Syllabus

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes for this course, upon successful completion, include the ability to: 1) understand distinctions between business marketing and consumer marketing, 2) comprehend the theoretical and practical knowledge of understanding business buyers, purchasing practices, and buyer-seller relationships in organizational and cultural contexts, 3) apply general marketing principles and systems to business marketing, and 4) identify and assess solutions to business marketing problems.

Credits: 6

Schedule: 24.07.2023 - 11.08.2023

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Sanjit Sengupta

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

Email: sanjit.sengupta@gmail.com Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 1-2 PM

Sanjit Sengupta (Ph.D. 1990, University of California, Berkeley) is Professor of Marketing at San Francisco State University. He teaches courses in Strategic Marketing, High-Tech Marketing, and Business-to-Business Marketing. Prior to joining San Francisco State in Fall 1996, Dr. Sengupta was an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he received two teaching awards. He has taught in many executive development programs in the USA, Finland and South Korea. His research interests include new product development and technological innovation, strategic alliances, sales management, and international marketing. His research has won a few awards and been published in many journals including Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Product Innovation Management. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Sengupta worked in sales and marketing for Hindustan Computers Limited and CMC Limited in Mumbai, India.

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  An examination of the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies for non-consumer products and services. Encompasses marketing practices that enable a supplier firm to understand, create, and deliver value to other businesses and to capture some of that value for their own organization.

Assessment Methods and Criteria

• applies in this implementation

  Grading
  Course Requirements	Points
  Class Participation	100
  3 individual written case memos (100 points each)	300
  3 Group case presentations (66.67 points each)	200
  Mid-term Exam	200
  Final Exam	200
  Total	1000

  Each exam will be evaluated out of 100 points, then doubled to reflect the above maximum 200 points. Feedback on class participation, each written case memo, and each group presentation will be provided on a scale of 1-5 which will be converted into 100 points using the scale below. Each group presentation score out of 100 will be multiplied by 0.6667 to reflect the maximum 66.67 points for each presentation. Rubric for assessment of Case Memos and Presentations is provided in the Course Materials folder.
  

  Grade	Conversion scale (100 points)
  5	95
  4	85
  3	75
  2	65
  1	55
  0	45

  
  

  Individual Written Case Memo   For the three cases due on July 31, August 7, and August 10, each student will write and submit a two-page memo using the MyCourses platform. The memo should be written according to BScBA style guide.    The case memos should have 3 sections: problem definition (from the point of view of the protagonist), analyses (strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions) and recommendations to solve the defined problem. A recommendation could be one of the alternative solutions you have discussed or a combination and address how the solution may be implemented. Think of yourself in the role of a staff member or consultant advising the protagonist when you write the memo. These should be uploaded in MyCourses by 8:45 AM on the date of the next scheduled class. Please read the note, Introduction to the Case Method, carefully in the next section.   Introduction to the Case Method[1]   The case method of instruction has been used successfully to train students and managers since the early part of the last century. The goal is to develop an ability to reason effectively when dealing with specific problems. Appropriate use of theory and acquisition of procedural skills are also important goals. You may be familiar with case method of learning from earlier classes but it might be worth our time to emphasize some important aspects. The two main components of the case method of instruction are the case and the students.   The Case   A case is a written account of an actual situation that raises problems that the protagonist (usually a manager) in the situation must solve. The case contains background information on the objective of the activity, its size and location, and the people and institutions involved. Within this context, the case relates a series of events and issues that confront the protagonist. The problem may not be defined clearly. An important part of a general management education is to develop an ability to determine what the problem is as well as the best course of action for its solution.   The aim of a case is to present facts that were known or available to the case protagonist and which formed the basis for his or her analysis and decision. The decision is typically not described in the case; rather the development of decisive courses of action is left to the student. If a decision is indicated in the case, the Mini-Case Discussion often focuses upon an analysis of the validity of the decision.   A case may be only one or two pages in length, or it may run to 20 pages or more. It may contain organization charts, excerpts from surveys, statistical analyses, and other supplementary data. In relating events leading to the administrative difficulties, the case may impart substantive information about techniques, procedures, systems, organization structure, environmental conditions and other facts. Since a case is an account of an actual experience and since all experiences are unique, at least in terms of some of their details, it is important that the case be concerned with major issues that underlie executive action, such as strategic planning, product line management or product development.   The Students   A case is read by students prior to its discussion in class. The facts of the case are appraised in the discussion. Participants in the discussion not only suggest the course of action they would recommend but defend their analysis and course of action. Although the discussion of many cases may lead to a decision accepted by a majority of the class members, the discussion is not necessarily intended to culminate in any one approved solution; there is no one correct answer.   In preparing the case, the student does more than analyze the specific problem involved. Typically, the student will relate the case problem to problems he has encountered in his or her own experience. The student's view of the case may be prejudiced by their experience. Thus, in the discussion, the individual participant may find that the opinions of other members in the class differ sharply from their own. An individual may learn, through the comments of others, that she has overlooked certain salient points. Another may find that he has weighed one factor more heavily than other members have. This interaction of presenting and defending conflicting points of view causes individual members to reconsider the views they had of the case before the discussion commenced. It leads to a clearer perception of the problems, a recognition of the many and often conflicting interpretations of facts and events, and a greater awareness of the complexities within which management decisions are reached.

