Department of Management,

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

March-June 2006

Course Title:      Marketing Management

Course Number: MBA 622

Instructor:          Dr Rakesh Belwal       

(email: rakesh_belwal@yahoo.com)

                        (website: www.geocities.com/rakesh_belwal)                

Target Groups: MBA & MSc. Accounting Students

COURSE OVERVIEW

The purpose of this course is to develop knowledge and skills in the managerial aspects of marketing. The course provides an understanding of marketing as the basis for general management decision-making and as a framework for analyzing business situations. The specific objectives are to:

1.                 Learn about the elements of the marketing management process, the basic components of marketing programs, and the interaction of marketing with other functions of the organization.

2.         Understand the role of marketing managers and how to apply marketing concepts to a wide range of management situations.

3.       Acquire analytical skills to define marketing problems, identify opportunities, and interpret their implications for decision-making.

4.       Develop marketing skills utilizing external inputs fitting into Ethiopian context and harnessing local marketing practices.

To achieve these objectives, the course places a heavy emphasis on case analysis and discussion. Lectures on conceptual material and instruction on analytical methods support the focus on case analysis. Student performance will be evaluated through case discussions, class participation and preparation, individual assignments and exercises, and a final exam. Student participation in class discussion is essential and will be graded.  Attendance at all scheduled class meetings is expected.

COURSE GRADING AND REQUIREMENTS

Class Preparation and Discussion

This is a lecture and discussion course with a strong managerial orientation. You are expected to complete the assigned readings and come to class prepared for discussion.

Each student is expected to fill the Student Information Sheet during the first two classes mentioning their past experiences and areas of interests.  

Discussion exercises are aimed to give you practice at applying several analytical tools. These are similar to the questions on the exams and provide important practice and feedback. The assignments will be discussed in class and therefore should be completed and treated as if they were to be submitted, however, they will not be collected.

For each of the cases, you should read and analyze the case and then meet with your group to discuss the case and prepare for the class discussion. The purpose of these group meetings is to increase the level of understanding and preparation. Each group member must have done work prior to the meeting to maximize the group’s time. At the meeting, members should share their analysis and recommendations and then discuss the issues and points of disagreement.

There is no one correct answer to any of the cases. You should therefore NOT seek to reach group consensus but rather use the group’s inputs to formulate your own opinion.

Term Papers

Keeping in view the marketing environment and limited exposure in Ethiopian context to ensure students’ understanding in the area of marketing, every student will have to be involved in a continuous learning process through writing term papers. The first term paper will have to be written on the given theme by a team of two students, the second term paper will be an individual effort from each student. The paper will take the form of research papers matching the formats/ conventions practiced by reputed journals of marketing.

Each student is required to refer and complete the “Industry Analysis Section” of the website.   The section is designed to sharpen your skills at conducting business research. In addition, you will learn about several industries and examine the many factors that have implications for marketing decisions. You should begin referring to it immediately. It cannot be done all at once – and leaving it to the last minute creates several problems.

Cross Functional Analysis and Group Discussions

Students will be assigned a case for analysis with a tentative due date and discussion session. Instructions on how to prepare will be distributed at a later date.

Exams

The final exam will test your knowledge of the basic concepts, the marketing process, and your ability to apply this knowledge to decision making situations. Material will be drawn from reading materials, lectures, discussion exercises, and cases. The format for final exam is open-ended essays and analytical problems.

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION AND COMMENTS

Communication

Please rely on the E-mail system to communicate with me on simple matters such as factual questions or clarification of instructions. Feel free, however, to visit in person during office hours or make an appointment for another time.

Class Preparation

Each student is expected to be prepared to participate in the discussions whenever held in the class. The class schedule may be modified depending on specific contingencies.  The student is responsible for staying in touch with the progress of the course on a daily basis.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Marketing in the Digital Age

Unit 2: Scanning the Marketing Environment

Unit 3: Gathering Information and Measuring Marketing Demand

Unit 4: Understanding Consumer & Business Buying Behavior

Unit 5: Segmenting, Targeting & Positioning

Unit 6: Designing & Managing Global Market Offerings

Unit 7: Designing Pricing Strategies and Programs

Unit 8: Channel Management

Unit 9: Managing Integrated Marketing Communications

Unit 10: Marketing in Ethiopian Perspective

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

Text Book:

Kotler, Philip, Marketing Management, Prentice Hall, 10^th or Higher Edition

Other Text References (Available in AAU Library)

Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker, William J. Stanton, Marketing, Irwin McGraw Hill, 11^th Edition, 1997.

There are other books too from well known publishers in the Library, however, with old publications like above. For fundamental aspects, those can be referred.

Please refer to Internet resources listed in the website for further updates.