Business Studies
Student Guide
Year 3 Semester 2
Graduation Track
Business Studies & Marketing
Study year 2018 – 2019
Colophon
Number of EC’s: 30 (840-hour workload)
Opleiding: Business Studies
Authors:Curriculum Committee Business Studies
This student guide has been prepared very carefully and includes the input of many colleagues. The actual execution of the programme, however, may be subject to minor changes and/or adjustments. For this reason, students cannot derive any rights from this student guide.
For specific information per location, please refer to the digital BBS learning environment
© Hogeschool Inholland
Content pageMarketing in a digital age
Content page Marketing in a digital age
1.Introduction
1.1Design year 3 and year 4
1.2Courses year 3
1.3Literature
2.Focal points semester 2, year 3
2.1Didactic approach year 3
2.2Attendance
3.Description of courses
3.1OE MA 101: Marketing Contexts
3.2OE MA 102: Customer Insight Tooling
3.3OE MA 103: Omnichannel Marketing
3.4OE MA 104: Customer Behaviour
3.5OE MA 105: Electives
3.6OE MA 106: Research Skills for Marketeers
3.7OE 710: Research Skills Generic
3.8Dutch Language and Culture (for exchange students only)
4Schedule semester 2
1.Introduction
The Marketing in a digital age focuses on both Marketing and Sales, allowing you to make effective contributions in both fields after your gradudation. You will become familiar with digital tooling and psychological insights to optimise customer insights and boost sales. You will improve your personal and communicative skills in international negotiations and sales talks with clients.
The focus of the Marketing in a digital age is on creating value for B2C and B2B customers based on in-depth customer insight. Prospective customers expect the organisation to know what they want and to have the option of a one-to-one dialogue with the organisation. The digitisation of marketing activities plays a large role. Thanks to data mining and the use of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, the organisation has access to ample statistically relevant information about consumers.
Students are trained to become marketeers who are able to both operate at strategic level and have hands-on skills in an international environment. Using customer insight, they will be able to make the right choices on behalf of product offer, online and offline channels to be used and on communication with the (international) target audience, resulting in mutual engagement.
1.1Design year 3 and year 4
Years 3 and 4 are designed as follows.
Year 3, semester 1: Work placement
This semester revolves around your work placement and your research assignment for the organisation you work for. You are allowed to start your work placement if:
You have obtained your propaedeutic exam
You have obtained 40 out of 60 ECs in year 2
Please refer to the Work placement handbook for further details.
Year 3, semester 2: Customer Insight
The curriculum in semester 2 centres around acquiring 'customer insight': analysing consumer behaviour with the help of analytical tools (such as big data analysis) and psychological concepts. This semester is offered in English and is open to international students
Year 4, semester 1: Creating Customer Value
The focus of the curriculum in semester 1 is on sales in an international context, mainly B2B. You will apply the knowledge you have acquired on strategic policy in the first two years and the knowledge of customer insight tools you have acquired in year 3 to create customer value. Customer value is the driving force behind the marketing and sales plan you prepare for an international enterprise.
Year 4, semester 2: Bachelor Thesis
During your Bachelor graduation project in the second semester of year 4 you will carry out an individual research project for an organisation. On the basis of the research results you will formulate concrete recommendations to optimise the client's marketing policy. Supporting research workshops will be offered.
The table as printed on the next page gives a overview of the 4-year Business Studies Bachelor programme with the Marketing in a digital age.