   

  
  

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  [1] Bernhardt, Kenneth L. and Thomas C. Kinnear (1991), Cases In Marketing Management, 5th edition, Boston, MA: Irwin. Adapted from writings by Schrieber, Hunt, McNair, Newman, Planty, Smithet al.

  
  
  

Workload

• applies in this implementation

  This course is a 6 ECTS unit course, following the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) guidelines of Aalto University School of Business. The number of hours the average student is expected to work in the course is 160 (including in-class and out-of-class work).   Types of Hours Number of Hours Contact hours (on- and off-campus): 45 Out-of-class hours:   115 Work with course materials, eg required reading  95 Exam preparation  10 Individual research & writing  10 Team projects (meetings, research, preparation, etc.)    Other ()          Total of all student workload hours   160

  
  

DETAILS

Study Material

• applies in this implementation

  Textbook Business-to-Business Marketing, FIFTH EDITION, by Ross Brennan, Louise Canning, Raymond McDowell, Sage Publications, 2020. Cases may be downloaded from the Course Materials folder in mycourses.aalto.fi Baobab Clean Technologies HubSpot and Motion AI Johnson Controls International PLC: Managing Strategic Accounts PowerPoint slides may be downloaded from the Course Materials folder in mycourses.aalto.fi Mini-Cases are in the textbook chapters. They may also be downloaded from the Course Materials folder on mycoses.aalto.fi

  
  

Substitutes for Courses

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Substitutes for Courses

Prerequisites

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Prerequisites

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Teaching Language : English

  Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Module 15
  2023-2024 Module 15

  Enrollment :

  The course is targeted only for the Mikkeli Campus students.

• applies in this implementation

  ACADEMIC POLICY STATEMENTS.  

   

  CODES OF CONDUCT

  Academic excellence and high achievement levels are only possible in an environment where the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity are maintained. Students are expected to abide by the Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity, other relevant codes and regulations, as well as the canons of ethical conduct within the disciplines of business and management education.    In addition, the BScBA Program has strict exam regulations in force which must be followed in all test-taking situations.

   

  TEXTBOOK POLICY

  All required textbooks and other course materials are the responsibility of the student.  It is the expectation of faculty that all students will have access to the textbooks and other reading material. If a student is not able to purchase his/her own copy of the textbook or other required reading materials, it is nonetheless the student’s responsibility to find a way to complete the reading for the course.

   

   

   

  CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (2021 -2022 Pilot)

  Class attendance and participation are considered integral parts of teaching and learning at the BScBA program in Mikkeli. Therefore, regular class attendance is required of all students and attendance records are kept for each class. Students are also expected to be in class on time.    If the student participates in the final exam/assessment, it will be graded and counted towards the final grade.   The attendance policy of the BScBA program provides that:   A maximum of three absences of any kind is allowed for a 3-week, 6-credit course. Four or more absences will result in being dropped from the course.  Whenever taking an absence, the student bears the risk of missing class, and the consequences, which may include a lower participation grade, missing a graded activity, etc. It is up to the course instructor to decide whether or not a graded activity can be completed later.  An absence on the first day of the course will result in 5 points (on a 100-point scale) being deducted from the student’s final raw score before converting it to the final grade. If a student is absent on the first day due to illness, and provides the Manager of Academic Operations with a medical certificate, the 5-point deduction will be waived. The Manager of Academic Operations will then inform the instructor of the waived deduction. A student getting to class after the session has started will not be able to enter the classroom until the first break and will get an absence for the day. It is expected that students marked present for the day are in class the entire time. Students leaving class early may be marked absent. The instructor may include class participation as a component of the grade; up to 15% of the total points that can be earned toward the final grade. The instructor may identify up to three days of the course (in addition to the first day) as mandatory, ie taking an absence on those days would have a direct impact on the course grade.     The instructor for the course will take attendance in classes. The decision to drop a student from a course will be made by the instructor, who will inform Mari Syväoja, Manager of Academic Operations: mari.syvaoja@aalto.fi.    Addition to the attendance policy of the BScBA Program, Mikkeli Campus  [piloted during spring modules 9-12]    This addition concerns absences in addition to the normal maximum of three that would fall under a category called Medical and Family Emergency cases.  Students who want to use this option to complete a course must fulfil these criteria: The total absences of the student will exceed the normally allowed three absences due to a major medical problem or family emergency.  The student will be absent no more than 5 days; exceeding that number of days will result in dropping the course. Documentation or a detailed explanation concerning the entire period of the emergency (such as a medical certificate) is provided to the Manager of Academic Operations. The case-by-case solution will be coordinated by the Manager of Academic Operations, who will deal with the documentation and discuss with the instructor to find a pedagogical solution enabling the student to continue in the course. In case the MAO is on leave, the student should contact the other study office staff. The solution must not cause a significant increase in the instructor’s workload. The grading elements for the course may be reviewed, and additional assignments may be arranged if feasible. However, a shifting of grading proportions may occur. The course grade might be affected due to the student missing some in-class activities. This addition to the attendance policy intended for exceptional cases will be piloted in spring 2023 (modules 9-12), then evaluated through the Student Quality Committee and in consultation with faculty teaching in modules 9-12.

