Text: Marketing, 10th Ed., Pride and Ferrell. You also will make extensive use of the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and/or Fortune. You are not "required" to purchase any of them, of course, but I do have some "good deal" prices for subscriptions. You are free to review and make copies of the articles you intend to use during your visits to the library. You would have to do library reviews at least a couple of times a week, however.

Course Description: A study of the activities which direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer, considered in relation to social, ethical, international, economic, and legal environments.

Prerequisites: ECO 201 (business majors) or ECO 150 (non-business majors. These prerequisites will be enforced.

Course Objective: To introduce you to the study of the part-science, part-art discipline of marketing.

Communication: This syllabus and other documents of interest are on my home page at http://www.valdosta.edu/~campbell. You may contact me at my office (Pound #317) or at

245-2237 (O),
245-7936 (H),
245-2234 (Department secretary),
245-2248 (Fax), and
campbell@valdosta.edu (e-mail).

Consultations: You do not need an appointment if you meet me during my scheduled office hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1215-1300 and 1930-2000 and
Mondays and Wednesdays at 2100-2130.

(Note the 24-hour clock. Almost all of the rest of the world uses it for train/plane schedules, and the like. You should know how to use it, too.) If you want an appointment for other some time or place, talk to me in class, catch me at my office (Pound Hall #317) or call me at my home. Don't hesitate to call my home (Honest, I don't mind; the reason I give you my home number is so you can call it!) or my office to make an appointment, tell me you won't be in class, or discuss a problem. If you think you may have a problem, come see me. If you know you have a problem, it is probably too late.

Teaching Methods: We will use a number of student participation and small group activities. Mini-cases, videos, projects, etc. may be used as additional resources. I will lecture as little as possible and we will use as many "real world" examples and applications as possible. You will provide many of them based on your Wall Street Journal, Business Week, other business press publications readings, and/or internet exercises.

Learning is your responsibility, not mine. My job is to point out what you need to learn, help you accomplish the objectives, provide feedback on your learning, and otherwise facilitate your efforts.

Specific Objectives: A list of objectives for each block of instruction appear on my home page. On that list, a "block" is the material covered by a test. You should use the objectives to guide your preparation for each class period and the tests. Keep your eye on the ball; the objectives are the ball.

Class Preparation: You will be expected to have studied the text material scheduled for that class; not "read" but "studied." Class discussions are intended to amplify, clarify, extend, and "flesh out" those topics, not teach them.

Special Needs: If you have a handicap or special needs you should make an appointment with the Office of Special Services at 245-2498. That office makes sure VSU complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Class Attendance: Each class session is a business meeting; you and I have a series of appointments. You may expect me to be there and be on time. I expect the same of you.

Notify me ahead of time if you will not able to attend or be on time. Notification can be given to our departmental secretary, my home, or me (in person, by phone, or by e-mail). (See the Consultation section for phone numbers.) There is no penalty for lateness or for absence if you notify me before the absence or tardiness. If you fail to notify me a priori, you will get a score of zero for whatever we do that day. On the other hand, I shall attempt to notify you if I shall be absent or late. In any case, you are responsible for everything covered in each class whether you are present or not. Coordinate with one or two colleagues to make sure that you have access to notes, handouts, and other information provided during missed periods.

You are expected to be here and to contribute. A large number of tardies/absences, then, are not acceptable. Should the situation warrant it, we will have to change the "no penalty" attendance policy. I hope not.

Tests: I will provide you with six major opportunities to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge by providing responses to sets of stimuli. Some people refer to these stimuli sets as "tests." The stimuli may be in any format (multiple choice [m/c], true-false, essay, etc.), but they usually are composed of m/c questions plus a small number of short narrative questions. All m/c questions are taken from the book; all essay questions are taken from the material covered in class. The tests will be non-cumulative with two exceptions: the final will include (1) the computational portions of Pricing covered on the first test and (2) the m/c questions most often missed on earlier tests. Before each test, you will be briefed on exactly what to expect. At the moment, I expect 20 m/c questions and two or three short narrative questions. You will have the entire class period to complete each of the first five tests.

