Students

MGSM816 – Marketing Research

2019 – Term 1 North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Stephen Holden
stephen.holden@mgsm.edu.au
James Robinson
james.robinson@mgsm.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MGSM820 or MGNT607
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit helps managers make better decisions using marketing research. Students are introduced to the research process, specifically: defining the research questions, selecting an appropriate method, designing a research instrument, sampling, and then, collecting, analysing and reporting the results. The unit will address the various challenges faced in the search for reliable and valid evidence on which to base marketing decisions and practice.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social & environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Research Project Presentation 30% No Session 10
Research Project Report 30% No 12th March, 2019
Final Examination 40% No Exam Week: 18 - 24 March, 2019

Research Project Presentation

Due: Session 10
Weighting: 30%

Duration: 15 minutes max for presentation, 15 minutes max for Q&A

Format: Presentation

Requirements: In the research project, you will work as a part of a group conducting and reporting on some original research. In particular, you will need to:

  • Define the research purpose
  • Develop one or two key research questions
  • Decide on the methods, develop research instruments, collect and analyse data
  • Prepare a group presentation and an individual report.

The group is responsible for providing a <15 minute presentation focused on the results and the implications. (The coverage of the method should be very brief - 30-60secs !)

A further 15 minutes will be allowed for questions and answers, and feedback.

NOTE: In the group research project, 30% of the student's total grade is allocated to the group presentation, while a further 30% assesses individual performance through an individual report on the group research project - see the "Research Project Report" for details.

Grading criteria: See "Assessment Details & Grading Guide" on iLearn
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social & environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Research Project Report

Due: 12th March, 2019
Weighting: 30%

Length: 1500 words max

Format: Essay

Requirements: Each individual is required to prepare their own summary (less than 1500 words) of the research conducted by the group. The report should include details of the research as follows: Purpose (action objective, research questions), Method (design, instrument/questionnaire, sampling), Outcomes (results, recommendations). 

You are to submit your individual executive summary on or before the due date as listed in the box above. Please make your submission to Turnitin via the MGSM816 iLearn portal where the originality of the work undertaken by the submitter will be assessed.

Please ensure your full name, student number, unit code (MGSM816), unit name (Marketing research), is clearly visible on the front page of your assignment. No MGSM individual assignment coversheet is necessary.

Grading criteria: See "Assessment Details & Grading Guide" on iLearn

Late Submissions: Any requests for late submission MUST be made at least 12 hours before the submission deadline. Any submissions received late and without notice or permission granted will receive 20% penalty per day.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social & environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Final Examination

Due: Exam Week: 18 - 24 March, 2019
Weighting: 40%

A closed-book examination consisting of a set of short answer questions will be completed online during the examination period. Students will be required to be present in an examination room on campus for the exam. Approximately half of the questions will be responding to a research brief. You will be invited to provide a proposal outline with the following information:

  • Define the research purpose (action objective)
  • Develop one or more key research questions
  • Propose an appropriate method
    • describe appropriate research instrument/questionnaire
    • describe how you would collect the data
    • describe how you would analyse the data

The remaining questions will invite short answers in response to marketing research related problems.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social & environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Delivery and Resources

REQUIRED TEXT/WORKBOOK

There is no required text for this unit. Participants will be provided with a summary guide for all the content covered in this course. This summary guide also provides links and reference

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED TEXT

There are several good resources available online:

  • Trochim, W. (2006) Research Methods: Knowledge Base, http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/contents.php 
  • Smith & G. Albaum (2012) Basic Marketing Research Volume 1, https://d3gbx5vaoeb2ad.cloudfront.net/q1/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/BasicMarketingResearchV2.pdf
  • Shukla (2014) Essentials of Marketing Research, Bookboon, https://bookboon.com/en/marketing-research-an-introduction-ebook. (The grammar can be a little jarring at times, but the coverage of topics is great, and the price is unbeatable!)

There is also an enormous number of basic marketing research texts that have been published that can be used to supplement this course. Many are available in the library. If anyone wishes to buy such a book, a second-hand edition will generally work fine.

WRITING RESOURCES

Our MGSM student handbook contains essay writing guidelines for students who may lack confidence in their writing skills to produce reports/essays to an academic/business standard. Please click on the link below to access the MGSM Student Handbook (you may need your Macquarie One ID to access this). The essay writing guidelines can be found in section 3: study skills, starting page 39.

https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney-students/study-resources/handbook

The Macquarie University library also provides excellent resources covering writing skills, researching online: and a guide to citations and referencing. A learning adviser can also be contacted for further details

http://www.students.mq.edu.au/support/learning_skills/

http://infoskills.mq.edu.au/

ALLOCATED SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

Readings and any relevant prework/in-class activities are listed in ‘section 6 – classes’ of this unit guide and will be made available electronically in the MGSM816 iLearn website. These readings have been selected because they give the most efficient overview available of the theories and frameworks that we cover in marketing research. You will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss and present your views on each reading. No hardcopies are distributed for this class.

