THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY AT HARRISBURG

                        THE CAPITAL COLLEGE

                   Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057

                                   

                 School of Business Administration

 

                              MRKT 585

 

                                                   

SUMMER 2003

Class Time: MW: 6:00-9:10                  Office: E-356-K

                                            Office Hours:

                                             MW: 5:00-6:00 PM

                                             or by appointment

 

                    BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MARKETING

 

 

REQUIRED TEXT:

 

1.     Robert P. Vitale and Joseph J. Giglierona. Business to Business Marketing, South-Western, 2002.

2.     F. B. Lawrence, D.F. Jennings and B. E. Reynolds. eDistribution, South-Western, 2003.

 

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

 

     Articles in Industrial Marketing Journal, Journal of Marketing, Fortune, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, and others.

    

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 

    This course aims at those students with a foundation in graduate level marketing management course. It builds upon marketing management concepts and focuses on the special elements and requirements of business-to-business marketing. Emphasis is given to managerial decision‑making in the areas of business marketing environment, business buying functions, business marketing strategy, business marketing systems, business marketing planning, business marketing research, business market segmentation and demand analysis, product strategy in business marketing, business marketing communications, promotion, pricing, and distribution and globalization strategy in business marketing. The course employs real marketing situations treated analytically and emphasizing business marketing situations. In order to present the materials in a real life environment, case problems from business-to-business marketing will be used.  Heavy student preparations and participation are expected. Course will also cover business marketing strategies in the Internet.

 

PREREQUISITES: MRKT 520

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

 

     l. To introduce business marketing management concepts and           integrate it with the growing practice of business marketing          strategies.

 

     2. To introduce concept of problem solving and decision

     making approach in business marketing environment.

 

     3. To apply business marketing concepts from practical as

     well as theoretical point of view.

 

     4. To integrate and provide a framework for demand analysis,

     market segmentation, environmental, strategic, organizational

     and global issues in business marketing.

    

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:

 

Lectures, discussions, case presentation and discussion, research report on special topics, examples, applications, and student participation.

 

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

 

THE COURSE WILL HAVE A LECTURE AND CASE/ISSUE DISCUSSION FORMAT,WITH AN IMPORTANT EMPHASIS ON ISSUE GENERATION AND DISCUSSION. THE COURSE WILL BE BASED UPON FOLLOWING COURSE ASSIGNMENTS.

 

1.  WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS (MAX.10‑15 PAGES)/PRESENTATION OF THE STUDENT'S CHOICE.

 

2.   A RESEARCH REPORT/PRESENTATION.

 

3.   MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS

 

     4.   CLASS PARTICIPATION.

 

SOME DETAILS ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS:

 

THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER STUDENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETION OF SEVERAL IN CLASS AND OUT‑OF‑CLASS EXERCISES. THE PURPOSE OF THESE ASSINMENTS IS TO DISCUSS PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGIES.

 

 

CASE STUDIES:

    

Cases provide a pedagogical way to bring the real world into the classroom.  They enhance the concepts of the text and the text enhances the meaningfulness of cases. In addition, cases have the virtue of requiring students to think of themselves as decision makers who must make decisions with less than perfect information. We will use a number of cases during this semester and improve our problem solving skills and abilities. Class discussion will be mandatory for assigned cases, and a type‑written report of your solution will be submitted for grading at the end of each discussion. I will advise all of you that cases can be solved by using library resources; therefore, for your case solution, you should plan to use books, periodicals and other resources which are available to you in Penn State library.

 

REQUIREMNET FOR CASE ANALYSIS:

 

EACH STUDENT IS EXPECTED TO READ AND BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS ALL CASES ASSIGNED DURING THE SEMESTER. STUDENTS WILL BE EVALUATED ON THEIR CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION. EACH CASE MUST BE PREPARED IN A DETAILED REPORT AND PRESENTED IN CLASS BY A GROUP OF 2/3 STUDENTS. CASES AND THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK IN PREPARATION OF CASE REPORT WILL REPRESENT A GOOD PORTION OF YOUR GRADE IN THIS COURSE.  THE CASE REPORT MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 10‑15 TYPE WRITTEN PAGES  (EXCLUDING TABLES OR CHARTS). ALL REPORTS ARE DUE AT THE END OF CLASS ON THE DAY PRESENTED.  NO LATE REPORTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO AFTER THE FACT EXCUSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

 

YOU SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE NO PERFECT SOLUTIONS FOR THE CASES AND THE GRADER LOOKS FOR ORGANIZATION, UNDERSTANDING, ORIGINALITY, BREADTH AND DEPTH OF COVERAGE, AND CLARITY OF EXPOSITION.  IT IS ADVISABLE TO ALL OF YOU THAT LIBRARY RESEARCH ABOUT THE TOPIC/COMPANY WILL GREATLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR SOLUTION.

