Assignments
On this course, you have three types of assignments:
1. Individual assignments --> 3 x 3-2-1 quizzes (15% each, 45% of the final grade)
2. A group project --> (55% of the final grade)
On this page you'll find instructions for each.
3-2-1 quizzes
- Three things you have learned that week (these three thing must reflect the three lectures and the three readings assigned)
- Two questions for clarification/discussion
- One piece of feedback regarding the lectures and/or readings that week
Group project
(55% of the final grade)
Overview
During the course, you will be working on developing consumer-research idea with practical and/or policy implications for a for-profit or not-for-profit organization (see details below), pitching your idea, formulating a detailed research plan, carrying out the research, and writing a full,
theory-based (i.e. academic) research report.
Your group will have two different options for topics:
Option 1: A real world marketing problem
For this option, you will have to find a company to work with - it can be whichever company you choose, as long as you have an access to a person that is in a position to buy marketing research. You will assume the role of research consultants.
- Together with the company representative, you will identify an actual marketing problem that can be solved through consumer research.
- Conduct any necessary desk research (library and firm-related research), and report the findings.
- Write a detailed research plan
For this option, you will complete a comprehensive analysis of a
specific consumer phenomenon that relates to social problems.
- Obesity and lack of exercise
- Body shame
- Food; food insecurity/GMOs/food waste
- Consumer education (children/youth)
- Consumer safety (unsafe products)
- Psychological and social well-being (quality of life, maternity/paternity leave)
- Vulnerable groups (poor, elderly, illiterate, etc.)
- Gun ownership
- Compulsive consumer behaviors (substance abuse, gambling, shoppaholism, gaming addictions etc.)
This list is in no means a comprehensive of all the possible topic areas.
- Write
a detailed report on the social problem at hand. Include statistics and other relevant background info. You aim is to convince the grant committees that this is an important social issue to study.
- Write a comprehensive research proposal related to this topic - a concrete empirical study with a specific method(s) of your choice, that would increase policymakers' knowledge of your topic.
- Detail the kind of social and policy implications the findings could potentially have. Again, you are applying for funding, so emphasize the social importance of the study.
Deliverables
The group project has four deliverables, due in this order:
1. Pitch (and presentation slides) (5% of the final grade)
A maximum 5 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes a Q&A where the instructor and fellow classmates probe your initial idea and give suggestions. In this pitch presentation you should:
- Outline the consumer-behavior phenomenon your group has chosen (scale of the phenomenon, market structure, etc. relevant information)
- Convince the importance of the topic for your chosen organization
- Why should they be interested in the topic; why is it relevant to their organization’s operation, agenda, goal, bottom-line etc.?
- What kind of practical, actionable, relevant insights and recommendations your research is going to produce?
- Provide you initial idea on how you would carry out the research in practice
- Elaborate on your research design in as much detail as possible (what data, how much, how will be collected, how it will be analyzed, timing of the project etc.)
- Include expected findings and managerial relevance
The deliverable is your presentation slides.
3. Research findings presentation (15% of the final grade)
In the presentation you will go over your analysis and findings, as well as the practical implications of your findings (i.e. how can the organization utilize findings in their operation.)
The deliverable is your presentation slides.
4. A full research report (25% of the final grade)
Standard length is 13-15 pages, double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point font,
Times New Roman, not including references and other appendices.
(However, some papers may go longer if needed,see specifics per each
topic. In the table below, there is the expected the flow of the final report and page expectations.
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Section
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FINAL PROJECT OUTLINE
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Approximate page length + grade worth
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Title Page
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Table of Contents
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Introduction
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Literature Review
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Research design and methods
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Your findings and managerial relevance
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References (compulsory) and appendices as needed
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Reporting skills |
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Total pages
Total points
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13-19 pages
25 |