Overview Business Studies programme (Marketing Graduation Track) full-timeYr 1 / Theme 1 / Theme 2 / Theme 3 / Theme 4
Theme: Market
Focus on the organisation’s environment: what are client’s needs? / Theme: Business Economics
Focus on the financial figures of an organisation / Theme: People
Understanding and managing people’s behaviour in organisations / Theme: Processes & Systems
Acquiring insight into business processes
Yr 2 / Theme 5 / Theme 6
Theme:Strategy and Policy
Developing insight into an organisation’s environment
Graduation track orientation activities / Theme: Change & Implementation
Organisation and realisation of effective change processes, including practical assignment and literature study
Yr 3 / Semester 1 / Semester 2
Work Placement
Getting to know the job market: work placement and marketing research assignment / Theme: Customer Insight
Mastering digital tools and psychological concepts to understand customers (English-taught)
Yr 4 / Semester 1 / Semester 2
Theme: Creating Customer Value
Preparing an international sales plan and developing personal sales skills / Bachelor graduation thesis
You complete your Business Studies programme with a bachelor thesis
1.2Courses year 3
In the overview printed below, an overview is given of the courses/units in year 3.
Semester 1: Business Studies Work Placement
Code / Course Title / Assessment mode / Credits1314OE701A / Work placement (practical) & PCM 7 / Written / 20
1314OE702A / Work placement Research Assignment / Written / 10
Semester 2: Business Studies Marketing in a digital age: Customer Insight
Code / Course Title / Assessment mode / Credits1314OE101A / OE101: Marketing Contexts / Written (OW) / 5
1314OE102A / OE102: Customer Insight Tooling / Written (OW) / 6
1314OE103A / OE103: Omnichannel Marketing / Written (OW) / 6
1314OE104A / OE104: Customer Behaviour / Written exam / 5
1314OE105A / OE 105: Electives / Written (OW) / 2
1314OE106A / OE 106: Research for Marketeers / Written (OW) / 2
1314OE710A / OE710: Research: Optimisation Quality of Services / Written (OW) / 4
Note: ‘Written (OW)’ means students will be assessed on a written document (portfolio, essay, etcetera). There is no formal exam sitting with a fixed duration
1.3Literature
The following literature is mandatory and needs to be in students’ possession at the start of the course. Most literature will be available online (white papers, etc.). Please refer to the relevant course sections for more information.
Course / Author(s) / Literature / Publisher / Edition / ISBN / Price / Hard copy or e-bookOE103 Omnichannel Marketing / M. Hoogveld / Theexcellent customer journey experience / Adfo Group / 1 / 9789491560613 / 32.50 / Both
OE104 Customer Behaviour / I. Szmigin & M. Piacentini / Consumer behaviour / Oxford University Press / 1 / 978-0-19-964644-9 / 55.00 / Hard copy
2.Focal points semester 2, year 3
All activities in semester 2 are centred around developing customer insight. Activities can be subdivided into three categories:
- Customer Insight Courses: Customer Insight Tools (MA102), Omnichannel Marketing (MA103), Customer Behaviour (MA104)
During these courses you will develop research techniques and acquire knowledge of psychological and social aspects influencing the customer journey (the customer journey consists of orientation, selection, decision-making, buying, use and recommendations). Students will also gain in-depth knowledge of omni-channel marketing in various sectors. Students write an omnichannel plan applying the knowledge gained in Customer Insight Tools and Customer Behaviour.
- General Marketing courses: Marketing Contexts (MA101), Electives (MA102)
In Marketing Contexts students will discover the wide range of sectors and branches marketeers can work in (that is virtually any sector or branch). The course also introduces some key marketing concepts and theories (communication, branding), which have only been briefly touched upon in years one and two. The Electives component allows students to propose an activity (related to marketing in the broad sense of the word) and so shape their own profile.
- Research Skills ( 710) and Research Skills for Marketeers (MA106)
This course supports service optimisation relevant to needs and requirements of both internal and external groups. It is a generic course, which means it is offered to students of all graduation tracks. The Research Skills for Marketeers course offers quantitative techniques marketeers cannot do without. The figure on the next page shows the interrelationship of the research components prior to the start of the bachelor thesis.
2.1Didactic approach year 3
As you will have noticed in year 2, the method of learning was different from year 1. The guidance of lecturers is less prominent and they provide less structure. This is part of the Business Studies didactic vision of students becoming increasingly more independent. We expect you to be self-motivated and to structure your own learning activities individually and in project teams. The number of scheduled classes in semester 2, year 3 is lower than that in years 1 and 2. The work load will remain the same (30 EC).
