MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 1 MARK5811 Applied Marketing Research Assessment Information T3-2021 Page 1. Class Participation (10%). 2 2. Individual Paper – Marketing Research Exercise (10%). 3 3. Research Report (30%). 5 4. Final Exam (Take-home exam) (50%). 7 5. Assignment Submission Procedure. 7 6. Late Submission. 8 Appendix A: Format and Instruction for Research Report. 9 Appendix B: Key Journals for Applied Marketing Research. 13 MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 2 1. Class Participation (10%) Class participation is designed to make sure we have a rich and stimulating class discussion which will provide opportunities for peer learning, and strengthen students’ ability to actively argue their decisions regarding the applied marketing research issues at hand. It will also help the development and understanding of alternative approaches and provide an opportunity for reflective learning. Your participation includes the responsibility to share your understanding and judgement with the class in order to advance the group's collective skills and knowledge. This means we will need your active participation to make the class a rewarding experience for everyone. Read the materials assigned for every class, thoroughly prepare cases, take part in pertinent discussions, listen to others with respect, and you will be rewarded. Class Participation Assessment Criteria Criterion Weighting Evidence of preparation (e.g., advance reading of the related materials, such as book chapter, journal article or case) and ability to discuss/debate the issues. 35 Quality of expression and presentation of arguments. 30 Quality of contribution during the class and group discussion (e.g., using theory to explain real world phenomena, using theory to propose a solution or identify a problem). 35 Total 100 Students are expected to thoroughly read any case discussion materials, textbook chapters or handout materials prior to the lecture and actively participate in discussions. Each week, students will be allocated a case study or an article to read prior to attending the class. Active participation refers to making intelligent comments and providing arguments related to the discussion topic. You are also required to respond to the lecturer/tutor’s questions as much as you can during the class. Additionally, students should respond to the responses of others in the class. Moreover, each week, students will be asked to provide written comments or questions during class/tutorial exercises, either as a group or as an individual. If you are unable to attend the online tutorial on a regular basis during the term and have a valid reason, please email Ting Yu (ting.yu@unsw.edu.au) by 17 September 2021 to discuss an alternative arrangement. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 3 2. Individual Paper – Marketing Research Exercise (10%) Due date: 17:00, Friday, 1 October 2021. Word limit: Maximum 500 words (All included except UNSW assignment cover sheet, references, and appendices). Submission: To TurnitinTM via Moodle. Task: KFC gave away free food and up to $50k with its mobile-based game - The Great Bucket Hunt (https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2021/06/kfc-bucket-hunt-game/), and they would like to obtain a good understanding of the players’ experience. KFC would like to conduct some marketing research, adopting a qualitative research method, i.e., interview. However, they are unsure if it is the best approach to gather useful information in this case compared with quantitative or mixed research methods. Please critique the proposed qualitative research method (i.e., interview) for KFC and based on your critique, provide ONE research design suggestion for KFC. Required format: • The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet as the first page. • Critically evaluate the proposed marketing research design, i.e., qualitative research method, i.e., interview. • Propose ONE research design suggestion and justify it. • References. Additional format requirements: • Font size and style: Font size: 12. Style: Times New Roman. • Margin: 2.5 cm. • Space: Double spaced throughout the paper. • This course uses in-text referencing, for more information also see Business School Harvard Referencing Guide - UNSW Business School. https://www.business.unsw.edu.au/Students-Site/Documents/Harvardreferenceguide.pdf You must reference all non-original work, e.g., if you take an idea from an academic journal article, book, magazine, or website, you must reference it. Do not reference lecture notes/PowerPoint, you must go to the original source, i.e., book, article, magazine, website. You are free to include an appendix; however, no mark is allocated to the information contained in the appendix. