Syllabus Marketing Management MGT 6300 EM - Fall 2011 Instructor: Phone: E-mail: Office hours: Office: Class time:
Class location: Peter M. Vantine 404.385.4899 [email protected] By appointment #496, 4th floor, SW corner of College of Management building Mondays, 6:05 8:55 COM #103
Textbook: Marketing Management, 4th edition, by Winer and Dhar, published by Pearson/Prentice Hall. Overview Management 6300 will provide a comprehensive foundation in marketing management. The course will cover the traditional topic areas of introductory marketing management courses (consumer behavior; market research; product, promotion, distribution and price planning, etc.), as well as many of the important contemporary topics that are impacting and revolutionizing key aspects of today's marketing environment (globalization, reduced product life cycles, rapidly changing demographics, Web-enabled marketing, etc.). Some of the important strategic questions that the course will address include: What business should we be in? What should be our long-term marketing objectives? What is our sustainable marketing competitive advantage? Should we diversify? How? How should our marketing resources be allocated? What marketing opportunities and threats do we face? What are our organizational and marketing strengths and weaknesses? What are our strategic marketing alternatives?
If you are pursuing a career in marketing, this course will provide a basic foundation. If your career goals target other areas of business, this course will provide a useful context to better understand how your functional area relates to and interacts with the marketing function. Course Format You will develop and deepen your understanding of marketing through a mix of: 1. Reading - The text provides a clear explanation of the basic marketing concepts in an engaging and easy-to-follow style. Importantly, it organizes those concepts into a comprehensive strategic framework that links strategy, tactics, and execution. 2. Guided Discussions There will be minimal lecture. Instead, a significant portion of the class time will be devoted to interactive discussion of the concepts in the readings assigned for the session.
3.Group Exercises We will frequently break into small groups to apply the concepts. As an example of how these first three might work:
In chapter 2, you will read about product positioning. In class, we will discuss the pros and cons of various positioning alternatives for selected products. We will then break into small groups and write positioning statements for those products. 4. Cases - In several class sessions we will use HBS cases to illustrate the complex problems typically facing marketing managers. We will seek to define and understand the problems, identify possible solutions, and develop concrete courses of action. Simulation - In the second half of the semester, you will group into teams and manage the marketing activities of a firm in the over-the-counter cold remedy market. Over nine simulated periods, you will develop and implement a marketing plan designed to create and deliver superior value to your customers and outperform your four major competitors. In the process, you will put into practice many of the tools and concepts that you have learned over the semester.
5.
Students Roles and Responsibilities
1. Prepare for the class by reading the material before the scheduled class period. As you do the
reading, think about the linkages between the concepts presented in the reading and your experiences in the workplace. 2. Come to class and arrive on time.
3. Actively participate in class discussions and exercises.
Instructors Roles and Responsibilities 1. Clearly describe the course objectives, fully explain the expectations of performance, and clearly communicate all criteria for assignments. 2. Facilitate the discussions in a professional and organized manner, using class time effectively and in a way that will facilitate learning. 3. Conduct all evaluations of students in a fair and impartial manner.
4. Be available to answer students concerns, issues, questions, or commentary, either in person before or after class, via e-mail, or through office appointments. 5. Demonstrate respect and concern for all students.
General Ground Rules Cell phones, pagers, or PDAs should be turned off before entering the classroom. Use of laptops for other than taking notes on the discussion at hand is not permitted. Makeup exams will be given only under extraordinary circumstances (e.g. personal or family illness, company conflicts, etc.). Please notify me promptly via email if such an emergency arises and we will work out a solution.
The Institute is committed to a policy of honesty in all aspects of its academics. Conduct which compromises a breach of this policy may result in academic and/or disciplinary action.
Exams There will be an in-class exam half-way through the semester and an in-class exam during finals week. The first exam will test your understanding of the content covered in the sessions up to the exam date. The final exam will be comprehensive and test your understanding of the content over the full semester. Class Participation A valuable component of any MBA program is the learning that occurs among students, as they link classroom concepts to problems and issues facing them in the workplace and then share their insights with their fellow students. High quality participation typically involves (a) asking thoughtful questions, (b) providing thoughtful answers to the instructors or another students questions, and /or (c) making comments that add value to a discussion and build on others ideas. In all of these contexts, students should try maximize the quality of their participation, not the quantity. Students should try to hit home runs, not a series of singles. Grading The following grading scale, with student scores rounded to the nearest whole number, will be used in the course: 90-100%:A 80-89%: 70-79%: 60-69%: below 60%:
B C D F
Final grades will be weighted as follows: Mid-Term Exam: 35% Final Exam 55% Simulation 10% Extra Credit, Participation 0-5%
T-Square The following items will be posted on T-Square: Syllabus and Schedule - Updates to the schedule, if any, will be posted as the changes occur. Confirmation emails will be sent out for each change. It is the responsibility of students to make sure that they are working from the latest schedule. Case Questions - These will be posted in the Resources section, a week or so before the session for which the case is assigned. PowerPoint Visuals - They will be posted several days before class. The instructor sometimes makes minor revisions in the visuals between the time of posting and the start of class, to address
issues that arose in the previous class session. Beyond the additions, however, the core content will remain unchanged. Exam Grades - They will be posted as they occur, in the PostEm section.
Feedback As we move through the semester, I invite constructive suggestions from students on any aspect of the course: curriculum, content, teaching methodology, etc. If you have suggestions, you may e-mail them to me, leave a phone message, or if you prefer anonymity, slip a note under my office door. Tent Cards You will be provided with a tent card and bold marker at the beginning of the semester. If you forget to bring your card, extra stock and markers will be provided to make a replacement tent card. Open Door Policy If you have any issues or problems that are getting in the way of your success in the course, let me know. I will be happy to meet with you to discuss possible solutions. To arrange a meeting, send me an e-mail suggesting several optional times. Class Schedule - attached.
