Prince Sultan University
Marketing Department/ CBA College
Second Semester 2013
Our vision is to be a hallmark of excellence and innovation in business education
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Our mission is to promote excellence and innovation in business education,
research, and service in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in line with international
standards.
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Code : MKT 350
Credit Hours: 3
Class sessions: Sunday, Tuesday
Name of Faculty: Dr. Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar
Email: aAbubakar@fnm.psu.edu.sa
Course Title : Marketing Research
Prerequisite : MKT301, STAT 101
Class Time: 09:00 - 10:15
Phone: 01 494 8926
Office: E 347
1.0 Course Description:
This course introduces the students to the concepts and process of marketing research,
and exposes them to the actual practice of such concepts through analysis of cases,
and interactive exercises. Marketing research serves as a central basis for marketing
strategy and firm profitability by providing information relevant to marketing decision
making. It is critical for marketing managers to understand the nature of marketing
research and to be able to specify what information to seek, how to get it, and how to
utilize it in making marketing decisions. This course is aimed to provide students with
an overview of marketing research in terms of needs, definition, process, analysis and
reporting.
2.0 Student Learning Outcome:
After this course, students should:
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be able to translate a marketing problem into a feasible research question;
appreciate marketing research as a process that involves a sequence of
activities, each compatible with the preceding activities;
have a general understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of alternative
research designs;
be aware of the many sources of marketing information and the various means
for gathering such information;
be more sensitive to the biases and limitations of marketing data and basic
data analysis;
be able to decide when a technique is appropriate and understand the
managerial implications of analytical results and
be able to design and execute a basic survey research project.
3.0 Course materials
Adopted Text Book:
- Naresh K. Malhotra, Marketing Research: An applied Orientation, 6th Edition.
Pearson International Education, 2010.
Additional Reference Books:
- V. Kumar, D. Aaker, and G. Day, Essentials of Marketing Research, Second
Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009.
- De Pelsmacker ,P. Van Kenhove ,P. Janssens ,W. Wijnen, K. Marketing
Research with SPSS . Prentice Hall. 2008.
- Carl McDaniel and Roger Gates; Marketing Research: The Impact of the
Internet, 5th Edition; South-Western, Thomson Learning; 2002.
4.0 Course Assessment
Class participation and Attendance
Quizzes (8 quizzes)
Major Exam I
Major Exam II
Research Project
SPSS Exercise
5
Written Report
15
Presentation
5
Final Exam
5%
10%
15%
15%
25%
40%
Detail description and “progress dateline” of the marketing project will be given
in week two.
The final exam will be comprehensive.
DN Policy
As the course is delivered in one and half hour's sessions, any student who exceeds
the number of absences allowed will be recommended for DN. The absences will be
counted from the day first of the official start of classes given in the semester
calendar, no matter when the student has actually registered the course. Besides, any
student who is late by more than five minutes after the scheduled start of a class
will be marked absent, and such absences will also be counted for DN purpose.
Course Contents
Weeks 1& 2
Read selected pages from Chapter 1
1. Introduction to Marketing Research
2. Definition and classifications of marketing research
3. A decision-making perspective on marketing research
Importance of marketing research
Weeks 2 & 3
Read selected pages from Chapter 2
1Environmental context of the problem
2Management decision problem & marketing research problem
3Secondary data and qualitative research
4Components of the marketing research process
Defining marketing research problem & developing Approach
Week 4
Read selected pages from Chapter 3
1. The marketing research process
2. The study proposal
3. Research design and implementation
Research Design Formulation
MAJOR EXAMINATION 1
Week 5
Read selected pages from Chapter 4
1. Secondary & primary data
2. Evaluation of internal & external secondary data sources
Read selected pages from Chapter 5 & 6
1. Qualitative versus quantitative research
2. The concept of focus group, planning, conducting & applications
3. Online focus group interview, advantages & disadvantages
4. Survey & observations
Exploratory & Descriptive Research Design
Weeks 6 & 7
Read selected pages from Chapter 6 & 7
1Survey methods & observation methods
2Experimentation design
3Laboratory & field experiments research
Observational methods & Casual research design
MAJOR EXAM II
Week 8 & 9
Read selected pages from Chapter 8 & 9
1Attitude measurement and scaling
2Scaling techniques
3Concepts and relationship between validity and reliability
Validity & Reliability
Week 10
Read selected pages from Chapter 10
1.
Designing the questionnaire
2.
Problems of questionnaire
3.
Structured & unstructured questionnaire
Questionnaire and form design
Week 11
Read selected pages from Chapter 11 & 12
1.
Sampling fundamentals
2.
Classification of sampling techniques
3.
Probability and nonprobability sampling
4.
Sample size and statistical theory
Sampling Types, design, procedures & size
Week 12
Read selected pages from Chapter 13 & 14
Data collection, preparation, and weighting
Weeks 13
Practice on SPSS
Week 14
Read selected pages from Chapter 22
1. How to prepare a research report
2. Written report guidelines
3. Oral presentation
Report preparation & presentation
Week 15
Project presentation
Final Exam
Note: The instructor has the right to change or modify the course syllabus to enhance
the students' learning abilities, maximize the benefits for the students, and to achieve
the course objectives. The possible modifications will be discussed with the students
in the classroom.