MARKETNG 2505 - Market Research II

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016

This course will provide students with an in depth understanding of market research. Students will be involved in a practical application of market research via a group project which will focus on a real company situation. Students will write a research brief, determine the research methodology and conduct interviews and surveys as required. Students will be responsible for presenting their findings in both written and oral form to their clients.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MARKETNG 2505
    Course Market Research II
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 36 hours
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Course Description This course will provide students with an in depth understanding of market research. Students will be involved in a practical application of market research via a group project which will focus on a real company situation. Students will write a research brief, determine the research methodology and conduct interviews and surveys as required. Students will be responsible for presenting their findings in both written and oral form to their clients.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Liudmila Tarabashkina

    Lecturer in Charge: Dr Liudmila (Mila) Tarabashkina
    Location:  Room – TBA, 10 Pulteney Street
    email: liudmila.tarabashkina@adelaide.edu.au

    Consultation hours: Fridays 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
    (please send me an email to book an appointment in advance)

    Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au

    Tutors:
    Hande Akman email: hande.akman@adelaide.edu.au
    Gediminas Lipnickas email: ged.lipnickas@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Week

    Date

    Lecture & Workshop Topics*

    Textbook Chapters

    Tutorial Program & Small Group Discovery

    Assignments or tasks due

    1 2 March The Role of Market Research, Problem Definition and Research Process 1 & 2 No tutorial
    2 9 March The Nature of Qualitative Research and Qualitative Data Analysis 3 & 6 Form groups, discussion of the research project: objectives, desktop research (secondary data analysis, literature review), problem identification Group membership is to be confirmed with the tutor 12th of March by 11:59 pm via email. Delay will result in 5% penalty mark for Assignment 1 for every day of delay for the group.
    3 16 March The Nature of
    Survey (Quantitative) Research
    5 Development of focus group guides, identification of the target group, focus groups logistics Focus group guides need to be finalised this week.
    Recruitment of focus group participants and project logistics sorted out.
    Focus groups need to be conducted at the end of this week or early next week prior to tutorial attendance.
    4 23 March Survey Design #1: Writing Questions, Measurement Levels and
    Introduction to Qualtrics
    8 & 9 Qualitative data analysis from focus groups, report preparation Qualitative data to be analysed this week. Assignment 1 (10%) due 26th of March by 11:59 pm (Saturday)
    5 30 March Sampling and Data Collection 8 & 9 Lessons from qualitative stage, questionnaire design against research objectives,
    Qualtrics questionnaires, questionnaire pre-test (logic, flow, wording, conditions)
    Students need to start working on their questionnaires. Online questionnaires need to be finalised
    6 6 April An Overview of Statistical Analysis Techniques, Introduction to SPSS: Descriptives and Charting 10 & 11 Finalising Qualtrics questionnaires, identification of the target group Questionnaire needs to go in field this week/data collection starts
    13 April Mid Semester Break Data collection monitoring
    20 April Mid Semester Break Data collection continues.
    Data collection ends prior to tutorial attendance in Week 7
    7 27 April Data Analysis:
    Tests of Differences and Associations
    12 & 13 Data analysis exercises – data provided on MyUni. Descriptives and charting
    Data analysis using students’ data
    Students’ analysis of their own data on background
    8 4 May Data Analysis: Multivariate Analysis 14 Data Analysis Exercises – data provided on MyUni.
    Test of difference and associations. Data analysis using students’ data
    Students’ analysis of their own data on background

    Preparation for assignment 2
    9 11 May Interpretation and Report Writing 15 Assignment 2 (30%) in tutorial (45 minutes).
    Data Analysis Exercises – data provided on MyUni.
    Multivariate analysis
    Students’ analysis of their own data on background
    10 18 May Managing customer value
    Experiments
    16 Data Analysis & Reporting using own data Student’s analysis of their own data. Preparation for assignment 3
    11 25 May Observations 7 Assignment 3 (20%) – group presentation in tutorial. Assignment #3 soft copy needs to be submitted via Turnitin 23rd May by 11:59 pm
    12 1 June Course review All chapters above Course review in tutorial Students need to start preparing for exam

    *If lectures are scheduled for a public holidays, they will be available online
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    Knowledge and Understanding
    This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the market research process and the role of market research in strategic decision-making. There will be a focus on understanding the theoretical components of research design, as well as developing practical skills in data collection, analysis and interpretation.

