Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Kay Naumann kay.naumann@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites MKTG101
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description Services Marketing refers to a set of intangible activities and processes which create, communicate, and deliver value to customers. This includes managing customer relationships and interactions. Managers use services marketing insights to keep ahead of changes in consumer needs, to identify market opportunities, and to inform the development of service marketing strategy. This unit develops students’ knowledge of services marketing principles and practices. Students learn of the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations. Students learn about the management of the service process including service quality processes, management of service encounters, and the positioning and communication of services.

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:

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

General Assessment Information

OVERVIEW

Services Marketing refers to a set of intangible activities and processes which create, communicate, and deliver value to customers. This includes managing customer relationships and interactions. Managers use services marketing insights to keep ahead of changes in consumer needs, to identify market opportunities, and to inform the development of service marketing strategy. This unit develops students’ knowledge of services marketing principles and practices. Students learn of the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations. Students learn about the management of the service process including service quality processes, management of service encounters, and the positioning and communication of services.

This is a 3 credit point unit.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Weekly Assessed Coursework	20%	No	9pm Friday Wks 3,5,7,8.
Case Study	40%	No	9pm Monday Week 10
Service Audit Assignment	40%	No	9pm Monday Week 13

Weekly Assessed Coursework

Due: 9pm Friday Wks 3,5,7,8.
Weighting: 20%

Submission of 4 typed one-page response worth 5% each (totaling 20% for all 4 submissions). The submission is due by 9pm (AEST) on the Friday of weeks 3, 5, 7 and 8. Students are required to analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.

The set questions are outlined in Assesment Guidelines located on ilearn.

Submission is via turnitin.

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.

Case Study

Due: 9pm Monday Week 10
Weighting: 40%

Students are required to apply theoretical and practical knowledge to analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices, and, apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing a service organization.

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.

Service Audit Assignment

Due: 9pm Monday Week 13
Weighting: 40%

Students are required to apply services marketing theory to a service organisation of their choice. Students must: analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices; apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organisations; analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters; and explain the positioning strategies for the service firm and evaluate its effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

On successful completion you will be able to:

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Delivery and Resources

This unit consists of one weekly lecture (2 hours) and one tutorial (1 hour). Lectures start in Week 1 and tutorials start in Week 2.

Required Textbook

The textbook to accompany this unit is:

Lovelock, C. H., Patterson, P.G. and Walker, R.H., Services Marketing: An Asia-Pacific and Australian Perspective (6th Edition), Sydney: Pearson Education Australia, 2014.

Copies of older editions are available in the library in the reserve section.

Please note that old editions of this text do exist. You are welcome to use these, however, you will need to cross-check the content of older versions with the 6^th edition of the text on a weekly basis to ensure that you are reading the correct material and case studies as cases in the old versions are different.

Writing Skills

The major assessments for this unit require students to develop their research and writing skills. Students are advised to read the following resource copies of which will be made available in class. These are also available in the library.

Burton, L. 2010. An Interactive Approach to Writing Essays and Research Reports in Psychology, John Wiley & Sons, Australia

This source also covers information on topics such as; writing style, critical thinking, report writing, referencing, structure, and plagiarism.

Researching Skills - Journals

In addition to the required textbook for this Unit, you should familiarise yourself with the relevant periodical section of the library. Journals recommended for your study in marketing include:

Journal of Marketing
Journal of Consumer Research
International Journal of Research in Marketing
Harvard Business Review
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Journal of Services Research
Journal of Services Marketing

You can access these resources through the Library home page. Under ‘research’ select search for ‘journals’ and type the name of the journal.

Recommended Research Databases

You should also familiarize yourself with key research databases available for access through the library. Databases recommended for your study in marketing include:

Ebscohost:
- Academic Search Elite
- Business Source Premier
Wiley Interscience
Passport (Industry Reports)
Google Scholar (only when logged in via the Macquarie University website)

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: https://timetables.mq.edu.au.

Technology used and required

This unit requires access to standard information and communication technologies such as a personal computer and internet access.
Students are required to familiarise themselves with iLearn (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/). iLearn will be used to post course material, announcements, student grades and as a means of communication between staff members and students.
Students are expected to check their university email account and contact the teaching staff through it.
All important announcements will be made on iLearn and you are expected to view the announcements page of the course website at least once per week

In order to pass this unit successfully, students need to engage in the weekly reading tasks, participate actively in class, and achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher in the unit.

Unit Schedule

Please refer to the Weekly Schedule on ilearn.

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:

Academic Appeals Policy
Academic Integrity Policy
Academic Progression Policy
Assessment Policy
Fitness to Practice Procedure
Grade Appeal Policy
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)

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

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

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

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Weekly Assessed Coursework
Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

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

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Weekly Assessed Coursework
Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

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

1. Analyse and discuss services marketing principles and practices.
2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Weekly Assessed Coursework
Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

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

2. Apply services marketing theories to identify the challenges and opportunities facing service organizations.
3. Analyse and critique the service processes and service encounters.
4. Explain the positioning strategies for service firms and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating and delivering service value to the customer.

Assessment tasks

Weekly Assessed Coursework
Case Study
Service Audit Assignment

Changes from Previous Offering

The assessment structure of this unit has changed from the previous offering. The assessments now include:

Weekly coursework (20%)

Case Study Report (40%)

Service Audit Assignment (40%)

The final exam has been removed.