代写BUS 153a: Marketing Research SYLLABUS代写数据结构语言程序

BUS 153a: Marketing Research SYLLABUS

Course Description and Objectives

Course description: 

Marketing research is critical for leaders to make informed business decisions for their company's success. This course is for individuals who want to be good leaders or marketing managers: individuals who can make informed decisions of how to obtain the data they need to answer their questions, who can ask intelligent and pertinent questions of marketing research professionals, who are able to assess the quality of marketing research conducted, and who are able to understand and interpret the research data and results they encounter.

The first half of the course includes learning about and experience with important marketing research tools such as interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires. This knowledge will come from lectures, cases, readings, and discussions in class, but also from hands-on experiential learning through your involvement in a semester-long group project. In the second half of the course we will cover a variety of statistical tests that you will use to analyze the data that you collect in your group project. You should aim for a high-level integrated understanding of the topics we cover, combined with a deeper detailed knowledge and understanding of the specific topics and tools that we examine. You have a big part to play in your learning – you need to work hard, read carefully, think about the material, complete the assignments, and ask questions in class.

Finally, I want to emphasize that in our class we are a learning community. We will learn together and from each other. Your experiences and your voice are important and relevant: you belong in the class. You will, of course, need to work: you share responsibility for your learning in this class. However, you will be supported in that work by me and by your classmates. I welcome feedback from you on ways to improve our processes and our sense of community in class while achieving our learning goals.

Learning Goals: 

You will learn how to:

1) clearly define research problems

2) apply a research process to solve a marketing problem

3) apply qualitative and quantitative methods to gain marketing intelligence

4) use Qualtrics software to collect data from consumers

5) use Excel to analyze your data

6) critically assess data and results

7) present research findings in a formal presentation and in writing.

Prerequisites

BUS 152a is required. Expected: Familiarity with some basic statistics from an introductory statistics course; some familiarity with Excel.

Course Materials

All materials listed below are required. The assigned readings are central to the learning in this class. They will form. the basis of the two exams and of many discussions in class. They should be completed BEFORE class. We will typically use time in class to discuss and explore some (but not all) of the concepts covered in the readings in greater detail. You may also be given other questions to think about as you are reading to help you to process and learn from the reading, and to help you prepare for class discussion.

Textbook: Marketing Research (12^th edition ISBN-13: 9781119716310; or 11^th edition ISBN-13 9781119392019) by McDaniel and Gates (listed as “M&G” in schedule below) and published by Wiley is required for the course. This textbook is available at the Brandeis bookstore. E-rentals, used books, etc are all available for this book at Brandeis or from other sources like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the publisher Wiley. (Note: Do NOT get this textbook confused with the simpler textbook by the same authors named Marketing Research Essentials.) Reserve copies are also available at Brandeis library.

Software. 1) Qualtrics is used in this course and is available to use for free through Brandeis. You will need to register for an account AND request an upgrade code via the Brandeis Information Technology Services website (https://www.brandeis.edu/its/services/software-business-systems/software/index.html). 2) Excel and is also required for this course. Brandeis provides free licenses for Excel to students. For instructions regarding downloading and obtaining the software license, visit http://brandeis.onthehub.com/. You will need to log in using your UNet ID. After logging in, follow the downloading steps as instructed. If you have questions or problems, please contact LTS or the IBS IT office. The course includes homework exercises, videos and workshops to help you with the software. In addition, you can contact the TA (or me) for assistance.

Harvard cases: The case from Harvard publishing is contained in an electronic “coursepack” I have set up there. The link is provided on the course website on Latte. Using this link, please go to the website to purchase and download the case. The discounted price is around $4 for the case. You will need to register on the site. If you have any problems call the Harvard Business Publishing customer service at (800) 988-0886. Let me know too that you are having difficulties.

Remaining readings: These will be electronic files and will be posted on the Latte site for the class for you to download at least a week in advance of the relevant class. (Most of these readings are available for free to the Brandeis community through the Brandeis Library electronic sources, e.g., Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other media articles. The remaining files consist of shorter excerpts, e.g., a single chapter, from other books. I am providing them on Latte for your convenience.)

If you are having difficulty purchasing course materials, please make an appointment with your student financial services or academic services adviser to discuss possible funding options and/or textbook alternatives.

Assignments and Class Slides

All exercises and questions that you need to prepare will be posted on Latte at least 48 hours before class. I will provide a paper copy of the slides for each topic in class for you to use for note-taking in class, and an electronic copy on Latte shortly before class. (Computers are not allowed during lectures so cannot be used for note-taking during class.) These slides provide an outline of the class discussion, but you will need to take additional notes to capture more fully the material discussed in class.

Note that the materials provided by the instructor in this course are for the use of the students enrolled in the course.  Copyrighted course materials (this includes class slides) may not be disseminated further.  

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Success in this four-credit course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of nine hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, videos, completion of questions and exercises, team project work, and preparation for cases and exams).

