Marketing research and marketing management (5 cr)

Content (course unit)

Type of course
Compulsory

Level of course
Professional studies

Objective of course
The objective is to provide the student with an overall framework of the planning, organising and monitoring of marketing. The student understands the significance of well-planned marketing to the company as part of its overall planning. The student is able to analyse the market information he/she has gathered and to apply planning techniques in developing customer-orientated products, services and competitive strategies. The student becomes familiar with strategic planning of marketing as a basis for decision-making and with the formulation of marketing plans and programmes. The student knows how to select suitable competitive strategies and means for various situations on the basis of market information, economic and other resources. The student is able to analyse the profitability and to draw up the needed budgets and to use measures needed to manage the operations. The perspective of SMEs will be taken into consideration. The student understands the importance of marketing research for marketing management decisions and he/she becomes familiar with the process of marketing research, research methods and techniques and their potential use. The student learns to plan and conduct marketing research and to use marketing research in the decision-making process. The student understands the influence of purchasing on the profitability of an enterprise/company involved in international business and he/she studies subcontracting.

Course contents
- marketing information systems
- market, demand, competition and environmental analyses
- analyses of company factors (internal analyses)
- marketing management and management/leadership skills
- strategic and operational planning of marketing
- planning of profitability, analysis and improvement of profitability
- sources of information
- marketing research and its use in planning and control
- methods and techniques of marketing research
- planning and implementation of a marketing research with all the phases
- marketing management and marketing mix decisions
- risk management of international business operations, money transactions


Teaching methods
Lectures, assignments, case studies, essays, partly virtual studies, a research project

Assessment
Active participation in contact teaching, assignments and other activities, completing case studies and participation in case study sessions, essays and examination.

Prerequisites
None

Required/Recommended reading
To be agreed upon at the beginning of the course

Name of lecturer
Pirkko Varis, guest lecturers

Year of study
Third year

Semester/Period
Autumn and spring semester

Language of instruction
Finnish and English

Exam schedules

No written examination. All work is assessed.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Active participation in contact sessions, other activities and marketing plan.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Lectures, partly virtual implementation, drawing up a marketing plan.

Learning materials

To be announced in the beginning of the course.

Student workload

This course is 5 credits which means about 135 hours of student work in total. There will be five contact sessions. Timing of them is mentioned in the section division of contents. Other hours will be used in doing the assignments and drawing up the marketing plan.

Content scheduling

The implementation of the course is done by Pirkko Varis. First contact session will take place on Friday 6.11.2015. Other contact sessions will take place on Friday 29.1.2016, on Friday 12.2.2016, on Friday 8.4.2016 and on Friday 20.5.2016.

Practical training and working life cooperation

Marketing Plan for a company or an organisation.

International connections

It is possible to draw up a marketing plan for an international company.

Further information

Degree Programme in Business Administration, Virrat. For further information please contact Senior Lecturer in Marketing Pirkko Varis, tel. +358 50 329 3144, email: pirkko.varis@tamk.fi

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has not achieved the objectives of the course on a sufficient level. Student is not able to
recognize, determine and use the key concepts and models. Student fails in producing a marketing plan.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has achieved the objectives of the course on a sufficient level. Student recognizes, is able to determine and use the key concepts and models. A marketing plan remains on a level 1-2.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student is able to use the contents of the course well although the skills and competences are somewhat in need of further development. Student is able to determine and apply the concepts and models well and is able to apply them in most tasks. A marketing plan has achieved the level 3-4.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has achieved the objectives of the course on an excellent level. The student masters the concepts and models in an excellent manner. Student has good capabilities to apply the learning. A marketing plan has achieved the excellent level.