    Through practical application within a market research project, students will design a research project including a sampling and research method, develop a focus group guide and a survey, manage data collection, conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis, interpret results, and present research findings. Emphasis will be placed on developing written and oral communication skills for presentation to corporate clients. Ethical business frameworks will also be reiterated and required to be adopted.

    Learning Outcomes
    By the end of this course students should be able to:
    1. Discuss the scope and managerial importance of market research and its role in the development of marketing strategy

    2. Provide a detailed overview of the stages in the market research process

    3. Develop research questions and objectives that can be addressed in a research design

    4. Develop a market research design; including
    • Identifying appropriate research approaches (from qualitative, survey, observation, and experimental research techniques)
    • Preparing measurement instruments (including surveys and focus group outlines)
    • Designing a sampling approach and sampling frame

    5. Manage the data collection process

    6. Use contemporary statistical packages to calculate and report descriptive statistics from quantitative data

    7. Interpret data analysis in the context of the identified business problem

    8. Communicate research results in written and oral presentation formats
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2, 4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    3, 4,7
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3, 4,7
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1-6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    TEXT BOOK

    Marketing Research (3rd Asia-Pacific Edition) by Zikmund, D’Alessandro, Winzar, Lowe, B., and Babin. Published by Cengage Learning Australia, Melbourne, 2014. ISBN: 9780170236027
    An e-book version may also be purchased ISBN: 0170236021

    Course Outline and Powerpoint slides (available from MyUni course site).
    Recommended Resources
    Data analysis:
    The following text is not required but may be useful in completing some of the course activities.
    Pallant, J. (2013). SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using IBM Spss. McGraw-Hill.  BSL: 005.369 S771ZP.

    Qualitative research and data analysis:
    Berg, B.L. (2001). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Boston: Allyn & Bacon BSL: 300.72 B493q.8.

    Morgan, D. L. (1998). The focus group guidebook. Focus group kit 1. London: Sage Publications, Inc. BSL: 001.433 M847f.

    QUALTRICS
    The data collection software that we use can be found at www.adelaide.qualtrics.com. DO NOT GO TO QUALTRICS THROUGH GOOGLE as it will cause account problems. You can use your student ID to build a Qualtrics account.
    Online Learning
    Both the MyUni course site and the textbook website are valuable resources for this course. MyUni will be the primary form of (non-class) contact. You will find all of the lectures recorded and uploaded to MyUni, as well as a series of self check questions which are extremely valuable for crystallising the concepts covered in lectures and tutorials.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course entails a weekly 2-hour lecture and one 1.5 hour tutorial per week. The audio of lectures will be uploaded weekly on MyUni.

    Tutorial classes will be held weekly commencing the week beginning Monday March 7. YOU MUST ATTEND THE FIRST TUTORIAL – we will allocate teams and discuss research briefs in that tute. Students wishing to swap between tutorial classes after this time are required to present their case to the Lecturer-in-Charge, but should be aware that such a request may not be approved.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course of private study outside of your regular classes.

    Students in this course are expected to attend all lectures throughout the semester plus one tutorial class each week.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Tutorials are an important component of your learning in this course. The communication skills developed in tutorials by regularly and actively participating in discussions are considered to be most important by the School and are highly regarded by employers and professional bodies.

    Online Quizzes are an optional component of the course. There will be an online quiz available for you to complete each week. They consist of 25 multiple choice questions, can be done as many times as you like, and do not count for your assessment. The questions themselves test the theoretical components of the course.
    Specific Course Requirements
    This course requires you to learn the principles of market research, but you are also required to practically apply those principles. So, there are lectures per week, where we talk about what is in the text, but your major continuous assessment involves conducting a piece of market research. We will allocate the groups in week 2. We don’t want you swapping around. In groups of four or five, you will be required to conduct a piece of market research, involving both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

    TURNITIN FOR ASSIGNMENTS
    Assignment 1 (week 4), 2 (week 9), and 3 (week 11) will need to be submitted via Turnitin using the MyUni site. Due dates for each assessment are specified in sections 1.3 and 5.1 of this outline. All submissions need to occur on the specified date by 11.59 pm. For group assessments, only one person per group is to submit via Turnitin on behalf of the group members.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Assignment #1: Focus groups report, (Qualitative insights)
    (Group assessment)