Inholland and exchange students will be in one and the same team or class and follow six Marketing-specific courses, in addition to the generic research course. Three courses involve cooperation with other students and assessment is based on group performance. In addition to one individual written exam there are three individual written tests (reports/portfolios). This requires good planning of your individual and group learning activities. For this reason time management and discipline are vital to a successful completion of this semester! Attending classes is crucial, as well (see 2.2). The concepts you are required to apply will be discussed in class. To help you plan your activities, an overview of scheduled classes and tests is printed in chapter 4.
2.2Attendance
For some educational activities, such as master classes, guest lectures, workshops/training courses and PCM-interviews, there is an attendance requirement, because these activities involve unique, once-only learning moments which cannot be repeated or realised in another manner.
Attendance of all scheduled learning activities including project team sessions is important. Needless to say this is your own responsibility. Here are some reasons why attendance is relevant for your learning process:
- Classes are characterised by interactive learning sessions linked to project assignments
- Participating in class discussions is a means to understand and process theory and concepts
- Student interaction results in active exchange of knowledge and experiences
- Student feedback and peer review are important instruments in learning
- Logistically, scheduled activities are suitable moments for face-to-face fine-tuning with members of your project team
Students who have actively participated in learning activities will be rewarded by receiving most feedback and feedforward from the lecturer. Please refer to the below table for requirements as per learning activity.
Name / Explanation / AttendanceClasses /
- Lectures (LC), Instructional Colleges (IC), Supervised Classes (SC) and Classes without supervision (CWS) and/or Feedback class (FC)
- Kick off
- Work sessions (SC and CWS) on behalf of assignments and professional products (SC and CWS)
- Applied knowledge sessions (IC) : for instance the generic research skills course and Research Skills for Marketeers (quantitative techniques)
Workshop and training (WS) / Sessions during which technical or social skills are trained / 100%
PCM-meetings / Individual or in small groups / 100%
Presentation of professional products / For presentations being part of an assessment a 100% attendance requirement applies / 100%
Master classes, conferences and company visits / These are unique learning moments realised at a certain time and place. Master classes are part of Consumer Behaviour and Customer Insight
Dutch students will be visiting the MIE-conference in Utrecht on 15 or 16 March / 100%
**
Weblecture (WL) / Lecture (LC) Dutch HC) / Instructional classes (IC)Independent study (IS) / Supervised classes (SC)
Dutch (BW) / Classes without supervision (CWS) Dutch (OBW)
Feedback via moodle (FCM) / Feedback class (FC) / Workshop (WS)
3.Description of courses
In this chapter you will find overall information per course:
- The key content of the course
- The study load expressed in EC’s
- Mode of assessment
- Mandatory literature
- Learning objectives and assessment criteria
You are referred to the Student Guide per course on OP for the following information:
-Weekly schedule (student input and output)
-Instructions
-Learning materials, PowerPoint presentations
-Assessment forms
-Study tips
On Moodle additional information is supplied for the several locations.
3.1OE MA 101:Marketing Contexts
General / ExplanationContent / In year 3 students look at the specific marketing strategies and tools used in various marketing contexts. Different contexts (e.g. retail, not for profit and family businesses but also city or regional marketing, sports marketing) often require different marketing tools. Business models also vary (e.g. C2C and C2B, marketplaces and online bidding), as do the role in the logistics chain or the way customers are recruited (one example is e-tendering). Each context has its own particular issues and its own style of marketing and the customer can play a different role depending on the context.
By carrying out assignments students acquire knowledge of different contexts. They also learn from best practices within a context and look for key trends.
Students research a particular area in depth and share their experiences with their peers by giving or organising master classes on a chosen context. This gives them a broad overview of the differences between sectors and areas of application in different organisations.
Relationship with other modules
This module looks at marketing policy and tools in more detail than the first two introductory years
Competences / T4 Marketing
T7 Operations management
PV3 Innovative, creative and enterprising attitude
PV4 Communication skills
PV5 Collaboration
Assessment criteria / TMA4.20: Develops innovative ideas.
