Students

MKTG202 – Marketing Research

2019 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Jun Yao
jun.yao@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via email
4ER 653
Thursday 1:30pm-2:30pm
Lecturer
Joe Pitt
joe.pitt@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via email
6ER tutor's room
Monday 2pm-3pm, starting week 1 until week 7
Lecturer
Muhammad Abid
muhammad.abid@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via email
6ER tutor's room
Monday 2pm-3pm, starting week 8 until week 13
Mehdi Azam
mehdi.azam@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MKTG101
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Marketing research is a key activity of successful organizations, enabling them to learn about consumers and markets. This knowledge helps organizations to identify potential opportunities in the market and make strategic decisions that support and sustain their competitiveness. This unit equips students with knowledge about the role and processes of marketing research. The focus of the unit is on developing students’ skills to identify appropriate marketing research techniques to design and implement marketing research projects that solve marketing problems. In the unit, students gain knowledge of statistical software to analyze data. Students also learn how to interpret statistical output to make marketing decisions and communicate their findings through oral and written communication.

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:

  • Explain and evaluate marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems.
  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Group Project 50% No Week 4, Week 7 and Week 13
Individual Reflection 10% No Week 12
Final Exam 40% No Exam Period

Group Project

Due: Week 4, Week 7 and Week 13
Weighting: 50%

Task Description: This assessment targets development of students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills and encourages students to: • Understand marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems. • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems • Design and implement the data collection process. •Analyze data by using SPSS software, interpret results and communicate findings. Type of Collaboration: Individual and Group Submission:

Submit three progress reports via Turnitin link on iLearn:

- Progress Report A (individual task): 10%. Summary of qualitative research/exploratory study

- Progress Report B (group task): 15% (7.5% group component + 7.5% individual component). Research proposal for quantitative study

- Final Report (group task): 25% (12.5% group component + 12.5% individual component). Integrated complete marketing research report including data analysis results by using SPSS software

Format: Please refer to the iLearn Unit page Length:

Progress Report A: 400 words

Progress Report B: 1,500 words

Final Report: 3,000 words

Inherent Task Requirements: None Late Submissions:
  • No extensions will be granted for the Progress Report A  (individual task) and Progress Report B (group task). Students who have not submitted the tasks prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. Application for Special Consideration by an individual student cannot apply for a group submission.
  • No extensions will be granted to the Final Report (group task). There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission - 4 marks penalty on a 20% assignment). Penalties do not apply when an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. Application for Special Consideration by an individual student cannot apply for a group submission.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and evaluate marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems.
  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Individual Reflection

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 10%

Task Description: Each student must produce a reflection piece that aims to evaluate their team and their own role in the teamwork process. Type of Collaboration: Individual Submission: Submit via Turnitin link on iLearn Format: Please refer to the iLearn Unit page Length:

Please refer to the iLearn Unit page

Inherent Task Requirements: No Late Submissions:

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission - 4 marks penalty on a 20% assignment). Penalties do not apply when an application for Special Consideration is made and approved.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.

Final Exam

Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 40%

Task Descriptions: A final examination is included as an assessment task for this unit to provide assurance that: (i) the product belongs to the student and ii) the student has attained the knowledge and skills tested in the exam. Type of Collaboration: Individual Submission: Students are expected to present for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable Format: Details given in the Week 13 lecture Length: 2 hours Inherent Task Requirements: None Late Submissions: Please see Assessment Policy Schedule 4

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and evaluate marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

  • 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week consisting of: 1 x 1.5 hours lecture and 1 x 1.5 hours tutorial/lab exercises. Tutorials commence in Week 2
  • The timetable for classes can be found on the University website at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

Prescribed text:

  • D’Alessandro, Lowe, Winzar, Zikmund, Babin (2017) Marketing Research: 4th Asia-Pacific Edition with Student Resource Access. Cengage: ISBN 9780170369824

Recommended texts:

  • Kirkpatrick & Feeney (2016) A Simple Guide to IBM SPSS Statistics - version 23.0. Cengage: ISBN 9781305877719 

  • Allen, Bennett, and Heritage. (2014), SPSS Statistics Version 22- A Practical Guide, 3ed. Cengage: ISBN-10: 0-17-034897-0

  • Emerson, L. (2013), Writing Guidelines for Business Students, 5ed. Cengage: ISBN-10: 0-17-021638-1

These texts can be purchased from the Macquarie University Co-op Bookshop.

They are also available in the Macquarie Library.

Technology Used and Required

  • Students will need to have access to a personal computer, with access to the Internet and word processor software.
  • In laboratories, we will use MS-Word, MS-Excel, and SPSS statistical software.

