COURSE OBJECTIVES: To develop an awareness and understanding of the various information sources and techniques for gathering and analyzing marketing data that can reduce the uncertainty and increase the profitability of marketing decisions. In principle, this course will be divided into two major sections: Data Collection and Data Analysis. Special emphasis will be given to problem definition, data collection methods, research design, statistical analysis and interpretation of results.

 

COURSE MATERIAL:
Required Text: Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. Naresh K. Malhotra. Prentice Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 1996.

Marketing Research Lecture Outline, Karakaya, Fahri. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA., 1996

 

SUGGESTED READINGS:
Foundations of Behavioral Research (second edition) Fred N. Kerlinger. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. New York 1989.

Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations. (second edition) Gilbert A. Churchill. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. New York. 1992.

Selected articles from the following journals:

Journal of Marketing Research

Journal of Consumer Research

Journal of Marketing

 

GRADING SYSTEM:

Midterm Exam…………………………….. 28 points

Final Exam ……………………………….. ..37 ”

Research Project …………………………..25 ”

Assignments & Class Participation…….10 ”

 

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

1. Marketing research: A Tool for Management

2. Defining the Marketing Research Problem

3. Developing An Approach to the Problem

4. Research Design

5. Exploratory Research Design: Secondary Data

6. Exploratory Research Design:: Qualitative Data

7. Descriptive Research Design: Survey and Observation

8. Causal Research Design: Experimentation

9. Specifying the Information Needs

10. Measurement and Scaling: Fundamentals and Comparative Scaling

11. Measurement and Scaling: Noncomparative Scaling Techniques

12. Questionnaire and Form Design

13. Sampling: Design and Procedures

14. Sampling: Statistical Considerations

15. Data Preparation

16. Frequency Distribution, Cross-tabulation and Hypothesis Testing

17. Analysis of Variance

18. Correlation and Regression

 

IMPORTANT NOTES

Students will have the opportunity to use the SPSS, a statistical software package, in completing certain assignments and the research project.

As noted in the first page of this course outline, and in the university catalog, this course requires MA 231 Elementary Statistics I as prerequisite. Therefore, the students are expected to recall the basic concepts in statistics or review them while taking this course. The instructor will not teach statistics, but apply statistics in solving marketing problems. If necessary, the students are encouraged to seek assistance in statistics from the instructor during office hours or contact the university’s tutorial services.

Final exam includes all the material covered during the semester, but more emphasis will be placed in the second half of the semester.

The research project and certain assignments must be typed using a word processor, preferably MS-Word on Macintosh.

The Writing and Reading Center: Students can use the Writing and Reading Center for assistance with any writing assignment.

The following sources may be consulted for assistance in writing (It is very important that students follow the proper writing guidelines:

A Dictionary
The Little, Brown Handbook
The McGraw-Hill College Handbook or
Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers

Students must attend classes regularly. Each student is allowed only two excused absences. The instructor reserves the right to drop a student after the two excused absences have been used.

Students must read the assigned materials (e.g. chapters in the text) and be ready to answer questions upon arriving class! The instructor will not lecture unless the students read the assigned materials before coming to class. Being unprepared may mean a PINK SLIP in the real world.

MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT

The general aim of the research project is “learning by doing“. Teams of 4-5 students are required to conduct actual research studies. More specifically, the objectives of the research project include:

1) To gain skill in and appreciation of the definition problems, the generating and testing of solutions, designing the research, and integrating these steps to form a coherent project.

2) To appreciate the nature, functions and difficulties inherent in selected marketing research techniques.

3) To examine critically and to evaluate the data gathered and the methods employed.

4) To know what it means to draw sharp conclusions, identify the limitations in data, apply them to the chosen problem and communicate findings effectively.

5) To appreciate the needs for careful organization, coordination, and dependability of each project team member.

 

PROJECT GUIDELINES

Each project must be typed (double spaced), and professionally presented to the class. The project should be around 15-25 pages including the findings, and the recommendations. The recommendations should be supported by statistical analysis. The statistics should be presented in tables and/or graphs. The following steps should be considered in the project.

I- Give a brief history of the topic

II- Define the problem–be very specific

III- Define information needs to solve the problem

IV- Define data gathering techniques

a) Primary Data: questionnaires, observation, experimental design, in-depth interviews, or focus group interviews.

Consider questionnaire design, measurement techniques and sampling design (probability sampling–random sampling, systematic sampling, area sampling, etc.,)

b) Secondary data: Library and/or chamber of commerce

V- Gather data — field work including library

VI- Process data–coding and data entry into computer

VII- Analyze data—use appropriate statistical techniques such as frequencies, cross-tabulations, t-tests, ANOVA, Regression or other relevant techniques.

VIII- Present research results

a) identify alternatives

b) make recommendations to solve the problem identified earlier (you may also make recommendations for future research

 

SOME GOOD DATA SOURCES

INTERNET!! Umass Dartmouth Electronic Library! U.S. Government Databases.