Unit Schedule

Session

Topic

Team Activities/Allocated Supplementary Readings

1

Market Research - Process & Planning

Reading: Kahneman, D. (2011). Daniel Kahneman: Beware of the inside view. McKinsey Quarterly. November.

Activity: Project work - formulating an action objective & research question(s)

2

Qualitative

Reading: Blanding. M. (2014). Pay attention to your extreme consumers. Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. 14 July.

Activity: Exercise - qualitative interview (individual & for project)
3

Desk Research

Reading: Kirca, A. and Yaprak, A. (2010). The use of meta-analysis in international business research: Its current status and suggestions for better practice. International Business Review, 19(3), pp.306-314.

Activity: Project work - desk research.

4

Survey/Observation

Reading: Anthony. S. (2009). In market research, use numbers with caution. Harvard Business Review. 02 September.

Activity: Project work - initial questionnaire design

5

Measurement

Reading: D.R., L. (2006). The Metrics Imperative. In: N. Malhotra, ed., Book Series: Review of Marketing Research - Volume 2. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.177 - 202.

Activity: Project work - Qualitative interviews / questionnaire development (Qualtrics)

6

Sampling

Reading: Holden, S. (2014). Don't understand statistics? Wanna bet?. [online] Halfamind2.com

Activity: Project work - questionnaire pre-tests, launch data collection

7

Data Analysis

Reading: Cumming, G. (2012). Mind your confidence interval: how statistics skew research results. [online] The Conversation.

Optional Reading: Li, J. (2013). Quantitative Data Analysis Techniques for Data-Driven Marketing. [online] iAcquire

Activity: Data analysis (Excel) - descriptives, breakdowns, data transformation (index scales).

8

Experiments

Reading: Ariely, D. (2010). Column: Why businesses don’t experiment. Harvard Business Review. April.

Activity: (Dis)Honesty - The Truth about Lies - video.

9

Reporting

Reading: Duarte, N. (2014). The quick and dirty on data visualization. Harvard Business Review. 16 April.

Activity: Discussion regarding likes and dislikes of research reporting / Project work - polishing presentation

10

Presentation & Feedback

 

Exam

 Exam Exam Week: 18th - 24th March

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social &amp; environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Formulate relevant research questions, select appropriate methods and generate data to address specific research questions and inform organisational decision making.
  • Synthesise the diverse mindsets of cultures and subcultures in and through the marketing research process, and highlight one’s own cultural biases when evaluating data and drawing conclusions.
  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social &amp; environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and integrate ethical, social &amp; environmental factors into the practice of marketing research, and in proposing recommendations.
  • Critically analyse and incorporate into marketing research methods and processes, the stakeholder relationships involved, to help develop action-oriented recommendations that create and deliver sustainable value.

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment tasks

  • Research Project Presentation
  • Research Project Report
  • Final Examination

Alignment with MGSM's mission-driven attributes

  • Leadership: Research provides evidence that support leadership within the organisation. Better research skills and a greater capacity to wield evidence support better leadership

  • Global Mindset: Research is a toolkit which is practiced around the world. This unit draws on examples of research from around the globe, and provides a skill that may be practiced world-wide

  • Citizenship: Research is an essential element supporting the way in which organisations discover and respond to the needs of their various stakeholders: customers, staff, shareholders, etc.

  • Creating Sustainable Value: Research is essential to the creation of value, it helps determine what customers want so that appropriate responses can be developed and delivered

Attendance Policy (MGSM)

"The interactive environment of the classroom is central to the MGSM experience. Students are required to attend the full duration of all classes for the units in which they are enrolled. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur, such as unavoidable travel on behalf of your organization or the serious illness or injury of you or a close family member.

Special consideration may be given for a maximum of 20% non-attendance for such circumstances as long as lecturers are contacted in advance, and supporting documentation provided, to request exemption from attendance. Failure to abide by these conditions may result in automatic withdrawal, with academic and/or financial penalty. The full Student Attendance Policy is published in the MGSM Student Handbook at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/handbook.

Content Disclaimer

These unit materials and the content of this unit are provided for educational purposes only and no decision should be made based on the material without obtaining independent professional advice relating to the particular circumstances involved.