THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Business Studies

Postgraduate Course: Marketing of Services (BUST11225)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThe Marketing of Services course is designed for those who are keen to recognise the crucial role that services play in the national and global economy. This course aims to advance students' knowledge of services marketing and to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of services. Further, this course will help students understand how service managers can achieve competitive advantage through marketing of services and implementing marketing theory in practice.
Course description The Marketing of Services course is designed to broaden students' view of marketing, provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of services and the challenges associated with designing, distributing, promoting and pricing of services. This understanding will be achieved by introducing, discussing, and analysing several topics important to service firms to ensure the achievement of customer satisfaction, loyalty and long-term success of service organization through the delivery of excellent service. Therefore, strategies used by successful services marketers to deal with issues such as service failure, inconsistent service quality, managing customer expectations, service innovation and loyalty will be discussed.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Course Start Date 15/01/2018
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 150 ( Lecture Hours 20, Summative Assessment Hours 30, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 97 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) The assessment methods for the course and the contribution of each towards the final mark are as follows: Group presentation 30% and Exam 70%.
Feedback Feedback on formative assessed work will be provided within 15 working days of submission, or in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course, whichever is sooner. Students will also gain feedback on their understanding of the material when they ask questions in Lectures and participate in group discussions.

-Essays will be assessed on the basis of knowledge, understanding, and critical assessment of the essay topic. First class essays will demonstrate the ability to draw on both relevant lecture material and the student¿s own bibliography to put together a balanced argument that displays an excellent knowledge of relevant issues, a clear understanding of the debate, and that uses supporting relevant references in order to critique ideas and/or provide recommendations. Students are also required to provide a complete and properly referenced references list using Harvard Referencing Style.
-Innovative group presentations and evidence of teamwork will be rewarded.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Marketing of Services2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of key issues involved in services marketing, such as, the distinctive characteristics of services, the key differences between manufacturing and service firms, service quality, customer satisfaction and services loyalty. Students will also develop an insight into the nature and importance of service sectors to economies at national and international levels and an understanding of the "state of the art" service management thinking.
  2. Appreciate the role of employees (and often customers) in service delivery, explain the main challenges involved in the marketing of services and learn how to manage issues related to service failure and recovery.
  3. This course will allow students to understand the nature of the Services Marketing Mix (7Ps), how it expands upon the traditional Marketing Mix (4Ps) and how it is applied in service and manufacturing firms to achieve a competitive advantage.
  4. Reflect on key concepts in the marketing of services and apply them to real life business contexts by developing effective marketing programmes within service firms to achieve competitive advantage. Students will utilise appropriate set of analytical frameworks, concepts and tools for critical thinking about service and service related activities.
  5. Use a variety of information sources, including but not limited to, online information, teaching materials and academic journals. Students will develop further their graduate skills in terms of effective communication, excellent problem solving, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.
Reading List
Recommended Text:
Lovelock, C. and Wirtz, J. (2016), Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy, 8th Edition, World Scientific.

A lecture outline, including lecture-specific essential and recommended readings is available as a separate document on the course Learn page.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Special Arrangements None
KeywordsMoS
Contacts
Course organiserDr Dahlia El-Manstrly
Tel: (0131 6)51 5321
Email: Dahlia.El-Manstrly@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Emily Davis
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: Emily.Davis@ed.ac.uk
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