Dominican University

GSB 771

Brno, May, 2008

Marketing Research

Instructor

David Koehler

E-mail: dkoehler@dom.edu

Course Description

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the field of marketing research, focusing on practical applications within corporate marketing departments and advertising/communications agencies. Traditional quantitative and qualitative research approaches will be discussed, as will more recent methodologies including ethnography and web based measurements. Modules will include strategic implications of research, survey research methods, focus groups and one-on-one interviewing, questionnaire design, experimental designs, the ethics of research.

Course Objectives

1. Students will enhance their understanding of quantitative and analytical research methods and identify appropriateness of such methods for various research questions.

2. Students will develop an understanding of the applications of research in marketing and advertising decisions and the implications of research on product and creative development

3. Students will enhance their understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and identify appropriateness of each type of research for various marketing and advertising questions.
1. Students will compare and contrast qualitative quantitative research methods.
2. Students will be able to select appropriate methodologies for specific research projects.

4. Students will articulate ethical aspects of research, including data collection, analysis, and application.
1. Students will understand appropriate use of human subjects and ethical dimensions of data collection.
2. Students will understand aspects of the ethical use of research results in advertising and marketing, including the use of proprietary data, inappropriate use of data for decision-making, and ethics of professional researchers.

Required text:

Basic Marketing Research  (Using  Microsoft Excel Data Analysis), 

                                           Alvin C. Burns and Ronald F. Bush, Pearson Prentice Hall,  

                                           Upper Saddle River, New Jersey,  2005,  ISBN 0-13-145226-6

Course Grading:

There will be two short-essay exams, a qualitative research project and a quantitative research project.

Grade Distribution:

Exam One: 20 %

Exam Two: 20 %

Group Presentation - Qualitative Research Project: 20 %

Quantitative Research Project: 40%

Total: 100 %

Topic	Chapter	Date/Class
1. Overview of Marketing Research Ø When and how it is used Ø When it is not necessary Ø Case Study – Designing a Research Program (Santa Fe Grill)	1, 2	Friday, May 23
2. Steps in Research	3	Saturday, May 24
3. Qualitative (Exploratory) Research Methods Ø Research topic chosen Ø Discuss and compare qualitative and quantitative research methods Ø Sources of data Ø Group Projects assigned	4-7	Saturday, May 24
4. Survey Design Ø Discuss and compare qualitative and quantitative research methods Ø When to use each type of research Ø Types of errors that can occur in survey research Ø Discuss various ways quantitative research projects can be administered Constructing the Questionnaire Ø What will we measure (construct development)? Ø How will we count and measure (scale measurements)? Ø Measuring attitudes – Likert Scales Ø Steps in developing the questionnaire – Flowerpot	8-11	Sunday, May 25
Group Project – Select a problem/situation (either a general one or one specific to your company or organization) to investigate via a market research project. You will work on this project over the two week-ends. Ø Write a proposal for what the project will explore – due Sunday morning, May 25. Ø Part of the project will be done in class with parts due during the classes on Friday, May 30 and Saturday May 31. Ø Part will be out-of-class assignments. Ø The completed written project will be due at the end of class on Saturday, June 3. Ø Oral presentations of your projects will be in class on Sunday, June 4. (40% of grade) Ø Surveys administered and tabulated for Friday May 30.	8-11	Sunday , May 25
5. Week-end Two (May 30-June 1) Exam # 1( 20% 0f grade) - surveys results discussed	9/11	Friday, May 30
6. Analyze and Interpret results from surveys . Sampling Ø Concepts in Sampling Theory Ø Statistical Precision Ø Sample sizes Ø In class – Work on projects: · Calculate your sample size · Describe your population · Decide on Confidence Level you want · Calculate the sample size required · Determine the Confidence Interval you will have using the above two calculations.	12-15	Saturday, May 31
9. Exam# 2 (20% of grade)		Sunday, June 1
10. Project Presentations (20% of grade)		Sunday, June 1
11. Turning data into insights/Interpretation and decision making		Sunday, June 1

Bio

David Koehler, MBA

Professor of Marketing

University of Illinois at Chicago

David Koehler has been a full time professor of marketing for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for the past seven years. He was formerly the president of the Diamond Cut Masonry construction corporation for eight years. He worked in management for 12 years with the Walgreen Drug Company. He has taught at 13 universities within the Chicago area and has instructed over 500 courses in his teaching career. He has recently been awarded for the Flame Award for Excellence in Teaching voted upon by alumni and also the Teacher of the Year Award at UIC for the third time. He has distinguished himself on multiple fronts and brings passion and energy to the classroom. This will be his fourth time teaching for Dominican University overseas but it will be his first time teaching in Brno. He is very excited about the opportunity.