Course requirements include (1) attendance, in-class participation, and homework, (2) two in-class midterm quizzes, and (3) a team project.

These requirements will be weighted as follows: 

Class Element	Grade Percentage
1) Participation, homework, problem sets	24%
a) Attendance, in-class participation	15%
a) Homework (TQs and Exercises)	5%
b) Data analysis problem sets	4%
1) Exams	52%
a) Midterm 1	26%
b) Midterm 2	26%
2) Team Project (includes: interviews, survey, presentation, and submission of presentation with statistical analysis appendix).	24%

Participation and Homework

For us to learn from each other, everyone needs to participate in class. I will provide and encourage opportunities for participation and communication in class. For your part, it is crucial that you are well-prepared when you come to class.

Preparing for class: For every class, please check Latte for what you need to read and prepare. Preparation for most classes will involve 2 or 3 the following components: 1) reading, 2) watching a video, 3) submitting responses to questions/an exercise on Latte. For each class, you should be ready to discuss in class what you have prepared. Preparation assignments will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of the class (usually earlier). In class, there will be some discussion applying the knowledge gained from these assignments. To benefit from this approach, you must be well-prepared when you come to class. The midterm exams will also examine your understanding of the class material, including the readings.

For case-based classes, you should read the case and you should arrive ready to discuss your analysis and solution for the marketing opportunity or challenge in the case. Questions will be posted on Latte to assist in your analysis of the case.

Homework: You will be asked to complete a TQ or a homework exercise for most classes. TQs (Thoughts and questions) are brief responses to questions on the readings. These TQs will either be broad general questions such as “What did you find most interesting in the readings? Why?” or “What did you find most confusing in the readings?” or they will be more specific questions on the reading. These assignments will help me focus any discussion in class, they will prepare you for class discussions, and they will help prepare you for the exams.

All TQs and homework exercises must be submitted via Latte by midnight (Eastern Time) on the night before the relevant class. They will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. For TQs, you will receive credit for responses on which you make a genuine effort to respond thoughtfully to the questions (e.g., aim for a short paragraph, not just a cursory sentence). Similarly, you will receive credit for exercises which you complete thoughtfully, following the instructions given. Credited responses for all TQs and exercises over the semester will result in an A for the homework requirements. Missed TQs and exercises will reduce your homework grade.

Attendance and in-class participation: First, I expect each student to come to class on time, having thoughtfully prepared all readings and assignments. I record attendance, but simply attending class is not enough to learn and to do well. You need to participate and to contribute to discussions. 

The cases provide especially good opportunities for joining discussion (you should aim to contribute at least once in each case discussion class), but every class will involve opportunities to join discussion. Students who are well prepared and who comment thoughtfully during discussion in most classes are the ones who tend to do well in their participation grade. Valuable, thoughtful comments may, for example, build on prior discussion towards new insights, they may add a new and relevant perspective, or they illustrate concepts with relevant personal experiences. To begin discussions (e.g., of cases or other materials, after breakout discussions during class), I may sometimes “cold call” a student (randomly selected). This encourages everyone to prepare and helps to ensure that everyone participates in discussions. If you are hesitant or finding it difficult to participate in class, please talk to me (as soon as you can). I am happy to work with you on strategies to help with this.

I monitor attendance in every class in the course. Two absences for any reason (including job interviews, religious observance, sports events, other extra-curricular demands, sickness) will be allowed without penalty, but you are still responsible for any material you miss when absent, i.e., assignments, readings, etc. COVID: You may be granted additional absences without penalty if you must miss class to isolate with COVID. (Please send me confirmation of this, e.g., the note from the health center confirming you must isolate.) In this case, I will make class recordings available to you in case that is helpful for catching up on material you miss and provide you with the opportunity to obtain participation credit. For each additional absences, your participation grade will be reduced a half-step, e.g., A- becomes A-/B+; B becomes B/B-. If you have perfect attendance, but never join in class discussions, your participation grade will be C+. Also, be sure to arrive on time. Habitual tardiness will have a negative impact on your participation grade.

Technology policy:  To help everyone stay focused on the class, the use of computers, phones, and other electronic devices is prohibited during class except for statistics workshops or workshop portions of classes (indicated on the schedule). When assessing participation, I will note any students using inappropriate technology in class and reduce your participation evaluation for that class. If you have an ongoing emergency situation, that you may need to respond to during class, please let me know by the start of class.

Winter weather. If Brandeis is closed due to bad weather, please check Latte for guidance about class that day. Class will either be cancelled or available asynchronously (i.e., it will not be held synchronously via zoom).

Exams/Quizzes

Two midterm exams (in class, closed-book) will consist of multiple-choice and short answer questions (from a few words to a paragraph in length) and will take the whole class session. Once the exam has begun, you will not be allowed to leave the class until you have completed it. The exams will test your understanding and knowledge of the lectures and readings. Midterm 1 will assess the material covered in class up to that point. Midterm 2 will assess the material covered from Midterm 1 up to Midterm 2, i.e., midterm 2 is not cumulative. No make-up exams are given.