    Week 4: 26th of March via Turnitin by 11:59 pm

    10% 1, 2, 3, 4, & 7
    Assessment # 2: Statistics application test
    (Individual Assessment)
    Week 9:Task is to be completed in tutorial beginning 9th of May and uploaded via Turnitin by the end of allocated time 20% 6, 7 & 8
    Assignment #3: Quantitative findings report (Group assessment) and presentation (Individual Assessment)
    (continuation from Assignment 1)
    Week 11: Soft copy needs to be submitted via Turnitin May 23rd by 11:59 pm

    Presentations in tutorial beginning May 23rd*
    Summative 30%:

    20% (group assessment) +
    10% (individual assessment)
    2, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8
    Assessment #4: Final exam - 3 hours; closed book
    (Individual Assessment)
    TBA 40% 1, 2, 4, 7, & 8
    Total 100%
    * Some groups may be asked to schedule time and/or location outside of their assigned tutorial.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    1. To gain a pass for this course, a mark of at least 45% must be obtained on the examination as well as a total of at least 50% overall.          Students not achieving the minimum exam mark will be awarded no more than 49%.
    2. Supplementary exams will be offered to students who achieve 45-49% in the exam in accordance with University policy.
    3. Students achieving less than 45% for the exam – regardless of overall course mark – will receive a fail. This is when the student has shown nowhere near enough understanding of the course in the exam.
    4. All assignments are to be lodged prior to the due date and time. A late assignment where no extension has been granted will be penalised by a reduction of 5% of the mark given for each day that it is late.
    5. Extensions to the due date of individual assessment may be granted under special circumstances. An extension request or application for supplementary exam based on illness or compassionate grounds must include the "Supporting Statement / Certification Form" that is page 4 of the Supplementary Assessment application available at: www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/pdfs/supp_applic.pdf. Students applying for an extension based on medical reasons must visit their medical practitioner, with that approved University form, and have the medical practitioner complete it. A normal doctor's certificate will not be accepted.
    6. Legible hand-writing and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process. Marks may be deducted for poor hand-writing and grammatical expression.
    7. Students in this course are not permitted to take a DICTIONARY (English or English-Foreign) into the examination. In this course, the use of calculators in the examination is not permitted. Also, students are not permitted to bring mobile phones into the examination.
    8. Assessment rubrics will be provided in the tutorials and posted on MyUni.
    Assessment Detail
    Per your course outline in MyUni
    Submission
    Presentation of Assignments
    • Please retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
    • All group assignments must be attached to a ‘Group Assignment Cover Sheet’, which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission – even for electronic submissions. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.
    • Assignments 1 and 3 must be submitted as a digital copy via Turnitin before 11.59 pm of the assigned day.
    • Hardcopy submission of Assignment # 3 should be made to your tutor prior to your scheduled presentation (inability to reach your tutor is not an acceptable reason for not submitting).
    • Assignment #2 must be submitted via Turnitin at the end of the allotted time in tutorial.

    Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism. This is a legal document that must be included with every submission.

    A copy of the Postgraduate Programs: Communication Skills Guide will have been given to you at the beginning of your program. This guide will assist you structure your assignments. A copy of the guide can also be downloaded from
    http://www.business.adelaide.edu.au/current/mba/download/2009MBACommSkillsGuide.pdf

    This publication also provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc.

    In preparing any written piece of assessment for your studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.

    The Harvard system is widely used in the Business School. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide. Further assistance with referencing is available from the Faculty’s Learning Support Advisors. The contact details are provided on page 6 of the Communication Skills Guide.

    Late Assignment Submission
    Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be emailed to the lecturer in charge of the course before the due date. Each request will be assessed on its merits. A late assignment (without prior arrangement) will be penalised at a rate of 5% per day (or part thereof). Submitting your assignment late (with or without an extension) also means you miss the primary marking cycle; it probably will get returned to you a lot later than your classmates get theirs.

    Return of Assignments
    Lecturers aim to mark and return assignments to students within two (2) weeks of the due date with written feedback. Students are responsible for collecting their marked assignments from either their tutorials or lectures. If assignments aren’t collected after two (2) weeks, the assignments will be available at the Student Hub for two (2) weeks. The remaining assignments will only be posted out to the students, if the correct mailing addresses are on the assignments. Assignments for this course will be marked either online or using the hardcopy – your tutor will advise you of his/her preferred marking option.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.