Most of the tests I have ever given at VSU were put on reserve at Odum Library. Review them so that you will know what to expect. Be careful using them, however. Be sure to check the subject matter and dates of the tests you review. Beginning in fall 1995, for instance, I began giving more tests than before. Also, we have been using the Pride and Ferrell book for a limited number of years. Because the m/c questions will come from the text's test bank, your m/c questions may be quite different from those on earlier old tests. Also, sad to say, some jerk stole some of the test materials from the library.

Missed Tests: A missed test will be graded as a zero and there shall be no make-up tests. We can work something out if you coordinate with me before you miss an Opportunity, probably by having you take the test early.

Quizzes: Expect quizzes often, usually at the beginning of every class session. I don't like the darn things either (I have to grade and keep track of them!), but they help students to retain daily focus and motivation. They also help me to check on areas that I may not have covered adequately. Each beginning-period quiz will cover material from the prior class or from the current session. Quizzes may also be administered at the end of class to as a review device for the material covered that period.

Internet: A series of exercises about the use of the Internet in marketing may be reached through my home page or directly at

http://www.hmco.com/college/PridFerr/home.html

You will be expected to have done assigned exercises in preparation for class and to e-mailed your work to me at least 30 minutes prior to class. Identify your work by using the chapter number as the SUBJECT; your name automatically appears on the e-mail.

Additional Study Aids: The Pride and Ferrell home page has additional resources for you. Its study guide, for instance, is useful. You can't beat the price, either.

Synopses: Some students find this to be a difficult assignment.

Everyone, though, finds it to be very time-consuming. Don't be fooled by the fact that it only requires you to produce six typed pages. Don't put it off. Procrastination on this assignment is a serious error.

Select any aspect of marketing and locate two scholarly articles bearing on it. Write a two-page synopsis of each article. Write a two-page essay linking the thoughts of the two articles. Each synopsis must be written in a narrative, rather than point-by-point, format. Each synopsis should include a succinct statement of the problem investigated or explained, an explanation of how it was approached, a statement of the techniques used, and the conclusions reached by the author(s). You are not expected to be familiar with sophisticated mathematical and statistical techniques, so there is no need to attempt to explain them -- just note them. If you notice errors in logic or approach, you may note the errors. There is no reason to assume an article is right just because it appears in a journal. (Some fools and/or benighted people might even say that I have written some trash myself!) The two-page essay will be your original work. It may show how the articles are linked, outline what you learned from them, state how you will find them useful, why they are not useful, or anything else you want to say.

At the top of the first page of each synopsis, give the article's complete citations in the Journal of Marketing format (single-spaced). Check any recent issue of that publication for complete guidance. Here is a sample:

Skip a line and write the balance of each synopsis double-spaced, using Microsoft Word's font size 10 or its equivalent. Leave margins of not more than one inch on all sides. Do not right justify. Provide a photocopy of the article's abstract as it appears in the journal. (The abstract usually appears on the article's first page but sometimes is on the table of contents of that journal issue. It is the author's explanation, normally about 100 words long, of what the article is about. A full-text copy of the article must accompany your synopsis if you got it from GALILEO or other computer search instead of from a hard-copy journal.) If the journal does not provide an abstract, provide the first page of the article.

Please be sure you follow these instructions. Synopses take a lot of time to grade and deviations interfere with my system, slowing me down. Substantive deviations, therefore, will be penalized.
1. Use a printer that has enough toner or ink. Tear off any perforation strips.
2. Staple each two-page synopsis together with its abstract (make the abstract the last page of each three-page synopsis packet).
3. Staple the two pages of the essay together.
4. Print your name on the back of each abstract and on the back of the last page of the two-page essay.
5. Paper clip the whole package together with the essay last.
6. Submit the entire package not later than the submission date on the schedule.

Grading: This is a writing exercise, your writing. It is not meant to find out if you can copy someone else's work. Do not use extensive quotes and do not use any quotes of more than five words without putting those words in quotation marks. Failure to use quotation marks when needed is plagiarism. You are not responsible for the articles' authors' work or their logic. Your product will be read to judge your writing skills (including punctuation, spelling, paragraph construction, etc.) and clearness of expression.

