MKT8003 Services Marketing Management

MKT	8003	90152	2, 2009	EXT	Services Marketing Management	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOBUS
Academic org:	FOB004
Student contribution band:	3A
ASCED code:	080599

Staffing
Requisites
Other requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Dawn Birch
Moderator: Eric Ng

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: MKT5000

OTHER REQUISITES

Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at <http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/default.htm>.

RATIONALE

Services dominate the Australian economy and are becoming critical for competitive advantage in companies across the globe and in all industry sectors. For manufacturers like GE and IBM, services represent their primary growth and profitability strategies into the 21st century. Superior service quality drives the competitive advantage of excellent companies like Marriot Hotels and FedEx, traditional service businesses. And the Internet is one big service, the success of companies using this channel will depend heavily on the quality of their services from the customer's point of view. This course aims to provide an understanding of the theory and practices in the development and execution of service relationship marketing strategies.

SYNOPSIS

The course focuses on the unique challenges of managing services and delivering quality service to customers. The attraction, retention, and building of strong customer relationships through quality service (and services) are central to the course content. The course is equally applicable to organisations whose core product is service (e.g., banks, transportation companies, hotels, hospitals, professional services etc.) and to organisations that depend on service excellence for competitive advantage (e.g., high technology, manufacturers and industrial products, etc.). In this course you will learn critical skills and gain knowledge needed to implement quality service and service strategies for competitive advantage across industries. Also frameworks for customer-focused management, and how to increase customer satisfaction and retention through service strategies are discussed. Other topics that will be addressed include, service recovery, service mapping, linking customer management to performance measurement and cross-functional treatment of issues through integration of marketing with disciplines such as operations and human resources. This course provides pivotal content for tomorrow's businesses as they structure around process rather than task, and attempt to build strong relationships with their customers.

OBJECTIVES

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1.: demonstrate an appreciation of contemporary issues in services marketing and discuss implications for services marketing management
2.: demonstrate an understanding of services marketing theories, concepts and practices and apply these to real-world services marketing organisations
3.: discuss the gaps model of service quality and apply the model for addressing service quality gaps in a real-world services marketing organisation
4.: demonstrate effective written communication skills required of a marketing professional and in the correct written format as per guidelines provided in the Communication skills handbook
5.: demonstrate information literacy by accessing relevant information for completing assessment items and correctly reference sources of information using the Harvard referencing style.

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Introduction to services marketing	7.00
2.	Consumer behaviour: customer expectations and perceptions	15.00
3.	Listening to customer requirements	10.00
4.	Service development, design and standards	10.00
5.	Physical evidence and the servicescape	7.00
6.	Employees' and customers' roles in service delivery	10.00
7.	Delivering services through intermediaries	7.00
8.	Managing demand and capacity	7.00
9.	Integrated services marketing communications	7.00
10.	Pricing of services	10.00
11.	Managing customer profitability	10.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Summers, J & Smith, B 2006, Communication skills handbook: how to succeed in written and oral communication, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Queensland.
(revised & updated edition)

Zeithaml, V, Bitner, M & Gremler, D 2009, Services marketing: integrating customer focus across the firm, 5th edn, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston, Massachusetts.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

A list of references are included in the Introductory Book.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessments	40.00
Directed Study	40.00
Private Study	80.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Objectives assessed	Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1	20.00	20.00	31 Aug 2009	1, 2, 4, 5	(see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 2	30.00	30.00	12 Oct 2009	2, 3, 4, 5	(see note 2)
2-HOUR EXAMINATION	50.00	50.00	END S2	2, 3, 4	(see note 3)

NOTES

1.: article reviews
2.: service quality audit report
3.: The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
If you are an international student in Australia, you are advised to attend all classes at your campus. For all other students, there are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
This is a closed examination. Candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Student Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene university regulations. These regulations can be found at <http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm>. Students should also read the Faculty of Business Procedures which can be found at <http://www.usq.edu.au/business/aboutfob.htm>.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

1.	Assignments: (i) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner. (ii) Students must retain a copy of each assignment submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the examiner. (iii) The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. Applications for extensions should be in writing and must include supporting documentary evidence. Extensions are only granted in unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. The examiner shall consider all documentary evidence (including statement from a doctor, employer, counsellor or independent member of the community as appropriate) accompanying an application for extension and decide on the outcome. Length of extensions: Up to one week's extension (five working days) may be granted if a signed statement with supporting documentation is sent with the assignment, proving that an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance caused the delay, for example unusual and unpredictable work or family commitments. If the signed statement and supporting documentation does not show that unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances were present for the days claimed, then the normal reduction in marks for a late assignment of 5% per working day will apply. (iv) Extensions beyond one week are not allowed unless express permission is obtained from the examiner. Extensions beyond one week are only granted in extreme circumstance because model answers may be distributed after this time. If you are likely to require an extension for a longer period than one week, you must contact the examiner for advice. In most cases, you will be required to complete an alternative make-up assignment. However, make-up assignments are only granted if you have passed all other pieces of assessment for the course. Medical extensions: In the case of an application for extension for medical reasons, the documentation should include a statement from a doctor stating: the date the medical condition began or changed; how the condition affected the student's ability to study; when it became apparent that the student could not submit the assignment. As a rule, you will be granted an extension for the number of working days covered on a medical certificate. In the case of a medical extension, you do not need to contact the examiner unless you require an extension of longer than one week. Extensions for family/personal reasons: In the case of an application for extension for family/personal reasons, the documentation should include a statement from a doctor, counsellor or independent member of the community stating: the date the student's personal circumstances began or changed; how the circumstances affected the student's ability to complete the assignment; when it became apparent that the student could not complete the assignment. In the case of an extension for family/personal reasons you must contact the examiner before the due date to discuss the reason for the extension and to negotiate the length of an extension if granted. Extensions for employment-related reasons: In the case of an application for extension for employment-related reasons, the documentation should include a statement from the student's employer stating: the date the student's employment began or the conditions of employment changed; how this prevents the student from completing the assignment. In the case of an extension for employment-related reasons you must contact the examiner before the due date to discuss the reason for the extension and to negotiate the length of an extension if granted.
2.	Text books: Please note that it is the responsibility of the student to acquire a copy of the text book as soon as their enrolment in the course has been confirmed. Extensions will not be granted on the basis of the student not having a copy of the text, if the text is available from the USQ Bookshop.
3.	Referencing in assignments: Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at <http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/default.htm>.
4.	Word count in assignments: Students must put the 'word count' for their assignment on the front page of the assignment. The word count is the number of words in the body of the assignment report and does not include the title, executive summary, list of references or appendices. To grade an assignment a marker does not need to read more words than the word limit of the assignment.
5.	Course weightings: Course weightings of topics should not be interpreted as applying to the number of marks allocated to questions testing those topics in an examination paper.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Computer, e-mail and Internet access: Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at <http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/default.htm>.

This version produced 11 Dec 2009.