COURSE UNIT TITLE

Offered By

DISTANCE LEARNING MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NON-THESIS

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR BILGE AYKOL

Offered to

DISTANCE LEARNING MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NON-THESIS

Course Objective

The objective of this course is to analyze the idiosyncrasies of business markets and elaborate on how these idiosyncrasies matter for firms acting on those markets. It also aims at providing an understanding of specific issues and problems faced by firms, getting to know some tools and concepts to analyze and answer to these challenges; acquiring the capability to identify and analyze some underlying mechanisms of the challenges on business markets.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Recomended or Required Reading

Rangan, V.K. & Isaacson, B. (1994). Scope and Challenge of Business-to- Business Marketing, in Rangan et al. (Eds), Business Marketing Strategy: Concepts and Applications. Irwin, USA, pp. 3-13.
Anderson, J.C. & Narus, J.A. (1998). Business Marketing: Understanding What Customers Value. Harvard Business Review, 66, Nov-Dec., 53-65
Bonoma, T.V. (2006). Major sales: Who really does the buying Harvard Business Review, 84, July-August, 172-181.
Webster, F.E. & Wind, Y. (1972). A General Model for Understanding Organizational Buying Behavior. Journal of Marketing, 36, 12-19.
Shapiro, B.P. & Bonoma, T.V. (1984). How to Segment Industrial Buyers, in Rangan et al. (Eds), Business Marketing Strategy: Concepts and Applications. Irwin, USA, pp. 3-13.
Ch. 8: Developing and Managing Products and Ch. 14: Pricing and Negotiating for Value form Dwyer & Tanner (1999). Business Marketing, McGraw-Hill, USA.
Shapiro, B.P. & Jackson, B.B. (1978). Industrial Pricing to Meet Customer Needs, in Rangan et a

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture, case study, group work, presentations.

Assessment Methods

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. Midterm exam will be based on essays which evaluate understanding, synthesis and evaluation of the text book and the lecture material.
2. Case analyses will be based on the application of knowledge, analysis, problem-solving and evaluative skills regarding a) buyer-seller relationships in business markets and b) marketing strategy development. The 10-page case report should contain (a) a brief overview of the company; (b) identification of problems; (c) development of alternative solutions; (d) evaluation of alternative solutions and (e) selection of the best solution and implementation plan.
3. Group project will be assessed on the wider application of knowledge to the analysis and solution of a business-to-business marketing problem confronted by a specific company. Teams will have two options:
a) They can contact a firm in a position of a reseller/ retailer who will talk about their problems with their suppliers.
b) They can contact a firm in a position of a manufacturer who will talk about their problems with their distributors.
Each team will need to hand in a one-page description of the issue and firm it has selected to examine, and the intended analysis after the mid-terms. The description should also include the sources of information that will be utilized to investigate the issue. A team project should: (a) clearly define the issue or problem at hand, including its importance, (b) contain a thorough analysis of the customer, competitive and organizational environments relevant to the problem or issue, and (c) offer a recommendation for handling the problem or issue.
4. Presentations will be assessed on preparation, understanding, knowledge, capacity to structure, oral communication skills, ability to respond to questions and manage discussion

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Attending at least 70 percent of lectures is mandatory.
2. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action.
3. Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions.
4. Students are expected to attend to classes on time.
5. Students are expected to prepare ahead of time for class.
6. Students are expected to follow appropriate business etiquette regarding cell phones.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes