Iligan Medical Center College Research, Development, and Extension Office Marketing Research Syllabus

Instructor: Dindo Donald A. Manulat Jr. Term: Objectives Marketing Research addresses the use of marketing research as an aid to making marketing decisions; specifically, how the information used to make marketing decisions is gathered and analyzed. Accordingly, it is appropriate for both prospective users of research results and prospective marketing researchers. After this course, you should:

1st Semester, 2012-1013

be able to translate a marketing problem into a feasible research question; appreciate marketing research as a process that involves a sequence of activities, each compatible with the preceding activities; have a general understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs; be aware of the many sources of marketing information and the various means for gathering such information; be more sensitive to the biases and limitations of marketing data and basic data analysis; have a general understanding of univariate and basic bivariate data analysis techniques (i.e., should be able to decide when a technique is appropriate and understand the managerial implications of analytical results); and be able to design and execute a basic survey research project.

Recommended Textbook There is no required textbook. However, you can use Dr. Hyman's PowerPoint lectures in this book:

Exploring Marketing Research, 8th edition, by William G. Zikmund, Thomson/South-Western, 2003.

Warning

This course is more of a research writing course than a marketing course. Success in most marketing courses relies on your ability to apply basic principles. In contrast, success in research writing courses requires you to master a large set of specific rules. (This is a broad, but essentially fair, characterization.) Constant reading of scientific articles is required.

Marketing Research Project Groups comprised of no more than five students will conduct a marketing research project. Although the client for your research may cover your expenses (e.g., photocopying costs), you are not meant to earn a profit from your research efforts. However, if your research project is fundable (e.g. it aligns with the research agenda of CHED or DOST) you, with Mr. Manulat, can apply for funding from any agency as long as you meet the qualifications. The typical project would include the following tasks:

formulate a research problem, design a questionnaire, select a sample frame, collect respondent data, enter respondent data into a computerized spreadsheet, analyze respondent data with statistical software, write a research report, and presentation.

At a minimum, your research proposal should include the following content:

the names of all group members, a brief description of your overall research problem, at least six specific research questions, and a brief description of your proposed sample.

Although Mr. Manulat will explain his expectations regarding data analysis and the format of your research report during the semester, at a minimum all reports should include the following content:

a cover page with project title and names of all co-researchers; a letter of transmittal; a table of contents; an introduction to the research problem and research questions; a discussion about data collection that addresses the questions who, when, where, and how; a basic descriptive statistical analysis and interpretation of collected data, which should include response frequencies, basic summary statistics (e.g., mean, range), and meaningful subgroup comparisons consistent with one or more research questions; a conclusion and recommendation based on the data analysis and interpretation;

an extensive discussion about study limitations and lessons learned; an appendix containing the research proposal; an appendix containing the questionnaire used for data collection; and an appendix containing statistics (e.g., mean, range). Simple graphical displays, such as pie and bar charts, are optional.

Groups will be self-selected to minimize the number of dysfunctional ones. Even so, a free rider may occasionally try to take advantage of other group members. To address a free rider problem, a group may fire one or more members until Monday, September 1, 2012. After that date, group membership is permanent. To replace the entire project grade (25% of the total grade), a fired group member must write an extensive (roughly 25 page) library/secondary-data-based research report related to marketing research. That report is due on Monday, October 6, 2012.

Research Reports: Assignment Schedule The schedule for your research projects is as follows: Date 6/23 Assignment Due First draft of your Review of Related Literature (Chapter 2) Final version of your Review of Related Literature (Chapter 2) First draft of your Introduction (Chapter 1) Final version of your Introduction (Chapter 1) First draft of your Methodology (Chapter 3) Final draft of your Methodology (Chapter 3) First draft of your research instrument (questionnaire) Final version of your research instrument (questionnaire) Field/Data gathering Feedback Comments for improvement (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Comments for improvement (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Comments for improvement (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Comments for improvement (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Filed for later reference (ungraded)

6/30

7/7 7/14 7/21 7/28 8/4

8/11

8/18

8/25 9/1

Field/Data gathering Field/Data gathering First draft for Results and Findings (Chapter 4) Final draft for Results and Findings (Chapter 4) First draft for Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations (Chapter 5) Final version for Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations (Chapter 5) Research Review and Presentations Final submission for revisions

Filed for later reference (ungraded) Filed for later reference (ungraded) Filed for later reference (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Filed for later reference (graded)

9/8

9/15

9/22

9/29

Filed for later reference (graded) Filed for later reference (graded) Filed for later reference (graded)

10/6

10/13

Data gathering is ungraded. However, the effort of your data gathering will reflect in the quality of your work in Chapter 4. Drafts must be submitted as Word file attachments to an e-mail message. Final versions should be submitted in both soft and hard copies. Note: For each day that the final version of your research report is late (12 hours after the due date), Mr. Manulat will reduce the grade on it by 20% unless you can provide an acceptable excuse (either you or a member of your direct family is in grave health condition). Provision of medical certificates and other supporting documents is a must.

Grading Policy Your course grade will be computed as follows: Grade Component Weight

Chapter 1 and 2 Chapter 3 and Questionnaire Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Presentation Final Paper Extra credit Total

15.0% 15.0% 15.0% 15.0% 15.0% 25.0% (5.0%) 100.0%

Note: Extra credit are given to authors with studies that are accepted for funding.

Grading Scale The grading scale is as follows: Percent 100-90.0 89.9-80.0 Grade 1.0 1.5 Percent 79.9-70.0 69.9-60.0 Grade 2.0 2.5 Percent 59.9-50.0 <50.0 5.0 Grade 3.0

Grades will be based on the deliverables. Requests for grade alterations due to any reasons will not be entertained.

Announcements Announcements will be made by Mr. Manulat thru the Research Office.

Submissions of Deliverables Regardless of holidays, deliverables should be submitted on the scheduled due dates thru email.

Final Notes

Dropping the Course. Mr. Manulat may drop students administratively. However, students remain responsible for dropping this course. Incomplete Grades. Incomplete grades are not allowed in this institution. Therefore, failure to submit any of the deliverables will be considered failure or will be given a grade of 5.0. Cheating. Cheating is defined as (1) submitting another person's work as your own work, (2) claiming to have done something when in fact is not participating in conducting the research or (3) committing plagiarism. Any student caught cheating will be given a grade of 5.0 for the deliverables.

Instructor Dindo Donald A. Manulat, Jr. is a researcher who has presented his environmental study in an international conference in USA. He has also published papers in international peer-reviewed journals in the field of environmental health and information and communications technology. Moreover, he has judged research presentations in international and national conferences. Dindo Donald A. Manulat, Jr. is the Research and Publication Coordinator of Iligan Medical Center College. He is currently on the process of completing his requirements for his two masters degrees in management, namely with majors in Environmental Planning and Management and Information Technology Management. His undergraduate course is bachelors degree in Information Technology.

Dindo Donald A. Manulat, Jr. Research and Publication Coordinator Research, Development, and Extension Office Iligan Medical Center College Email: dindo_manulat@yahoo.com