Course Outline: Advanced Marketing Research (MRK2307)

Area: Marketing | Credit: 3

Programme: PGDM | Duration: January – March, 2023 | Term: VI
_______________________________________________________________________
Instructor(s) Name : Dr. Tinu Jain
Email : [email protected]
Phone (Extn no.) : 03366529656
Meeting Hours : Mon – Fri: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
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PART 1
INTRODUCTION
Any business and decisions related to running the business successfully depend upon a rational,
ordered pattern in human behavior that can be analyzed in a coherent, systematic way. This
course will help you develop an understanding about the customers, market trends and deduce
surprising conclusions from the customer and market insights. The course would also help the
participants to comprehend research methods and its application, identify, develop research
gaps, and test empirically.

The purpose of this seminar is to acquaint students with research methods and its applications
in the area of marketing decisions as well as research techniques that help develop empirical
testing. This seminar will examine the research methods and techniques to develop analytical
and empirical understanding. Marketing decision making will be discussed and critiqued. The
research techniques that will be discussed include Regression and Correlation, Factor, Cluster
analysis, Conjoint, etc.

COURSE OBJECTIVES (CO)

1. To develop an understanding of the complexities of marketing research and its relevance
in the marketing value chain.
2. To develop an understanding about capturing marketing and consumer insights
3. To recognize the intricate relationship between the consumer insights, marketing research
for successfully marketing the company’s offering in achieving company’s objectives and
customer satisfaction.
4. To understand the operational dimensions of the research mechanism and modalities of the
research function.
5. To equip students in planning, implementing and managing a marketing research project
for an organization.
6. To incorporate in students the ability to take agile, relevant and collaborative decisions in
businesses under critical disruptive conditions, such as COVID-19.

1
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLO)
At the end of this course, participants would be able to:

CLO1 –Develop an overall understanding of problems related to marketing & business, design
marketing research blueprint and role of research techniques in enhancing marketing decision
making to tackle both minor and major decision making challenges the business organization
faces (PLO1 and PLO6)

CLO2 - Design marketing research & data collection methods and use various software tools
that will enable them to analyse data and apply the methods taught in the course to real business
problems (PLO2)

CLO3 – Improve their own skills in viewing business processes and relationships
systematically scientifically and analytically while managing the marketing research project
drawing consumer and marketing insights/intelligence to bring in newer avenues and
successfully market the company’s offerings (PLO3)

COURSE CONTENT
Role of Marketing Research in Decision Making
Designing marketing research plan based on marketing research problem
Research designs and relationship among exploratory, descriptive and causal research
Classification of Data
Exploratory, descriptive and causal research methods
Measurement and scaling techniques
Questionnaire and Sampling forms
Data Collection, preparation and analysis
Analysis methods (regression, correlation, factor analysis, cluster analysis and many
more)
PRESCRIBED TEXT BOOK
Naresh K Malhotra and Satyabhusan Dash; Marketing Research- an applied orientation,
Pearson.

OTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES

i. Naresh K Malhotra, Essential of Marketing Research
ii. Marketing Research by Aaker, Kumar, Leone and Day
iii. Multivariate Data Analysis, by Joseph F Hair, Barry J. Babin, Rolph E. Anderson,
William C. Black

2
 POLICY ON PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism of any kind and to any extent would attract penalties. The assessment would be
‘zero’ for that particular component, with no further opportunity to improve. Repetition of the
offence would result in failure in the subject.

ASSESSMENT SCHEME AND WEIGHTAGE:

{a} MID-TERM & END-TERM

Weightage Duration (in CLO

Evaluation Open/close Book
(%) minutes) Tested

End-Term 30 90 Open Book 3

{b} OTHER ASSESSMENTS

Sl. Unit of
Evaluation Item Weight Time CLO
No. Evaluation
Exercise on Case: 2
1 Group 10% 6th Session
Harvard Housing
2 Assignment-1 Group 20% 10th Session 1

Exercise on Case: 3
3 Individual 10% 13th Session
True Earth
Project Report Individual (10 + 20
6
and Presentations + Group = 30%) Session 19-20* 1,2

PART 2: SESSION PLAN

Session. Topics Pedagogy Reading
Introduction to Marketing
Course Overview and Introduction Lecturing and Class
1 Research
to Marketing Research room discussion
Ch-1
Defining the Management
Defining the Marketing
Decision Problem and Marketing
Lecturing and Class Research Problem and
2 Research problem
room discussion developing an approach
Establishing the relationship
Ch-2
between the two