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 4 Evaluation criteria: 1. Quality of the arguments and critical discussion in relation to the proposed marketing research design and suggestion. (40%) 2. Quality of the supporting evidence (i.e., good use of theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report, to support your arguments and discussion). (40%) 3. Presentation (i.e., meet the submission guidelines, format and structure requirements, creative communication, reader friendly, write clearly & accurately, expression, spelling, diction, grammar, punctuation and proper and consistent referencing style). (20%) MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 5 3. Research Report (30%) A research project involves the investigation and analysis of a marketing research problem and allows the students to “put into practice” what has been discussed in class, as well as gaining first-hand experience of providing research for a company. Applying the skills and knowledge developed in this course, as a marketing research consultant, you are required to conduct qualitative (e.g., focus group, semi-structured interview) and/or quantitative (e.g., survey) research, and prepare a research report for a company. The research findings will be used to advise the selected company on its marketing strategy. Due date: 17:00, Friday, 19 November 2021. Word limit: Maximum 3,000 words (All included except UNSW assignment cover sheet, references, and appendices). Submission: To TurnitinTM via Moodle. No. of students per group: 3 – 5. Main tasks: 1. Select a firm/organisation, then critically discuss the current marketing problem and its implications or a marketing challenge of the selected firm/organisation. Then propose an accomplishable marketing research objective. No more than one objective should be proposed. The objective must be specific, practical, and realistic. 2. Identify the most appropriate research method(s) that can be adopted in relation to the proposed marketing research objective. The selection of the research method(s) must be critically discussed based on the (marketing) research theories and concepts studied in MARK5811 and/or supported by secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Provide details of the data collection method. 3. Analyse the data collected using appropriate data analysis techniques and procedures then report the findings. 4. Based on your research findings, provide one recommendation to address the marketing problem identified in the earlier section. The recommendation will need to be well supported and justified by the research findings and/or marketing theory. No more than one realistic and practical recommendation should be proposed. Be creative and make the written report professional and reader friendly. Group formation (i.e., selecting your own group members) will be organised in Week 1 tutorial. Please make sure you attend Week 1 tutorial. If you are unable to attend Week 1 tutorial, please contact your tutor 12 hours in advance to make an alternative arrangement. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 6 You must reference all non-original work, e.g., if you take an idea from an academic journal article, book, magazine, or website, you must reference it. Do not reference lecture notes/PowerPoint, you must go to the original source, i.e., book, article, magazine, website. Refer to Appendix A for more details. Manage group dynamics You are expected to actively manage the conduct of meetings and record members’ contributions and the decisions/actions agreed to at each meeting. Clearly documented procedures and agreed outcomes are a sound professional tool when working in groups. Each student within the group will receive the same mark unless there is a dispute about an individual’s contribution. Choose your group members wisely. It is important to note that management of group dynamics is your responsibility. Keep in mind that assignment of clear responsibilities as well as development of consistent group norms, such as regular meetings, communication, and division of labour, is essential for cohesive group performance. Also take note of the meeting discussions and group dynamics in case there is any dispute on the contribution of the members. Conflict and grievance procedures Groups function best when everyone participates actively in the development and resolution of the task. However, sometimes you will need to address situations where one or more members do not attend meetings or complete their work. In the first instance, such issues should be handled within your group. If a grievance issue arises and it cannot be resolved within the group, then the next step is to discuss the situation with the lecturer. Based on the evidence provided, the lecturer will make a decision as to whether a single group mark is warranted or whether individual marks are to be awarded. Please keep your meeting notes, drafts, and email communication in case there is any dispute. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 7 4. Final Exam (Take-home exam) (50%) The final exam will take place in the formal examination period at the end of the session and is worth 50% of the total marks for this course. Considering the current situation, it will be a take home exam, available for 24 hours. Written answers to be submitted to TurnitinTM. The exam will be comprehensive in nature and will draw on work covered in lectures, tutorials, discussions, textbook material and course readings. The final exam aims to test students’ understanding and application of marketing research theories covered during the term. Therefore, it contains theory application questions. Details of the exam will be discussed in Week 10 during the lecture. The final exam will be organised by the UNSW exam unit. The date of the final exam will be announced once the university exam timetable is released. No early examinations are possible. When the provisional examination timetable is released, ensure that you have no clashes or unreasonable difficulty in attending the scheduled examinations. All exams are scheduled and conducted in accordance with the UNSW Rules for the Conduct of Examinations and it is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with these rules. 