 

POSSIBLE OUTLINE FOR CASE REPORTS    

 

 1. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION. This step is used to identify a main   problem and number of sub problems.

 

   

 2. ALTERNATIVES.  This step is used to show number of different   ways to deal with main problem (s).

 

 

 3. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES.  This step is the discussion of PRO      (Advantages) or CON (Disadvantages) of each alternative.  You must make sure that you find concrete evidence to defend       your position to arrive the final recommendation.

 

 4. SELECTION THE BEST ALTERNATIVE. After evaluation of all the         alternatives, the best and the most feasible one should be         selected and recommended for implementation.

 

 5. RECOMMENDATION. Final recommendation must be made for          implementation purposes.

 

 6. IMPLEMENTATION.  Implementation strategy in the areas of price,       product, promotion and physical distribution of business             marketing must be discussed.

 

GUIDELINES FOR CASE ANALYSIS/PRESENTATION

 

      1. ONLY THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE TO PRESENT A CASE WILL LEAD      THE DISCUSSION IN CLASS (NAMES WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A WEEK).

 

      2. EVERYONE WHO IS ASSIGNED TO PRESENT A CASE MUST ALSO SUBMIT     A TYPE WRITTEN COPY OF THEIR SOLUTION AT THE END OF THE CLASS    PRESENTATION FOR GRADING.

 

      3. EACH GROUP WILL SELECT A LEADER WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR     MEETINGS AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF CASE REPORT.

     

      4. GROUPS SHOULD MEET UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GROUP LEADER FOR   DISCUSSION, SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM, AND PREPARATION OF CASE    REPORT AND CLASS PRESENTATION.

 

      5. GROUP LEADER MUST INFORM ME ABOUT ANY PROBLEM, WHICH MAY  CAUSE INEFFICIENCY OF VARIOUS GROUP FUNCTIONS.

 

 6. EACH MEMBER OF THE GROUP MAY EVALUATE EACH OTHER AT THE END  OF THIS SEMESTER.

 

In addition, each student is expected to read and prepare a solution for all case assignments to take a part in class discussion. You must make sure that part of your final grade will be based upon your class participation.  Therefore, I strongly recommend that each of you must read the assigned cases along with the chapter materials before coming the class . 

 

 

 

 

RESEARCH REPORT:

 

IN ADDITION TO CASE STUDIES, YOU MUST SUBMIT A RESEARCH REPORT, WHICH WILL BE RELATED TO ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS MARKETING OPERATIONS.  THE REPORT MIGHT BE COMPLETED BY USING LIBRARY RESOURCES AND/OR HAVING AN INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL BUSINESS MARKETING MANAGERS, OR SALES PERSONNEL.  FOR GRADING PURPOSES, THE REPORT SHOULD FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW:

 

    1. SUBMIT A PROPOSAL AND OUTLINE FOR YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT.

  

    2. COLLECT INFORMATION/RESOURCES ABOUT YOUR PROJECT/TOPIC.

 

    3. WRITE COMPLETE REPORT.

 

    4. PRESENT REPORT IN CLASS.

 

    5. SUBMIT WRITTEN PORTION OF YOUR REPORT FOR GRADING.

 

GRADING POLICY:

 

       Midterm Examination...................20%

       Final Examination.....................25%

       Cases/Presentations...................25%

       Research Project/Presentation.........15%

       Class participation...................15%

 

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

 

Assignment related to subject materials and case problems will be discussed each week in class. Your participation will be graded according to your involvement and interest in class discussion.

 

ATTENDANCE:

 

Attendance to each class is expected unless unusual circumstances may occur. Please discuss the reasons with me if you can not attend the class.  Class attendance will be check periodically.