Unit Web Page

  • The web page for this unit can be found at: iLearn http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
  • All announcements and resources will be available on the web site. Resource materials include lecture slides, practice questions, case studies and practice exam questions for both the within-semester and final exams. There is also a forum for student interaction and contact with faculty. You should consult the course Website several times per week for messages and updates.

Learning and Teaching Activities

This unit is taught using lectures and tutorials.

  • Lectures serve to highlight key topics and elaborate on important or difficult topics. They are not a summary of, or a substitute for, the textbook or other resources.
  • Tutorials serve to give students practice in applying concepts and developing skills in critical and logical thinking, information gathering and analysis.

Students are expected to read in advance of lectures, and participate in all lecture presentations. There is also an applied marketing research project assisting students to apply concepts introduced in course to the marketing environment. This will be introduced within the lecture presentations. 

Satisfactory Completion of Unit

  • It is normally expected that students attempt all assessment tasks for this unit. Students are required to accumulate at least 50% of the total marks possible in order to satisfactorily pass this unit.

Unit Schedule

Week

Topic

Reading

Notes/tutorial activities

1

Course Introduction

Problem Definition and Research Process

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 1, 2

No tutorials this week, tutorials commence in Week 2

2

Qualitative Research

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 3

Group formation, define marketing research problem

3

Secondary Research

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 4

Interview and focus group

4

Survey Research

Observation

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 5, 6

Secondary research

Individual Task: Progress Report A - Qualitative Research Summary due by 11:59pm Sunday 25 August

5

 Measurement and Scaling

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 8

Survey research methods

6

Questionnaire Design

Sampling Technique

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch. 9, 10

Linking research questions and hypotheses with measurement

7

 Causal Research and Experiment

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.7 

Sampling techniques. 

Group Task: Progress Report B - Quantitative Research Proposal due by 11:59pm Sunday 15 September

 

Mid Session Break

    

8

Data Editing and Coding

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.11

Experimental design

Submit your Peer Evaluation for Progress Report B in tutorial class.

9

Data Analysis Part I: Univariate Analysis

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.12 

Online questionnaire design using Qualtrics.

10

Data Analysis Part II: Bivariate Analysis - Test of Difference

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.13

Summarising data with SPSS (data cleaning and coding before analysis).

Cross-tabulation and Chi-square test.

11

Data Analysis Part III: Bivariate Analysis - Test of Association

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.14

Hypothesis testing related to difference: t-test and ANOVA.

12

Data Analysis Part IV: Multivariate Analysis

Report Presentation

Zikmund et al., 2017 Ch.15, 16

Hypothesis testing related to association: correlation and regression.

Individual Reflection due by 11:59pm Sunday 3 November 

13

Examination Review and Preparation

Zikmund et al., 2017 All chapters

Exam preparation Q&A

Group Task: Final Research Report due by 11:59pm Friday 8 November 

Submit your Peer Evaluation for Final Report in tutorial class

 

Learning and Teaching Activities

Tutorial exercises

In-tutorial activities are designed to help students understand marketing research theories and concepts and gain immediate feedback.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is the #1 online questionnaire tool in the world.

SPSS

SPSS is the standard statistical package used in Marketing and Social Research.

Group Project

Students work in teams to design, carry out, and report on a marketing problem of their choosing.

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

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain and evaluate marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems.
  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project
  • Individual Reflection
  • Final Exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project
  • Final Exam

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain and evaluate marketing research theories and concepts to identify marketing problems.
  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.

Assessment task

  • Group Project

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Apply marketing research concepts and techniques to solve marketing problems in collaboration.
  • Use statistical software to analyse and interpret marketing information and communicate findings orally and in writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Project
  • Individual Reflection
  • Final Exam

Changes from Previous Offering

The assessment task 'Class Test' has been replaced by 'Individual Reflection'.

Research & Practice, Global contexts & Sustainability

Research & Practice

  • This unit uses research by Macquarie University researchers (Zikmund et al., 2017 and other resources on iLearn).
  • This unit uses research from external sources (Zikmund et al., 2017 and other resources on iLearn).
  • This unit gives you opportunities to conduct your own research and to refine your interest in consumer research or other contemporary marketing practices in different contexts.

Global contexts & Sustainability

  • This unit enables students to understand the new generation consumers and their patterns, preferences, and behaviours in global marketing context in Internet era through the research project.
  • Students are expected to attain higher level of awareness of sustainability by investigating into the characteristics, market size, profitability, potential, variation of market and lifelong value of consumer groups and understanding business's commitment to the protect consumer wellbeing, environmental and social benefits.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
24/07/2019 Staff contact information updated.
04/07/2019 Updated lecturer contact information.