5. Assignment Submission Procedure A) For individual paper The individual paper must include a cover sheet and be signed by the student. The School of Marketing Individual Assignment Cover Sheet can be found at: https://www.business.unsw.edu.au/About-Site/Schools-Site/marketing- site/Documents/Assignment%20Cover%20Sheet.pdf Students MUST submit written assignments through the course website. The originality of the assignments will be checked with TurnitinTM. Students are able to check the similarity index and resubmit their reports up until the deadline. Note, however, that students are responsible for planning ahead and allowing sufficient time to review their similarity index. Students are also advised to submit their papers during working hours so as to receive any technical support, if necessary. Technical difficulties will not be accepted as a valid reason for late submission. B) For research report The research report must include a cover sheet and be signed by all students in the group. The School of Marketing Group Assignment Cover Sheet can be found at: https://www.business.unsw.edu.au/About-Site/Schools-Site/marketing- site/Documents/Group%20assignment%20coversheet.pdf Students MUST submit research reports through the course website. ONLY ONE STUDENT IN THE GROUP SUBMITS THE RESEARCH REPORT. The originality of the assignments will be checked with TurnitinTM. Students are able to check the similarity index and resubmit their papers up until the due deadlines. Note, however, that students are responsible for MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 8 planning ahead and allowing sufficient time to review their similarity index. Students are also advised to submit their reports during working hours so as to receive technical support, if necessary. Technical difficulties will not be accepted as a valid reason for late submission. 6. Late Submission Late submission of written assignments will attract a penalty of 10% per day (including weekends) or part thereof. Assessment items submitted more than five days after the due date will be awarded zero marks. Your written assignment will be considered late after a 10- minute grace period. Extensions will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds under extreme circumstances, and will not be granted because of work and other commitments. Requests for extensions must be made to the lecturer prior to the due date. Medical certificates or other evidence of extreme misfortune must be submitted through a special consideration form and must contain information that justifies the extension sought. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 9 Appendix A: Format and Instruction for Research Report** • Please include: The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet as the first page 1. Title page (Title of the research report, student name and ID, date, and additional information related to the assignment that you wish to communicate to the marker. This is different from The School of Marketing Assignment Cover Sheet). 2. Table of contents 3. List of tables and figures (if applicable) 4. Executive summary You should only briefly summarise the marketing research objective, research design, data collection method(s), data analyses techniques/procedure, and recommendation. This should be no more than 1 page. Have a separate page for the executive summary. 5. Marketing research objective Identify and critically discuss the current marketing problem and its implications or a marketing challenge of the selected firm/organisation. Then propose an appropriate (i.e., realistic, practical, clear, and specific) marketing research objective which addresses the company’s identified marketing problem/challenge. No more than one objective should be proposed. This section should be no more than 350 words. 6. Research method(s) Use theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report, effectively to identify the most appropriate research method(s) that can be adopted to achieve the proposed marketing research objective. The selection of the research method(s) must be critically discussed based on the (marketing) research theories and concepts studied in MARK5811 and/or supported by secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Provide details of the data collection method(s) employed. Systematically and logically develop the data collection instrument(s) (e.g., questionnaire, interview protocol) to achieve the proposed marketing research objective. This section should be no more than 1,100 words. 7. Data analyses Analyse the data using the appropriate procedure, then report the findings. Use theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report, effectively to justify data analysis techniques and procedure. This section should be no more than 700 words. