MBA 721: Marketing Research Master Syllabus
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Course Description
In today’s competitive environment, marketers need to better understand consumers and provide solutions that more effectively cater to consumer needs relative to the competition. However, consumers are not easy to predict, and competition faced by firms is often dynamic. The objective of marketing research is to help managers reduce the uncertainty regarding consumers and make informed decisions to appeal to them. A systematic approach to collect marketing data and deciphering it using analytical tools can greatly help marketers become more consumer centric and design effective marketing strategies. Consequently, the primary goal of this course is to help students use Marketing Research as an effective managerial decision-making tool.
The key learning objectives of the course are to help students develop skills (a) to become better supervisors and users of marketing research and (b) to conduct marketing research themselves. An overall goal is to develop an appreciation for the benefits and limitations of marketing research in making business decisions. This course is relevant to managers in marketing as well as non-marketing fields (e.g., consulting, management, HR).
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Summarize the information needs of marketing managers;
- Develop specific marketing questions that can be addressed through research;
- Leverage sources of secondary data; 4) Design effective questionnaires, using appropriate measurement scales;
- Utilize descriptive statistics to generate managerially relevant insights;
- Present information using data visualization tools;
- Analyze marketing data to turn into marketing intelligence;
- Present marketing research findings and recommendations;
- Recognize ethical issues related to marketing research; and
- Manage a complicated research project in teams
By achieving these objectives, this course will address all of the MBA/Masters Program Learning Goals of the Costello College of Business:
- Collaborative communication and leadership (written communication)
- Knowledge of functional discipline (functional knowledge)
- Analytical decision-making (critical thinking)
- Knowledge of contemporary issues in business (global awareness)
Course Materials
COURSE PACK (SIMULATION – REQUIRED)
MBA - Marketing Research: Simulation
CUSTOM TEXT BOOK (ONLINE ePDF)
Marketing Analytics: Data-Driven Techniques with Microsoft Excel by Wayne L. Winston, Wiley Customer book with Chapters 1-3:
QUALTRICS ONLINE SURVEY SOFTWARE
Qualtrics is available for free using the Costello College of Business subscription. Create an account with your George Mason-ID here.
When Prompted for Code Use: MBA_Mishra
You must use this link to get a full account. More detailed directions on how to create a Qualtrics account will be posted on Canvas.
TABLEAU SOFTWARE FOR DATA VISUALIZATION
- Sign into an existing Tableau account, or create a new account using your school-issued email.
- Once signed in, visit the TFT Activation page to download the latest versions of Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder
- Activate with product key: TCI7-89FB-B8C0-46BE-C657
- Already have a copy of Tableau Desktop installed? Update the license key in the application: Help menu → Manage Product Keys
You are encouraged to access the free Student Resource Page to help get started.
Students can continue using Tableau after the class is over by individually requesting their own one-year license through Tableau for Students.
EXCEL SOFTWARE: Excel is widely available as a part of Microsoft Office Suite. We will be using Excel heavily for data analysis in this class.
Note: We will be needing the Desktop version of Excel. The web-based version does not offer some of the functionality we will need for this course.
Course Assignments & Grading Policy
Final grade will be determined by the total points that you earn on each of the graded assignments of this course. You may earn up to 1000 points during the course of the class. The graded assignments in the class will have the following point values:
| Team Marketing Research Project (500 points) | |
|
50 |
|
100 |
|
100 |
|
50 |
|
200 |
| Individual Homework Assignments (500 points) | |
|
50 |
|
100 |
|
100 |
|
100 |
|
50 |
|
100 |
| Total Points | 1000 |
Total Points
Final grades will be assigned as follows:
| Grade | Points Earned |
|---|---|
| A+ | 970 –1000 points |
| A | 940 – 969 points |
| A- | 900 – 939 points |
| B+ | 870 – 899 points |
| B | 830 – 869 points |
| B- | 800 – 829 points |
| C | 700 – 799 points |
| F | 0 – 699 points |
Details on Course Assignments
INDIVIDUAL & TEAM HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
There will be individual and team homework assignments over the course. Each homework is based on an activity in the marketing research process and/or data analysis covered in the class. Homework assignments MUST be submitted on Canvas by the due date. No other form will be accepted. No late homework submissions will be accepted. Detailed directions on each of the homework assignments will be posted on Canvas and discussed in class. One of the assignments will be human subjects training, since you will be conducting research with human subjects (i.e., people) in the course. All investigators (faculty, staff and students) are required to complete the CITI Program training in human subjects’ protection (i.e., research ethics) prior to conducting research using human subjects. Training must be completed by the date and time designated on the schedule
One of the assignments will be human subjects training, since you will be conducting research with human subjects (i.e., people) in the course. All investigators (faculty, staff and students) are required to complete the CITI Program training in human subjects’ protection (i.e., research ethics) prior to conducting research using human subjects. Training must be completed by the date and time designated on the schedule
TEAM MARKETING RESEARCH STUDY
This course project will be a team-based project, where students work together in groups to design and conduct a marketing research study on a topic of their choice. The marketing research study will consist of five graded parts. In the first part, groups will provide a short write-up (one-page maximum) of the company they will be focusing on for their marketing research project, along with a brief description of the problem/opportunity faced by the company. In the second part, groups will make a presentation outlining their marketing research proposal in detail. The third part will involve making a survey instrument using the software Qualtrics and launching it for data collection. The fourth part will require submission of the data collected through the survey. The final part will be a presentation of a completed project, with data analysis of the collected survey data and managerial takeaways for the marketing research problem. The write-up for the first part, the survey file from Qualtrics, the data file(s), and the Powerpoint files (for second and fifth parts) will all be due by the dates posted on Canvas and should be submitted on Canvas.