Team field project on consumer behavior

This project provides a hands-on opportunity to obtain consumer insights relating to a particular product of service. The project will be conducted in a team. Projects must focus on understanding consumer behavior. (such as their perceptions, preferences, decision-making, or behavior) relating to a specific brand, product, or service that is relevant for students like you. For example, you can focus on: What are consumers’ beliefs, feelings, perceptions, preferences, and/or behaviors for this product? What attributes of this product are important to consumers? What information sources do they use when making decisions about this product? How do they view this product relative to its competitors? In what ways do they use this product? What benefits do consumers feel they get from this product? Etc.

What you learn can help you to address marketing challenges such as how a company might: improve image and product positioning, identify novel messages that will resonate with consumers, ease the acquisition process for consumers, enhance consumer experience with the product, or influence consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

During the course of the semester, your group will investigate your topic using two research methods: one exploratory method (interviews of relevant consumers) and one confirmatory method (survey research with relevant consumers, i.e., using a questionnaire that you design). The course includes classes on these research methods, and on the data analysis and statistics you will use to interpret the results of your survey research. The research methods used make this research project similar to small marketing research projects that marketing groups in companies regularly commission and field. The field project culminates in a graded presentation (usually 15-20 minutes with a few minutes for questions). Your group will also submit your presentation slides with a statistics appendix. Other project requirements listed in the schedule will be graded on a credit/no credit basis. More information on the project and the presentation will be provided in class and on Latte during the semester.

You will participate in the project in teams of 3-4 individuals (most teams will have 4 members), and you will be graded as a team. Teams will be formed by me with some input from each of you. I will assign you to teams, attempting to mix students from different programs or backgrounds where possible. You will be able to pair with one other person for the team assignment, if you wish. All team members are expected to participate fully in the project, including: attending group meetings; learning about, preparing and applying each research method; conducting analyses; and preparing and presenting the project for the final presentation. If there is a “free rider” problem in any team, the team should talk to the team member first to try to resolve the problem. If that doesn’t solve the problem, the team should meet with me to work it out. At the end of the class, I will also ask each team member to assess their fellow team members’ contributions to the project. These assessments can influence individuals’ project grades.

You will also have opportunities to be a “consumer” (i.e., to be a research participant) for projects conducted by your classmates. This experience provides you with a consumer perspective for the research methods used and increases your understanding of these methods and their challenges.

Assignments

Class homework assignments must be correctly submitted via Latte. Other assignments should be submitted on paper in class or (occasionally, and only if stated by me ahead of time) as a pdf before the start of the class on the due date. Late assignments will not be accepted without my prior permission and will incur a penalty unless the circumstances are exceptional (as judged by me). 

Academic Integrity

You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. Please consult Brandeis Rights and Responsibilities  for all policies and procedures related to academic integrity. Students may be required to submit work to TurnItinl.com software to verify originality. Allegations of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to the director of academic integrity. Sanctions for academic dishonesty can include failing grades and/or suspension from the university. Citation and research assistance can be found on the university library website.

Essential Resources

Accommodations

Brandeis seeks to welcome and include all students. If you are a student who needs accommodations as outlined in an accommodations letter, please talk with me and present your letter of accommodation as soon as you can. I want to support you. In order to provide test accommodations, I need the letter more than 48 hours in advance. I want to provide your accommodations, but cannot do so retroactively. If you have questions about documenting a disability or requesting accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Support at 781-736-3470 or access@brandeis.

LATTE

LATTE is the Brandeis learning management system: http://latte.brandeis.edu. Login using your UNET ID and password.

Library

The Brandeis Library collections and staff offer resources and services to support Brandeis students, faculty and staff. These include workshops, consultations, collaboration, materials and instruction on emerging trends in technologies such as machine learning, emerging trends in research such as data visualization, and emerging trends in scholarship such as open access. Librarians at the Circulation Desk, Research Help Desk, Archives & Special Collections, Sound & Image Media Studios, MakerLab, AutomationLab, and Digital Scholarship Lab are available to help you. https://www.brandeis.edu/library/about/index.html

Student Support

Brandeis University is committed to supporting all our students so they can thrive. The following resources are available to help with the many academic and non-academic factors that contribute to student success (finances, health, food supply, housing, mental health counseling, academic advising, physical and social activities, etc.). Please explore the many links on this Support at Brandeis page (https://www.brandeis.edu/support/undergraduate-students/browse.html) to find out more about the resources that Brandeis provides to help you and your classmates to achieve success.

Communications

I will communicate any changes in the schedule, syllabus, or additional instructions about requirements in class or on Latte, and via email. Please ensure that you check your Brandeis email address regularly.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance for any reason, or if you have questions, comments, or concerns about the course. I can be reached by email ([email protected]). In addition, office hours are: Tuesdays 12.30 - 2 pm, Thursdays 11am - 12 pm, and by appointment (in my office, IBS Lemberg 250). Emailing at short notice for an appointment is often fine.