Instructor & Course Information

                  Instructor:  Kay L. McLennan, Ph.D.

                                     Professor of Practice, Business Studies

e-Mail & Voice Mail:  kmclenna@tulane.edu & 504.862.8000 x1360

             Office Hours:  Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (by appointment at the Elmwood Campus)

                   Web Site:   http://www.tulane.edu/~kmclenna

                      Course:   The online version of the Introduction to Marketing Principles course is a

                                      highly participative asynchronous Internet-based course.  The course site –

                                      with all of the course materials and discussion forums -- is located in the

                                      myTulane Blackboard platform (at http://mytulane.blackboard.com)

Textbooks & Other Required Reading

Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to procure a copy of the assigned textbook before the

first day of classes.

More specifically, the required textbook (and other required reading) includes:

1.      Lamb/Hair/McDaniel (2008).  MKTG 2008 Edition (2^st Edition).  Mason, Ohio:  South-

Western.  [ISBN 0-324-58651-0] 

Note:  The MKTG companion Internet resources are at:  http://www.mktg4me.com    &

http://websites.swlearning.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn_issn=9780324548143&discipline_number=415

Note:  You can order or buy a copy of the above required textbook from the Tulane Bookstore at http://tulane.bncollege.com, the publisher at http://www.ichapters.com, or an online book seller of your choice.  Also, the publisher sells a downloadable copy of the book at http://www.icapters.com.

2.      Course site lectures and articles (see “Assignments & Lectures” icon for reading assignments and

“In the News” to find the articles).

Prerequisites for Taking an Internet-Based Course

Each student enrolled in an Internet-based course will need:

·         Computer access (students are welcome to use any of the open computer labs on the campus);

·         Minimum computer capabilities (see section below entitled “Minimum Computer Requirements”);

·         An interest in utilizing the Internet as a distance education mode;

·         Self-motivation – with an on-line course students need to take the initiative to review the

on-line course materials, keep up with the reading and project assignments and participate in the

on-line discussions; and

·         Adequate written communication skills to communicate effectively through the mediums of essay submissions, e-mail, and “chat” discussions.  (While the instructor for Internet-based

courses is available almost “on-demand” through e-correspondence and e-office hours, being comfortable with written communication is an imperative for distance education students.)

Course Topic Outline & Assignment Due Dates

Module One:  Introduction to the World of Marketing and Buyers

August 27^th – September 22^nd

·         An Overview of Marketing

·         Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

·         Social Responsibility, Ethics, and the Marketing Environment

·         Developing a Global Vision

·         Consumer Decision Making

Textbook Reading Assignment:

Lamb, et al – Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Work Due:

1)      Post essays (with the essay questions located in the “Assignments & Lectures” icon) on or before September 15^th (on your group discussion board)

2)      Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion board) due on three (3) different days

            between September 15^th – 22^nd

Other Important Dates:

·         Last Day to Confirm:   August 29^th

·         Last Day to Add or Drop w/a 100% refund:  September 9^th

Module Two:  Analyzing Marketing and Products

September 23^rd – October 20^th

·         Business Marketing

·         Segmenting and Targeting Markets

·         Decision Support Systems and Marketing Research

·         Product Concepts

·         Developing and Managing Products

Textbook Reading Assignment:

Lamb, et al – Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

Work Due:

1)      Post essays on or before October 13^th (on your group discussion board)

2)      Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion board) due on three (3) different days between October 13^th – 20^th  

Other Important Dates:

·         Yom Kippur Holiday:   October 9^th

Module Three:  Service Marketing and Distribution and Promotion Decisions

October 21^st – November 17^th

·         Services and Nonprofit Organization Marketing

·         Marketing Channels and Supply Chain Management

·         Retailing

·         Integrated Marketing Communication

·         Advertising and Public Relations

Textbook Reading Assignment:

Lamb, et al – Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15

Work Due:

1)      Post essays on or before November 10^th (on your group discussion board)

2)      Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion board) due on three (3) different days

            between November 10^th – November 17^th

Other Important Dates:

·         Last Day to Drop:   October 24^th

Module Four:  Pricing Decisions and Technology-Driven Marketing

November 18^th – December 5^th

·         Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

·         Pricing Concepts

·         Setting the Right Price

·         Customer Relationship Management

Textbook Reading Assignment:

Lamb, et al – Chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19

Other Important Dates:

·         Thanksgiving Holiday:   November 26^th – 30^th

Work Due:

1)      Post essays on or before November 28^th (on your group discussion board)

2)      Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion board) due on three (3) different days

            between November 28^th – December 5^th

[Note:  The construction of a marketing plan is not required for this course (but the basic concepts related to the construction and use of a marketing plan will be covered in the course final.]  

3)      Take online Final by end of day or 11:59 p.m. on December 8^th

Learning Outcomes & Cognitive Development Objectives

After completing the requirements of this course, students should be able to:

·         Understand the role of marketing in the individual firm, U.S. economy, and global economy;

·         Describe the importance of a consumer orientation in companies;

·         Demonstrate knowledge of marketing research and pricing techniques;

·         Understand how to identify market segments and targets;

·         Describe the role and operation of marketing channels;

·         Understand how to manage market channels;

·         Understand the role and techniques of advertising;

·         Analyze examples from marketing practice and apply the concepts and tools presented to

real-life problems;

·         Demonstrate how to implement interactive and multi-channel marketing; and

·         Understand how to develop a marketing plan.

In terms of the cognitive learning objectives to be attained for each topic area studied (see “Course Topic Outline” below), students will:

·         Gather knowledge (or facts or theories) about each topic area from the readings, instructor lecture

·         notes, and e-discussions with classmates and the instructor; and

·         Demonstrate comprehension (or seeing relationships, concepts, principles, and abstractions beyond simply remembering material, typically involving translating, interpreting and estimating future

trends) through essay answers, e-discussions with classmates, and the final project; and

·         Understand the application (or the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations, including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws and theories) to specific issues and challenges in marketing.   