In addition, for data collection each group is expected to get at least 150 respondents to complete the survey.
Team Formation and Expectations
Teams of 4-5 students will be formed by the instructor (please check Canvas for your team assignments). Since the team-based assignments constitute 50% of the final grade, it is necessary to ensure that everyone contributes to his/her team’s work. Therefore, all students at the end of the course will have the option to perform a confidential peer team evaluation. All teams will set their own rules, which would include attendance at meetings, work allocation, and contributions to team assignments. Students not performing according to the team’s standards would risk receiving a lower grade on their peer evaluations. If the average peer grade to any member is below 80%, this person’s team-based component of the course grade will be lowered accordingly (See Appendix A).
Course Policies
Announcements and Updates
Email announcements between class meetings may be sent. Any emails from me will be sent to your George Mason email account via Canvas. It is your responsibility to check Canvas regularly for the addition of any course materials.
FERPA and E-mail Correspondence
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the disclosure of education records for eligible students and is an essential aspect of any course. Students must use their George Mason email account to receive important University information, including communications related to this class. Instructors will not respond to messages sent from or send messages regarding course content to a non-George Mason email address. Student responsibility: Students are responsible for checking their George Mason email regularly for course-related information, and/or ensuring that George Mason email messages are forwarded to an account they do check.
Student responsibility: Students are responsible for checking their George Mason email regularly for course-related information, and/or ensuring that George Mason email messages are forwarded to an account they do check.
Disability Policy
Disability Services at George Mason University is committed to upholding the letter and spirit of the laws that ensure equal treatment of people with disabilities. Under the administration of University Life, Disability Services implements and coordinates reasonable accommodations and disability-related services that afford equal access to university programs and activities. Students can begin the registration process with Disability Services at any time during their enrollment at George Mason University. If you are seeking accommodations, please visit the Office for Disability Service website for detailed information about the Disability Services registration process. Disability Services is located in Student Union Building I (SUB I), Suite 2500. Email: ods@gmu.edu. Phone: (703) 993-2474.
Costello College of Business Standards of Behavior
The mission of the Costello College of Business at George Mason University is to create and deliver high quality educational programs and research. Students, faculty, staff , and alumni who participate in these educational programs contribute to the well-being of society. High quality educational programs require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants, faculty, staff , and alumni accept these principles when they join the community. In doing so, they agree to abide by the following standards of behavior:
- Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others
- Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community
- Accountability for personal behavior
Integrity is an essential ingredient of a successful learning community. Ethical standards of behavior help promote a safe and productive community environment, and ensure every member the opportunity to pursue excellence. The Costello College of Business can and should be a living model of these behavioral standards. To this end, community members have a personal responsibility to integrate these standards into every aspect of their experience at the Costello College of Business. Through our personal commitment to these Community Standards of Behavior, we can create an environment in which all can achieve their full potential.
Honor Code Statement
Mason is an Honor Code university; please see the Office for Academic Integrity for a full description of the code and the honor committee process. Three fundamental principles to follow at all times are that: (1) all work submitted be your own, as defined by the assignment; (2) when you use the work, the words, or the ideas of others, including fellow students or online sites, you give full credit through accurate citations; and (3) if you are uncertain about the ground rules on a particular assignment or exam, ask for clarification. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct.
Use of Generative-AI tools should be used following the fundamental principles of the Honor Code. This includes being honest about the use of these tools for submitted work and including citations when using the work of others, whether individual people or Generative-AI tools.