Good deal: I will help you write your term paper. I strongly encourage you to submit one or more synopses and/or essay, singly or as a package, early in the quarter as "practice" submissions. I will grade practice submissions and return them without recording a grade. This will permit you to assure that you are on the right track and give you some risk-free experience with my grading. You may submit as many practice submissions as you want, using either fax or ordinary mail. If you mail them, use my home address:

3103 Huntington Cir.
Valdosta, GA 31602

I do not keep track of who gives me practice submissions but have noticed that those who do this normally get pretty good grades on their papers. Isn't that amazing? For further background, consult the Editing Notes, a separate hand out.

Submission Dates: Synopses are due not later than the beginning of the class session on the assigned date. There is no acceptable excuse for a late submission; a late submission will not be accepted without a penalty of at least 50%. Early submissions will always be accepted. Please go back and read this paragraph again and aloud.

Topic Selection: Probably the best selection method is to find some topic about which you are curious. Does break pricing ($9.99 vs. $10.00) work? Do women shop more thoroughly than men? Do children influence home purchases? How do children view advertising? Another selection method is to flip through the text until something catches your eye.

Articles may be taken from any of the scholarly or academic journals (e.g., Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, International Marketing Review, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, etc.). Academic (or scholarly) journals usually are easy to recognize. They always have formal citations, they often are boring and/or difficult to read, and they rarely have photos. Here is a key point: If the article you select does not have at least ten references (footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical references), it is not acceptable.

Articles may not be taken from the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, other popular or popular-business press, or trade journals such as Advertising Week. The Reference Librarian at Odum Library will be happy to help you locate appropriate journals.

A Caution: This assignment requires the writing of only six pages and looks like it can be put off. Don't do it! This is a larger project than you think. Procrastination and failing to take advantage of the practice submissions are serious errors in judgement. Trust me on this!

What's Happening?: Be prepared each class session to tell the class about an article from the last two business days' Wall Street Journal or the current Business Week. The topic presented may be applicable to either the current or the prior day's work. Each briefing should only take a couple of minutes. The idea here is to help you recognize that class material is real-world stuff. Real people do these things for a living. You will, too. The only question is "How well?"

Student Cooperation: I will make every effort to return your quizzes and tests as quickly as possible and I will not bring them to class a second time. Make arrangements with one or more of your colleagues to take notes and collect handouts, quizzes, etc. for you in your absence.

Cooperative Education: For jobs in college that lead to careers in your major, contact Cooperative Education at 333-7172, through VSU's home page, or at
http://www.valdosta.edu/vsu/dept/staff/coop.

Grading:

Quizzes and class participation 20 points
What's Happening?                 10
Internet Exercises                    10
Major Opportunity #1             20
Major Opportunity #2             20
Major Opportunity #3             20
Major Opportunity #4             20
Major Opportunity #5             20
Last Major Opportunity          30
Synopses                                20
TOTAL                                 190

Schedule: The following schedules will not be rigidly adhered to. It is meant to provide you with an idea of the pace we will use to cover the subject matter. The dates for tests and the submission of the synopses can be relied upon, however. The Part numbers in the schedule refer to the Parts on page v of your text.

8/20 to 9/3             Parts I and VI
9/8                         Test 1
9/10 to 9/22           Part II
9/24                       Test 2
9/29 to 10/8           Part III
10/13                     Test 3
10/15 to 10/27       Part IV
10/29                     Test 4
11/3 to 11/12         Part V
11/17                     Test 5
11/19                     Term Papers due (See Note 1.)
11/19 to 12/3         Part VI
12//8                      Final Exam (See Note 2.)

Schedule Notes:
1. Synopses are due not later than the beginning of the class session, at 1800 exactly. There is no acceptable excuse for a late submission, absolutely none. A late submission of the synopses will not be accepted without a penalty of at least 50%.

2. The final exam will include some of the most often missed questions on the earlier tests plus a computational question from the Price section already covered on the first test.

Idiosyncrasies:
1. I will not write letters of reference for you unless you are registered for the vote unless, of course, you are not an American citizen or are a convicted felon.
2. We will use the 24-hour clock: 9AM = 0900, noon = 1200, 1PM = 1300, etc. The rest of the world uses it as a matter of routine for scheduling and you should know how to use it, too. Class starts at 1015 and gets out at 1215.
3. Ungrammatical speech is not acceptable. This is a professional school; our graduates should know how to speak standard American English.

 

Last updated 9/29/98