such that they correspond to the order in which they are
referred to in the paper. Also, each exhibit should be clearly numbered and titled (i.e.
Figure 1, Average Scores by Gender)
Conclusion and Implications
• Bases on your results, what do you recommend? Be specific in terms of the
marketing concept.
• What are the managerial implications?
What are the limitations of your study?
• What questions remain unanswered? What future research do you recommend?
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ATTACHMENT 1 CONTINUED
FORMAT of PAPER
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Report should be a minimum of 15 pages. Make sure you number each page of your
report.
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Do not use any plastic covers or binders. Simply staple the paper in the upper left
corner.
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First page: TITLE PAGE. Come up with a descriptive title. Specify your name,
date, and course number (BMGT 350H). (note: do not use a page number on your
title page)
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Second page: ABSTRACT. Write a one page summary of the entire paper. Assume
that the reader has not read your paper at all. Write the abstract after you have written
your whole report. At the top of this page include your descriptive title and your
name. (note: do not use a page number on your abstract page)
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Next pages: BODY of REPORT (You may embed exhibits in text if you would
like).
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Last pages: APPENDIX. If you did not embed exhibits in text, order sequentially at
the end.
ADDITIONAL COPY OF YOUR ABSTRACT
• I may compile a booklet of our class's research abstracts to distribute to interested
people.
• Please turn in an additional copy of your abstract, separate from your stapled report.
Make sure your descriptive title and name are at the top.
I hope these guidelines are helpful to you. As you work on your final report, I encourage
you to touch base with me. Please email me, call me, or stop by my office. Best of luck.
I look forward to working with you.
PEER EVALUATIONS
You are required to evaluate the contributions of your teammates by completing a
confidential peer evaluation form. Failure to make equitable contributions to group work
will be penalized with lower individual grades.