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KOÇ UNIVERSITY
College of Administrative Sciences and Economics
MKTG 301 - MARKETING RESEARCH
Fall 2010
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INSTRUCTOR:
CLASS TIME & PLACE:
OFFICE:
OFFICE HOURS:
E-MAIL:
Stefan Wuyts
Monday & Wednesday 14.00-15.15
Wednesday 15.30-16.30
[email protected]
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

Naresh K. Malhotra (2009). Basic Marketing Research: A Decision-Making Approach, PEARSON
Prentice Hall
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The broad objective of the course is to provide a fundamental understanding of the various research methods
utilized in marketing applications by better managed firms. The course assumes the perspective of the
manager who is the ultimate user of marketing research and who is responsible for determining the direction
and scope of marketing research initiative.
The course focuses on the marketing research process, the choice between different research designs and the
use of specific research designs, sampling, data preparation and basic data analysis. As such, the course points
to the importance of systematic information gathering and analysis for making more effective and efficient
marketing decisions. By the end of the course, students should be able to competently select, design, and
evaluate marketing research projects and appraise their usefulness to management. Students will have first
hand experience with all the phases of a marketing research project.
CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION
Marketing research can be appropriately described as an organized way of cultivating information for
marketing decision making. The quality of the information, for example its validity and reliability, depends on
the care exercised in the execution of the various stages of the marketing research process. The course is
broadly structured to follow the stages of the marketing research process in temporal sequence, starting with
problem definition, and continuing with research design, data collection, sampling, and data analysis.
TEACHING METHOD
The course will be taught via a blend of interactive lectures and application. While the course follows the
sequence of the consecutive book chapters, there will be room for probing, extending, and applying the text
material. The course will also involve team work and much weight is allocated to the proper application of the
materials in a practice assignment. These skills are important not only to those planning to be directly involved
in marketing research activities but also to “consumers” of marketing research.
REQUIRED BACKGROUND
The prerequisites for this course are: 1) Marketing Management course (MKTG. 201); 2) a Statistics course
(MATH 201).
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COURSE COMPONENTS and GRADING
Group Project - 30 points. The objective of the research project is to provide students with experience in
applying the marketing research concepts and methods to a marketing research problem. The project will be
performed in self-selected groups of 3 students. Each group will submit a proposal for a marketing research
project to the instructor. Details regarding the format, contents, and deadline for the proposal will be
communicated in class. Upon approval of the proposal, each group will prepare a comprehensive marketing
research plan, carry out a field study that involves primary data collection, and submit a written report. The
written report should be no more than 20 double-spaced, typewritten pages (excluding tables, exhibits, and
references). Each group will present an intermediary draft of the marketing research project in-class (30
minutes max.) on the assigned day as per the schedule.
Two copies of the final written report are due at the beginning of class on 22-12-2010.
Mid-term Exam I – 20 points; Mid-term Exam II – 40 points. Two closed-book, in-class mid-term exams
(first midterm exam 200 points; second midterm exam 400 points) will be taken individually during the
prescribed times noted on the syllabus. The examination format will draw from some or all of the following
types of questions: a) short answer and/or multiple choice questions designed to assess students’ knowledge of
material developed in the course; b) analysis of mini-cases each of which describes a situation; and c) analysis
of contemporary real-world marketing problems/issues extracted from business press reports.
Assignments - 10 points. Assignments are used at various points in the course to illustrate the application of
various marketing research concepts and methods to real-world problems. Each student is required to
complete the assignments, submit a short typewritten report of his/her analysis, and be ready to actively
participate by sharing his/her findings during in-class discussion of the assignment.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
The final grade for this course will be a function of student’s performance in three distinct
components of the course1. The explicit weights of each component are:
Group Project:
Exams:
Assignments:
30 points
60 points (20 and 40 points, respectively)
10 points
100 points
A curve will not be used in determining the letter grade for the course. A letter grade for the course
will be assigned based on the arithmetic sum of all points earned where A= 1000-950 pts; -A= 949900 pts; +B=899-870 pts; B=869-840 pts; -B=839-800 pts. +C=799-770 pts; C=769-740 pts; -C=739700 pts; +D=699-650 pts; D=649-600 pts; and F=599 or below.