3
 Developing an approach to the Lecturing and Class Research Design
3
marketing research problem room discussion Ch-3

Research Designs
Exploratory Research Lecturing and Class Exploratory Research Design
4 room discussion Ch-4
Descriptive Research Lecturing and Class Descriptive Research Design
5
room discussion Ch-6

6 Assessment: Exercise on Case studies Harvard Housing (10%)

Descriptive Research:
Cross Sectional Designs Lecturing and Class
7 Ch-3
Longitudinal Designs room discussion

Lecturing and Class

room discussion
8 Classification of Data Ch-4
Secondary Data
Analysis
Qualitative Research Methods: Lecturing and Class
9 FGD, Indepth Interview, room discussion Ch-5
Projective Technique FGD illustration

10 Assessment: Exercise on Assignment-Assignment 1 Presentation and Discussion (20%)

Measurement and Scaling:

Types and Characteristics Descriptive Research Design
Primary Scales of Measurement Lecturing and Class
11
room discussion Measurement and Scaling
Evaluation and Comparison (Ch 8)
Choosing Scaling Techniques
Measurement and Scaling:

Noncomparative Scaling Lecturing and Class Measurement and Scaling

12
Techniques room discussion (Ch 9)
Multi-item Scales

Exercise on Case
13 Forecasting Techniques studies: Case Study: Truearth
Tturearth

Assessment: Exercise on Forecasting using the Case Data and Situations (10%)

4
 Lecturing and Class
14 Questionnaire Design and Layout Ch-10
room discussion
Sampling Techniques-Probability Lecturing and Class
15 Ch-11 & 12
and Non-Probability room discussion
Lecturing and Class
Data Collection and Hypothesis room discussion
16 Testing Exercise on Ch 13, 14,15 & 17
Regression and Correlation Regression and
Correlation
Lecturing and Class
Data Analysis Techniques:
room discussion
17 Multidimensional Scaling and Ch-21
Exercise on Conjoint
Conjoint Analysis
Analysis
Lecturing and Class
room discussion
Data Analysis Techniques:
18 Factor Analysis and Ch-19 and 20
Lab work/Classroom
Cluster Analysis
Exercise on laptop
on Factor Analysis
19
Submission of Project Report and Project Presentations (30%)
20

PART 3: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

* Project Details - This is a group assignment. Groups should comprise of five team members
each. It would be a good idea to ensure diverse educational background (engineering,
commerce, science, arts, etc.) as well as experience in the group composition. Each team is
required to develop a comprehensive marketing research plan (Assignment 1) defining the
management problem. The group has to implement the marketing research plan and conduct
the full-fledged research and present the finding along with submitting the report (Assignment
2). The projects will be based on business scenarios, consumer/customer behaviour, etc. The
survey should be preferably from the online medium and covering pan-India and should not
be from students of IMI.

Mid-term Project Assignment-1 (Group Evaluation; Weightage 20%) :

Each group is supposed to submit an original research proposal (limited to 5 pages excluding
references) and also present the same in the class.

Pre End-Term Final Assignment (Group Evaluation; Weightage 30%) :

The final draft of the report (The proposal must have already been submitted for evaluation in
component 2) with complete analysis. The participants are encouraged to meet the instructor
beyond classes for timely completion of the research project.

5
 PLO MAPPING FOR THE COURSE
Addressed CLO
by No.
PLO# Program Level Learning Goal
Course?
(Yes / No)
Application of Fundamentals
PLO1 Traits: Demonstrate application of functional / conceptual knowledge Yes CLO1
to business situations
Problem Identification and Solution CLO2
PLO2 Traits: Demonstrate ability to identify a problem, critically assess Yes
various alternatives and suggest appropriate solution

Integrative Thinking
Traits: Demonstrate ability to identify inter-linkages among functional CLO3
PLO3 Yes
areas within an enterprise and assess the impact of external
environment on its performance
-
Effective Communication
PLO4 Traits: Demonstrate proficiency in Oral and Written Communication -

Ethical Responsibility -
PLO5 Traits: Demonstrate awareness and assess impact of ethical behavior -
on business
Leadership CLO1
PLO6 Traits: Demonstrate capability to take leadership role in a business Yes
situation