 

 

MAKE-UP EXAMS:

 

If you can not be in class on an exam day, please discuss with me in advance, An unauthorized absence from the test will be counted  as a "0" grade.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

 

I expect that everyone will obey the rules of academic integrity for exams, term papers and case analysis (Policies and Rules for Students, The Pennsylvania State University). Otherwise, the regulation of Penn State will be applied.

                                            

                       CONTENT OF THE COURSE

 

Week I:          Introduction

 

Ground rules, cases, readings, and other assignments.

 

                  Introduction to Business Marketing (Chpt. 1)

 

 

Week II:         The Character of Business Marketing (Chapter 2)

 

Barnes, Hank. Getting past the hype: Internet opportunities for the b-to-b marketers, Marketing News, February 1, 1999.

 

 

Week III:        Purchasing and Material Management (Chpt.3)

 

 

Week IV:         Organizational Buyer Behaviors (Chpt.4)        

 

Using Expert Systems in Industrial Marketing by   Stevenson, Plath and Bush. Industrial Marketing   Management, Vol.19 (1990), pp.243-249.

            

      Sheth, J.N. "A Model of Industrial Buyer Behavior"

           Journal of Marketing, Vol.37, October 1973, pp. 50-56.

 

            

 

Week V:     Market Opportunities and Marketing Strategy (Chpts.5&6)

 

Performance Outcomes of Purchasing Arrangements in Industrial Buyer-Vendor Relationships by Noordewier, John and Nevin. Journal of Marketing, October 1990, pp.80-93.

 

            Biederman, David. It’s a B2B Spree Online. Traffic World,

            Dec 9, 1999.

 

            Yoram Wind and Richard Cardoza. "Industrial Market

  Segmenta­tion" in Marketing Manage­ment: A Reader

            Eds. Kotler and Cox, P. 212.

 

 

Week VI:    Developing and Managing Products (Chpt.8)

              

 

Week VII:     Business Marketing Channels: Partnership for

              Customer Service (Chpt. 9)

 

    Nusbaum, Alexandra. Web Cuts Out Entire Order of

    Middlemen, The Financial Times, January 5, 2000.

 

              Case:

 

 

Week VIII:    Integrating Marketing Communication (Chpt.10)

 

                      Midterm Examination

 

                     

Week IX:    Business Marketing Intelligence (Chpt. 11)

 

Assessing the Quality of Industrial products by White and Cundiff. Journal of Marketing, January 1978, pp.80-85.

 

Successful Industrial Products From Customer Ideas by Von Hippel. Journal of Marketing, January 1978, pp.39-48.

 

 

 

Week X:       Product strategy in Industrial Marketing (Chpt.12)

 

              Main, Jeremy. "Manufacturing the Right Way" Fortune,

              May 21, 1990, pp. 54-64.

 

              Faltermayer, Edmund. "Is Made in U.S.A. Fading Away"

              Fortune, Sept. 24, 1990, pp. 54-62.

 

    Difference Between Industrial and Consumer Product Managers by Cummings, Jackson, Jr. and Ostrom. Industrial Marketing Management, 1984, pp. 171-180.

 

 

 

 

Week XI:      Channel Strategy in Business Marketing (Chpt.13)

              Physical Distribution Strategy (Chpt. 14)  

 

    The Role of the Industrial Distributor in Marketing Strategy by Webster. Journal of Marketing, July 1976, pp.10-16.

 

Magrath, Allan J. and Hardy, K. G. "Avoiding the Pitfalls in Managing Distribution Channels", Business Horizon, Sept/Oct 1987, pp.121-125.

 

 

 

Week XII:      Promotion Strategy: Personal Selling (Chpt. 15)

                 

 

Week XIII:   Promotion Strategy-Advertising and Sales Promotion

               (Chpt.16)

 

 

Week XVI:      Pricing Strategy in Industrial Marketing (Chpt.17)

 

 

Week XV:    Business Marketing Control and Evaluation (Chpt.18)

                                                           

               Presentations of Research Reports

 

 

 

 

 UY/ 01-02-01

 

 

Pan-European Manufacturing: The Yellow Brick Road to 1992 by Collins, Schmenner and Whybark. Business Horizon, Vol.33, No.3 May-June 1990 pp. 15-22.

 

Strategies for Europe 1992 by Higgins and Santalainen. Business Horizon, Vol. 32, No.4 July-August 1989, pp.54-58.

 

Porter, Michael. "Why Nations Triumph" Fortune, Vol.121, No.6 (March 12, 1990), pp.94-108.