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In addition: Research Participation: In order to conduct academic research, it is very important for marketing
academics to have people voluntarily complete surveys and studies. This experience will also help you gain a better
understanding of what marketing research is about. During the semester, you will be made aware of the opportunities to
earn up to 3% of your total grade for research participation. These will require you to attend and complete marketing
research surveys. Details of the studies will be provided to you later in the semester. Participation is voluntary, eventual
points earned through research participation are added to your regular grade.
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COURSE OUTLINE (All classes at 14.00-15.15)
Date
27-09-2010
29-09-2010
04-10-2010
06-10-2010
11-10-2010
13-10-2010
18-10-2010
20-10-2010
25-10-2010
Topics
Corresponding chapter(s)
1. Introduction to marketing research
- Marketing concept, importance of marketing research
- The marketing research process, steps until reporting
- The marketing research industry
Ch1
2. Defining the problem and determining research objectives
- Problem definition
- Hypotheses, relations, constructs
- Examples (UA)
- Design: exploratory, descriptive, causal
Ch2 / Ch3
3. Secondary data
- Primary versus secondary data
- Internal versus external secondary data
- Sources of secondary data
Ch4 / Ch5
4. Qualitative research
- Quantitative versus qualitative
- Observation, focus groups, and other qualitative measures
- Types and examples of qualitative research
Ch6
5. Survey-data collection methods
- Survey methods
- Other methods of descriptive research
- Pros and cons
Ch7
6. Causal research design: experimentation
- Causality and validity
- Experimental designs
Ch8
27-10-2010
01-11-2010
Review, Q&A
03-11-2010
Midterm Exam I
08-11-2010
10-11-2010
7. Measurement and questionnaire design
- Response format and scale characteristics
- Comparative and non-comparative scaling techniques
- Survey development, structure, wording, methods (CAD)
15-11-2010
No Class
3
Ch9 / Ch10 / Ch11
17-11-2010
No Class
22-11-2010
8. Sampling
- Concept and methods
- Sampling techniques
- Determining sample size
- Confidence interval, accuracy, central limits theorem
Ch12 / Ch13
9. Fieldwork and data preparation
- Nonresponse error and other errors in field work
- Questionnaire screening
- Data preparation: coding, cleaning, and strategy
Ch14 / Ch15
24-11-2010
29-11-2010
01-12-2010
06-12-2010
08-12-2010
13-12-2010
15-12-2010
10. Presentations of marketing research projects
- Each group presents an intermediary version of their marketing
research project
- Time slots of 20 minutes will be assigned
11. Basic data analysis: descriptive statistics
- Mode, median, mean, variance
- Frequency distribution
- Parameter estimation, standard error
- Cross-tabulation
Ch15 / Ch16
Ch17
20-12-2010
12. Testing for differences between two groups or among more
than two groups
- T-distribution and t-test
- Variance decomposition
- Tukey- and Duncan-tests
Ch18
22-12-2010
13. Determining and interpreting associations among
variables
- Correlation and covariance
- Regression analysis
- Significance and explanatory power
27-12-2010
No class
29-12-2010
Exercises on topics 12, 13, and 14.
03-01-2011
Review, Q&A
05-01-2011
Midterm Exam II
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COURSE POLICIES and GROUND RULES
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Each member of the group will get the same grade on the group project. Hence, it is important to
divide and complete work equitably. In order to discourage “free riders”, if one or more members
of a group are dissatisfied with the contributions of a particular member, they may petition for a
reduction in the grade awarded to that member. Before they do so, however, group members are
required to apprise the delinquent member of his or her poor contribution, and give the member
the opportunity to “shape up.” Approach the instructor only as a last resort. Lack of complaints
will be assumed to mean equal contribution by all group members.
No make-up exams will be scheduled.
All written assignments must be typewritten, double-spaced, leave one inch margins on all four
sides, and use a font size no smaller than 12 characters per inch (no compressed print!!!).
All written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Late work will
not be accepted.
University rules and policies on academic honesty, as detailed below, will be strictly enforced.
Individual accountability for all individual work, written or oral. Copying from others or
providing answers or information, written or oral, to others is cheating.
Providing proper acknowledgement of original author. Copying from another student’s
paper or from another text without written acknowledgement is plagiarism.
Study or project group activity is effective and authorized teamwork. Unauthorized help
from another person or having someone else write one’s paper or assignment is collusion.
Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are serious offences resulting in an automatic F grade and
disciplinary action.
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