MMM185: Marketing Project

Module code: MMM185

Module provider: Marketing and Reputation; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2 / Summer

Module convenor: Professor Nada Kakabadse, email: n.kakabadse@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Applied research to a real-life marketing situation or problem which involves an extended, independent investigation, undertaken individually by students, leading to a report and recommendations pertaining to a company in relation to a contemporary issue in the Marketing discipline, is the output. The purpose is to enable students to produce original practice based relevant research aligned to the MSc Marketing pathway in which they are enrolled.

This module enables students to conduct original practice based relevant research within the marketing discipline (digital, international, sustainability), at master’s level, and submit a report of further findings. This module focuses on offering to students the possibility to critically analyse environments and situations with interest for marketing strategies, evaluating actual contexts, integrating them in theoretical frameworks, and proposing possible new practical approaches.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that the student will be able to: 

1. Produce a project proposal outlining a research project suitable for Master’s level.
2. Demonstrate the ability to present ideas and line of thought in a well-structured and convincing manner;
3. Demonstrate the ability to interpret, conceptualise and critically evaluate reliable sources of information, and to relate it to practice as appropriate;
4. Demonstrate ability to plan and work independently, effectively evaluate the marketing strategic project relevant to the given practical context;
5. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize information and findings;
6. Organise and present information clearly, succinctly and in the required format. 
7. Demonstrate ability to apply relevant concepts/techniques/frameworks from taught modules to a real business problem.
8. Demonstrate ability to scope an independent study in chosen marketing area, stating clear objectives and marketing problems to be investigated, ensuring that the project addresses these problems and gives recommendations in the respective subject area(s); Students will also enhance their project management and time management skills.

Module content

Students are exposed to a number of research topics in this module as well as market research. topics and skills which include: 

• Selecting and developing project topic 
• Project Proposal 
• Project Structure
• Relationship with Supervisor
• The role and application of theory in marketing research
• Strength and limitation of qualitative and quantitative data sources
• Data analysis and writing-up research findings

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching is comprised of lectures and workshops. Students are also provided with one-to-one supervision for their research project over the spring and summer terms. Students are encouraged to apply the skills learned during the lectures and workshop to the development of a research project, for which they will produce a project proposal, critical analysis of existing and up to date literature relevant to a chosen project topic and a 8,000-word project report. Students are expected to read the references provided in the module and to undertake research on their own. They are also expected to actively participate in the lectures and workshops. Learning will largely be student-centred and the responsibility of the student to participate.

Study hours

At least 17 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students are required to provide drafts of the main sections of the research project and then the final draft. They are provided with feedback on all written work which allows them to improve their final draft when submitted in the summer.

Reassessment

Additional costs