TMA4.15: Develops marketing policy for a domestic/international business and can justify the choices made.
TMA4.16: Draws up a sales, account and/or supplier plan (medium term) in an international context, including financial reporting.
TMA7.9: Produces a proposal for the logistical implementation of a chosen value proposition based on their understanding of alternative logistics options and their consequences.
TMA4.13: Design, apply and evaluate marketing research.
PV3.1: Can look for improvements – constantly looks for areas where the organisation can improve.
PV5.4: Can prioritise, plan and manage in order to achieve the intended project result.
PV5.5: Displays respect and empathy towards people from different national, cultural, social, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
PV5.7: Can apply cultural analysis techniques, SWOT analysis methodologies, negotiation and conflict management techniques and theories of power.
PV4.1: Can communicate both orally and in writing in both Dutch and English. Can summarise and convey different messages.
Working method and activities / Introductory lectures; instructional classes and supervision around a group project. Concluding workshops (master class) by students for students.
Assessment modes / Written report (group) plus oral presentation (group) in the form of masterclass or workshop in which theory and practice are combined.
Contact hours / 20 x Instructional Class
6 x Master class
1 x Lecture
6 x Feedback college
Attendance requirement / NO except for master classes
Study load / 5 EC =140 hours, including 33 contact hours (=24 hours)
Weekly Schedule / See MA 101 Student Guide
Sources:
Literature
Web lectures
Knowledge video clips / See MA 101 Student Guide
3.2OE MA 102: Customer Insight Tooling
General / ExplanationContent / In this module students learn how to collect, analyse and interpret data. These skills will be applied in year 4 when making tactical and operational marketing decisions.
Customer insights form the basis of customer-centric business and are a critical success factor for every customer-centric organisation. Customer insights means having an in-depth understanding of relevant customer factors such as what drives, motivates or irritates customers, and customers’ values, needs, wishes, expectations and behaviour.
The increasing availability of big data from both offline and online channels makes it easier for the marketeer to gain ever more detailed insights into customers and their drivers and to take operational marketing decisions on this basis. Real-time availability of relevant customer information in all customary contact and communication channels is a particular must for every business.
As a customer database, CRM is therefore the key tool for storing and evaluating all this data. Linking the data to the individual customer in order to obtain insights into the customer’s activities is the main challenge for businesses.
In this module students learn how to work with data analysis tools for offline and online information sources such as internal customer sources, social media sources and internet sources. Google Analytics is also used to gain insight into the click and search behaviour of visitors to the company’s website or web shop. Social analytics tools can also be used to enrich customer data with social media sources.
Relationship with other modules:
In MA104 students gain customer insights from the fields of sociology and psychology. Combined with the quantitative/statistical data from Customer Insight Tools, 360° insights are obtained into customers and customer behaviour. Customer Insight Tools also forms the basis for selecting and interpreting customer data for MA103 Omnichannel and the sales and account plan which will be drawn up in MA151
Competences / T4 Marketing
T2 Finance
T8 Accounting
T9 Quantitative techniques
T10 Management information systems
PV1 Digital skills and literacy
Assessment criteria / TMA4.16 Draw up a sales, account and/or supplier plan (medium term) in an international context, including financial reporting.
TMA4.12 Use a range of different tools to obtain in-depth customer insights.
TMA2.4 Accountability: calculate the financial consequences of marketing policy and actions (for accountability to management).
TMA8.6 Analyse sales and market data based on own records.
TMA9.9 Use sources for data mining.
TMA10.8 Formulate the need for information based on the strategy.
TMA10.9 Convert information from customer database into marketing management/sales information.
PV1.3 Search for the required information effectively and efficiently using a range of search techniques and systems.
PV1.5 Is aware of the economic, legal and social issues relating to the use of information and adheres to the ethical and legal standards when accessing and using information in order to use ICT resources effectively and efficiently.