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 10 8. Recommendation and research limitations Based on your research, provide no more than one realistic recommendation to the selected firm/organisation. This needs to address the marketing problem/challenge identified in the earlier section. Do not recommend theory or ideas in this section. A practical and specific recommendation is required. The recommendation should be evaluated in terms of its advantages and disadvantages (strong and weak points). Effectively use theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report, to form a critical discussion regarding the key limitation(s) of the research design and subsequent suggestions for improvement. No more than 3 key research limitation(s) should be identified and discussed. This section should be no more than 700 words. 9. References In addition to the MARK5811 text, you should read and refer to at least two recent academic journal articles (published after 2013, excluding 2013) that are related to the applied marketing research theories to support your arguments and discussion in the report. See Appendix B for a list of key academic journals. The two articles need to be selected from the journals listed in Appendix B. You may choose these two articles from outside the list, however, you will need to obtain written permission from Dr Ting Yu by 5 November 2021 via email. 10. Appendix You are free to include an appendix; however, no mark is allocated to the information contained in the appendix. **Please ensure that: • The activities comply with any relevant privacy and/or confidentiality requirements (e.g., a process of informed consent); • Relevant health and safety requirements are adhered to (e.g., blood collection procedures, personal safety procedures, interview protocols etc.); • Information will not be disseminated or published; • Participants from a vulnerable population are not the focus of the project; • The project does not aim to explore contentious or sensitive topics; • There is no potential for participants to be exposed to harm as a result of the project including physical, psychological, social, economic or legal harm; and • You do not contact the company directly for your research project. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 11 Additional format requirements for the report: • Font: Headings - Font size: 14; main text - Font size: 12. Times New Roman is preferable. • Margin: 2.5 cm. • Space: Double spaced throughout the paper except Executive Summary. • Presentation style for Executive Summary: Font size: 12, 1.5 spaced, no more than one page. • You must reference all the sources used (to form your ideas, arguments, and analysis) throughout the paper and make a reference list at the end of the report. Marking Criteria# 1. Marketing research objective (10%) The report clearly identifies and discusses the marketing research problem or marketing challenge, supported by sufficient evidence drawn from marketing research theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Develops a realistic, practical, clear, and specific marketing research objective, which addresses the company’s identified problem/challenge. Effectively uses theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report to support the arguments and discussion. (i.e., Section 5: Marketing research objective). 2. Research method(s) (30%) The research design employed to achieve the marketing research objective is well justified by marketing research theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Development of the data collection instrument(s) (e.g., questionnaire, interview protocol) is systematic, logical, and robust, and the data collection instrument(s) is appropriate to achieve the marketing research objective. Quality of the data collected is appropriate, which allows the research team to achieve the marketing research objective. Effective use of theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report to support the arguments. (i.e., Section 6: Research method(s)). 3. Data analyses (20%) The data analysis techniques and procedures are appropriate and well justified by marketing research theory and/or secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report. Shows appropriate level of skill on relevant analysis. Results are accurate. Drawn conclusion(s) are consistent with the analyses. (i.e., Section 7: Data analyses). 4. Recommendation and research limitations (20%) Critically discusses the implications and insights drawn from the analyses. The recommendation is closely linked to and well-supported by the findings, and appropriately addresses the research problem/challenge identified. A critical discussion is included regarding the key limitations of the research design, and suggestions for improvement is offered. Effective use of marketing research theory and secondary data, e.g., published government report, consulting report to support the arguments. (i.e., Section 8: Recommendation and research limitations). MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 12 5. Presentation (20%) Presentation (i.e., meet the submission guidelines, format and structure requirements, creative communication, reader friendly, write clearly and accurately, expression, spelling, diction, grammar, punctuation, and proper and consistent referencing style). # Please make sure that you follow the required format. Your research report will be marked according to what you have written under each section. MARK5811 T3-2021 Assessment Information FINAL 12 September 2021 13 Appendix B: Key Journals for Applied Marketing Research • Journal of Business Research. • Journal of Marketing. • Journal of Retailing. • Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. • Management Science. • Academy of Management Journal. • Journal of Consumer Research.