   

  
  

Details on the schedule

• applies in this implementation

  Course Schedule
  Session # and Date	Topic/s	Assignment/s
  Session 1: Monday, July 24, 9:00-12:00	Introduction to the Course and Participants
  Session 2: Tuesday, July 25, 9:00-12:00	Business-to-Business Markets and Marketing Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Snapshot 1.1 Air Products   Marketing Buyer Behavior Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 2.1 Broken Glass	Read textbook Chapter 1 including B2B Snapshot 1.1 Air Products        Read textbook Chapter 2 including B2B Scenario 2.1 Broken Glass
  Session 3: Wednesday, July 26, 9:00-12:00	Inter-Firm Relationships and Networks Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 3.1 Dealing with Power Asymmetry   Responsible Business to Business Strategy Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 4.1 A Trip to Varishta	Read textbook Chapter 3 including B2B Scenario 3.1 Dealing with Power Asymmetry             Read textbook Chapter 4 including B2B Scenario 4.1 A Trip to Varishta
  Session 4: Thursday, July 27, 9:00-12:00	Researching Business to Business Markets Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 5.1 What Should Dan Mcintosh Do Next?   Business market segmentation Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Snapshot 6.2 The Devil Is In The Detail	Read textbook Chapter 5 including B2B Scenario 5.1 What Should Dan Mcintosh Do Next?             Read textbook Chapter 6 including B2B Snapshot 6.2 The Devil Is In The Detail
  Session 5: Friday, July 28, 9:00-12:00	Prepare memo on Baobab Clean Technologies case	Read case, Baobab Clean Technologies
  Session 6: Monday, July 31, 9:00-12:00	Group Presentations: Baobab Clean Technologies Case   Market communication	Upload Baobab Clean Technologies memo to the course webpage before 8:45 AM     Read textbook Chapter 7
  Session 7 (Mandatory): Tuesday, August 1, 9:00-12:00	Mid-Term Exam, 90 minutes (short essay questions testing knowledge and application of concepts covered in Chapters 1-6)   Relationship communication Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Snapshot 8.3 Up Close and Personal	Read textbook Chapter 8 including B2B Snapshot 8.3 Up Close and Personal
  Session 8: Wednesday, August 2, 9:00-12:00	Relationship Portfolios and Key Account Management   Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 9.1 Barbara Learns About Customer Portfolio Analysis	Read textbook Chapter 9 including B2B Scenario 9.1 Barbara Learns About Customer Portfolio Analysis
  Session 9: Thursday, August 3, 9:00-12:00	Guest Speaker: Petteri Jalonen, Growth Marketing at Matchmade (to be confirmed)
  Session 10: Friday, August 4, 9:00-12:00	Prepare case memo  on HubSpot and Motion AI case	Read case, HubSpot and Motion AI
  Session 11: Monday, August 7, 9:00-12:00	Group Presentations: HubSpot and Motion AI Case   Managing product offerings	Upload HubSpot and Motion AI memo to the course webpage before 8:45 AM       Read textbook Chapter 10
  Session 12: Tuesday, August 8, 9:00-12:00	Routes to market   Mini-Case Discussion: B2B Scenario 11.1 Hungry Caterpillar	Read textbook Chapter 11 including B2B Scenario 11.1 Hungry Caterpillar
  Session 13: Wednesday, August 9, 9:00-12:00	Prepare case memo on Johnson’s Controls case	Read case, Johnson’s Controls
  Session 14: Thursday, August 10, 9:00-12:00	Group Presentations: HubSpot and Motion AI Case   Price Setting in Business to Business Markets	Upload Johnson Control’s memo to the course webpage before 8:45 AM       Read textbook Chapter 12
  Session 15 (Mandatory): Friday, August 11, 9:00-12:00	Review   Final Exam, 90 minutes (short essay questions testing knowledge and application of concepts covered in Chapters 7-12)

  
  

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