Violation of Academic Standards
Faculty are obligated, without exception, to submit any violations to the Academic Standards Office. Violations of Academic Standards are sanctioned according to a common matrix.
| Finding | Sanction |
|---|---|
| Level 1 |
|
| Level 2 |
|
*Education Interventions may include online learning modules, visits to the writing center, or other programs to assist the student in understanding and remediating the violation.
Refer to the Academic Standards website for more details.
Course Materials and Student Privacy
All course materials posted to Canvas or other course site are private to this class; by federal law, any materials that identify specific students (via their name, voice, or image) must not be shared with anyone not enrolled in this class.
Video-recordings -- whether made by instructors or students -- of class meetings that include audio, visual, or textual information from other students are private and must not be shared outside the class.
Live video conference meetings (e.g., Collaborate or Zoom) that include audio, textual, or visual information from other students must be viewed privately and not shared with others in your household or recorded and shared outside the class.
Title IX Resources and Required Reporting
As a part of George Mason University’s commitment to providing a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and working environment for all members of the University community, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in any of its education or employment programs and activities. Accordingly, all non-confidential employees, including your faculty member, have a legal requirement to report to the Title IX Coordinator, all relevant details obtained directly or indirectly about any incident of Prohibited Conduct (such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, gender-based stalking, dating/domestic violence). Upon notifying the Title IX Coordinator of possible Prohibited Conduct, the Title IX Coordinator will assess the report and determine if outreach is required. If outreach is required, the individual the report is about (the “Complainant”) will receive a communication, likely in the form of an email, offering that person the option to meet with a representative of the Title IX office.
For more information about non-confidential employees, resources, and Prohibited Conduct, please see University Policy 1202: Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence. Questions regarding Title IX can be directed to the Title IX Coordinator via email to titleIX@gmu.edu, by phone at (703) 993-8730, or in person on the Fairfax campus in Aquia, 373.
Student opportunity: If you prefer to speak to someone confidentially, please contact one of Mason’s confidential employees in Student Support and Advocacy (SSAC), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Student Health Services (SHS), and/or the Office of the University Ombudsperson
Tentative Schedule of Class
| Date | Topic | Readings | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 (Week 1) | The Marketing Research Process and Data Sources |
Reading: Module 1 Lecture Library Sources |
Introductions & Group Formation Team Project: Part 1 - The Company and the Marketing Problem |
| Module 2 (Week 2) | Data Sources, Sampling and Human Subjects Research | Reading: Module 2 Lecture |
Individual Assignment: Human Subjects Research Training Team Project: Part 2 - Marketing Research Proposal |
| Module 3 (Week 3) | Survey Research and Questionnaire Design | Reading: Module 3 Lecture | Team Project: Part 3a - Survey Design |
| Module 4 (Week 4) | Summarizing Marketing Data | Reading: Custom Book Chap 1 |
Team Project: Part 3b - Survey Launch (not graded) Individual Assignment: Summarizing Data |
| Module 5 (Week 5) |
Tabulating Marketing Data Visualizing Data Part 1 |
Reading: Custom Book Chap 3 Reading: Module 5 Lecture |
Individual Assignment: Tabulating Data |
| Module 6 (Week 6) | Visualizing Data Part 2 |
Reading: Custom Book Chap 2 Reading: Module 6 Lecture |
Individual Assignment: Visualizing Data |
| Module 7 (Week 7) |
Strategic Marketing Decision Making with Data Experiments in Marketing (A/B Testing) |
Marketing Analytics Simulation Reading: Module 7 Lecture |
Individual Assignment: Strategic Decision-Making Simulation Individual Assignment – Experiments (A/B Testing) Team Project: Part 4 - Data Collection |
| Module 8 (Week 8) | Team Projects | Team Project: Part 5 - Final Presentation |
APPENDIX A: Peer Evaluation Criteria
Your Name (Please Print):
Group:
PEER EVALUATION: Please evaluate your team members. Members receiving an average of 80% or higher on overall evaluation will receive the grade assigned to the team; members receiving an average below 80% will receive a partial grade which will be equal to the grade assigned to the team multiplied by the peer evaluation average score. (For example: suppose the grade assigned to a team is 90 points (out of 100). A group member who receives an average of 85% will be given 90 points; a member who receives an average of 70% on overall evaluation will receive 90*70%=63 points.)
| NAME of GROUP MEMBER | A: Attendance at group meetings (/100) | B: Completion of assigned tasks (/100) | C: Quality of contribution (/100) | Overall evaluation (=(A+B+C)/3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Additional Comments (if necessary):
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