ELE 3773 Service Marketing

ELE 3773 Service Marketing

Course code: 
ELE 3773
Department: 
Marketing
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Matilda Dorotic
Course name in Norwegian: 
Service Marketing
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor - Electives
Semester: 
2018 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Today, service companies account for more than 75% of the gross national product in developed countries, employing more than 80% of the labor force. With a rapid development of technology, these numbers will further increase in the near future, making the world “the service economy”. Even goods manufacturing companies increasingly augment their products with services and move into service business. In a competitive environment dominated by service companies in stagnated markets and an increasing focus on customer service, knowledge about service marketing and management becomes a vital prerequisite of success in both the private and public sectors. This means that today’s managers need to have in-depth knowledge about the unique characteristics of services and the challenges these characteristics pose on marketing and management of customer services and service companies. Those challenges are exacerbated through the increased use of social media and internet services which introduce new opportunities and challenges for building relationships between service providers and their customers. This course focuses on practical examples and implementation of service marketing concepts and tools for improving managerial performance of service companies.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

In this course students should acquire knowledge about fundamental theories, methods and concepts within the area of services marketing such as:

  • Understanding of what challenges one faces when marketing and managing services and the consequences of these challenges for the employees, the customers and the management
  • Knowledge about core models and tools that can be applied to handle these challenges when the overall goal is to create a loyal and profitable customer base

This course aims at teaching students to recognize burning strategic issues in a practical example and to apply the acquired knowledge to improve the business performance.

 

Learning outcomes - Skills

Through this course the students should be able to apply services marketing knowledge to solve practical and theoretical problems through an increased ability to:

  • To apply relevant tools and techniques to meet and handle the various challenges and problems of service companies
  • Develop an ability to evaluate, implement and manage effective marketing programs in service companies

We will do this by focusing strongly on the practical issues that companies face, looking at numerous real-life examples and diagnosing problems that companies in our environment face. In this course we aim to collaborate with companies to provide students with opportunities to diagnose relevant issues and propose adequate solutions.

Learning Outcome - Reflection

Through this course the students should be able to communicate information, theories, ideas, problems and solutions from service marketing by an increased focus on ethical problems and corporate social responsibility.

Course content

Throughout the course, students will gain understanding of different aspects of service marketing and requirements for successful management of service businesses. We start with understanding the main concepts of services and build up strategies looking at the most important elements for running a successful service business.

Specifically we address the following topics:

  • Main foundations of service business and service marketing
  • Understanding customer expectations and perceptions
  • Service quality evaluation and management
  • How to design a successful service
  • The role of employees, customers and management in service delivery
  • Service failures and service recovery strategies
  • Impact of technology and social media

.

Learning process and requirements to students

The course will be based on a combination of lectures, discussions, case studies, group and individual work; when possible accompanied by guest lecture(s) by service marketing practitioners. As a part of the learning process students are required to participate in the class discussion by giving their opinions and practical examples and making a presentation of their project(s). 

Students are required to use the learning platform It's Learning and the Internet.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course start.

At re-sit all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

For electives re-sit is normally offered at the next scheduled course. If an elective is discontinued or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, re-sit will be offered in the electives ordinary semester.

Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Some basic knowledge of marketing concepts may be beneficial, but it is not neccessary.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
20
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
30 Minute(s)
Comment: 
Individual assesment (assignment or a quizz/test). (The duration changed in course description 25.01.18)
Exam code: 
ELE37731
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
20
Grouping: 
Group (2 - 3)
Duration: 
2 Week(s)
Comment: 
Group assignment (in a form of a written essey)
Exam code: 
ELE37731
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
60
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Month(s)
Comment: 
Final project (group or individual work)
Exam code: 
ELE37731
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
36 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
45 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
36 Hour(s)
Group work / Assignments
83 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.