Required Student Participation

Learning is best accomplished when students are provided with experiential opportunities.  Accordingly, class members are expected to log into the class site at least three times a week (please note that the Blackboard software keeps track of when you enter the class site) as well as post assigned essays,

contribute substantive comments during the four module discussion periods, and take the final exam

within the specified time frames.  As a general rule of thumb, students are expected to respond to

the comments on their work and at least 60 percent of the essay postings of the other students in their

group.  In addition, during each discussion period, students must contribute comments on three different days.

Grading

The final grade in the course will be made up of grades on essay submissions, group discussions,

and the final exam.  The calculation of your final grade has the following components:  essay

submissions = 40 percent of the final grade; group discussion participation = 40 percent of the final

grade; and the final exam = 20 percent of the final grade.

With a potential of earning a total of 1,000 points in the course, the following point ranges (and accompanying grades) will be used.

Further, the following grading component criteria will be used.

·         The essays assigned during each of four modules are worth 25 points each (and taken together, the essay assignments in the course total 400 points).  The specific grading subcomponents for each essay include: 1) demonstrating a mastery of the subject material (worth 10 points); 2) meeting the assigned deadline (worth 5 points); and 3) crafting a well-written, grammatically correct composition that adheres to the length guidelines provided (10 points).  Note: While it is understood that most of the class members are already involved in demanding careers.  Accordingly, business commitments (including travel) will not excuse late work.  If you have a demanding job or travel commitments, it will be your responsibility to work ahead in the course so that you will be able to meet the deadlines specified.

·         Participation in group discussions (in your individual groups) will account for 400 points of

the 1,000 points in the course.  More specifically, you will be able to earn 100 points during

each of the four modules based on the following subcomponents:

1.      Providing substantive comments (25 points per module for the first four modules) –

that include personal or real world examples and back up claims and assertions with relevant sources;

2.      Responding to the required 60 percent of the essay postings of your group members

(25 points per module for the first four modules);

3.      Responding to group members’ comments on your essays (25 points per module for

the first four modules); and

4.      Posting all comments in a timely manner (25 points per module for the first four modules). 

In general, you should aim to respond to group members’ comments on your essays

within a 2 day time frame.  If you are going to be off line for a few days (for example,

on an out-of-town business trip), please let your group members know.  If you wait until

the final few days of a module to comment on your group members’ work or your group members’ comments on your essays, the benefits of having meaningful discussions on

the course material will be lost.  Also, untimely comments will compromise the

educational experience for others in the class and will be penalized.

·         The final exam will be worth 200 points. Students will take a timed (randomly generated)

online final exam on the major concepts in the course.

Make-Up Work Policies

Given the asynchronous nature of this course, the expectation is that students will be able to meet all deadlines for completing reading assignments, posting essay submissions and discussing group members’ submissions.  Tardy postings will compromise the quality of group discussions and accordingly are unacceptable.  In turn, only extraordinary or emergency circumstances will merit consideration for a deadline extension and will have to be evaluated by the instructor on a case-by-case basis.  Also, please

e-mail the instructor as soon as possible to explain any anticipated or missed deadlines.

Honor Code

All academic assignments in this course are conducted under the provisions of the Tulane University

Honor Code.  In particular, while students will collaborate during group discussions of the material and their work, when it comes to assembling their initial essay responses and taking module exams, students

are expected to work independently.  The complete Honor Code is available online at:

http://college.tulane.edu/code.htm

Also, all Honor Code Board meetings will take place in New Orleans.  In turn, if a student wishes to appear before the Honor Board (to counter an allegation of a violation of the Honor Code), the student must keep in mind that they will need to do so in New Orleans.  Further, if a student waives the right to appear in person before the Honor Board (in New Orleans), written statements will be accepted.

Student Disability Accommodations

Any student with a disability in need of course or examination accommodations should request accommodations through the University’s Office of Disability Services located in the Mechanical Engineering Building.  Please do this as soon as possible.  In turn, please let me know you are eligible

for accommodation (through an e-mail correspondence) and provide a copy of your approved accommodation form from ODS to me (as well as to each professor in whose course you wish to receive accommodations).  I am committed to working with the Office of Disability Services to ensure that all approved accommodations are provided.  However, if you do not deliver the approved accommodation form, I will not know you have been approved to receive accommodations and will have no basis for providing those accommodations.

 Minimum Computer Requirements

This on-line course utilizes Tulane University's myTulane Blackboard course software. In turn, the minimum computer system recommendations for using Blackboard software include the following. [Note: The Blackboard software platform may work on a computer that does not meet these minimum recommendations but using a lesser system could result in slow or problematic student access.]

·         Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME or XP; MacOS 9 or MacOSX

·         Hardware: 64 MB or RAM and 1 G of free disk space

·         Browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape 4.78 (JavaScript and Cookies must be enabled)

·         Modem: 56 K (but a DSL connection is recommended for viewing video clips)

·         Tulane University e-mail and Blackboard account (along with the knowledge of how to send and receive e-mail)  [Note: All newly admitted students will be automatically assigned a Tulane

·         University e-mail account (your user name will be sent to you by mail and your password will be

·         your social security number, without the dashes).  If you are a currently admitted student that lacks a Tulane University e-mail account and/or Blackboard account, please contact the Computer Help

·         Desk, at (504) 862-8888, to set up the account(s).]

·         Basic computer knowledge (including knowledge of word processing, printing files, downloading files, uploading files, etc.

Syllabus Changes

Again, the instructor retains the right to make changes to this syllabus.