Objectives

This is a state-of-the-art course on Marketing Research. It attempts to impart a basic understanding of the various marketing research techniques currently employed by major corporations as well as small and medium enterprises in the U.S. and abroad.

While this is essentially a course in research methods, the problem contexts used to illustrate the various concepts will be managerial. The course has a strong applied and managerial orientation that is relevant to the current marketing and management environment.

After taking this course, you should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of marketing research concepts, and apply them to address real-life marketing situations.

Specifically, you will be able to:

• translate a marketing problem into a feasible research question;

• utilize the marketing research process;

• evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs;

• identify the sources of marketing information and the various means for gathering such information;

• identify the biases and limitations of marketing data and basic data analysis;

• utilize univariate and basic bivariate data analysis techniques (i.e., you will be able to decide when a technique is appropriate and understand the managerial implications of analytical results);

• design and execute a basic survey research project;

Organization

The course is organized around the following two principles.

(1) First, knowledge such as facts, terminology, concepts and methods has to be acquired. The textbook is the major resource for acquiring knowledge.

(2) Second, the knowledge acquired has to be applied (learning through doing). The vehicle for enhancing applied knowledge are the exercises.