Teaching consists of three hours per week. It is vital that you attend the lectures and seminars. The module has thus been designed to use a variety of teaching methods that should help students to study the various aspects of international management. To achieve the above aims of the module the pattern of study will be as follows:

1. Lectures/Discussions

Lectures account for only 48 of hours of your time (32 lectures and 16 practice) and the majority of your time will be spent in private study. A large proportion of this time will be used up doing the reading for each lecture the relevant chapters have been identified. In addition to this essential reading you are encouraged to read outside the core text. For this reason a list of supplementary texts and journals have been highlighted. To help guide you in your reading a number of recommended papers have been listed.

In each week of the module, there will be formal lectures and case study discussions. You will be expected to come to class having completed the essential readings for the session and be prepared to discuss issues arising. You are encouraged to fully participate in class sessions, and to contribute to class discussions and debates.

The basic premise is that individual and group learning are enhanced through the process and practice of discussion d debates in the classroom. Hence, each and every participant in the module can influence and contribute to the others’ learning through high quality engagement and participation in-class (in addition to the group-centred learning activities outside of class). By doing so, you facilitate your own learning and achieve a more fulfilling and rewarding experience for all concerned.

Mutual exchange and sharing of views or ideas can help participants cultivate and improve their problem-solving skills. To a great extent, the benefit students reap from the module is a function of their preparedness and willingness to expose their opinions and viewpoints to the critical judgment of their counterparts. I fully appreciate that the latter expectations may pose more of a challenge to some than other participants due to a variety of reasons, ranging from language and culture to individual learning style. Please feel free to contact me should you face any difficulty or barriers to engagement or participation.

2. Case Studies

Seminar activities aimed at consolidating your reading as per the direction of your tutor. It is essential you prepare for them. The seminar is not a mini-lecture- the tasks are aimed at provoking a discussion with ad amongst you. This is why the numbers in the seminar have been kept to a minimum. Don’t expect the lecturer to fill in the silence. Seminars enable the individual student to ask questions and discuss the subject matter introduced in lectures. These are underpinned by several international management case studies. Case studies are designed to illustrate the application of concepts introduced in the lectures. Prior reading and analysis of the case under discussion is essential if you are to benefit from the case studies. The case studies will be discussion tutor-led seminars during the module. The case studies have been selected to present real-life problems in a wide range of marketing situations, including a variety of country and industry settings. The aim of the case study sessions is to facilitate the development of skills in analysing diverse marketing situations, diagnosing the critical problems and formulating strategic and tactical marketing plans through selective application of module-taught concepts and analytical tools.

You are expected to read and prepare each case thoroughly and come to class ready and willing to contribute to the discussions. There is rarely a “right” answer to a case, although weak answers are often the result of inadequate analyses and problem diagnosis. The key goal is to learn from the problems in the case. How much you learn from each case depends on how carefully you have read and how well you have analysed it.

The case studies will be provided at the start of the module. You will work i syndicate groups of 6-8 members, to analyse the case studies. Over the duration of the module, it is likely that you will be required to present your groups’ solutions to at least one case study to the rest of the class.

In addition, we will adopt a Peer Review approach to learning. This how it works. Groups will be asked to analyse the case studies. Then a case discussion will be held where syndicate groups will be asked to present verbally their case analysis using visual aids as appropriate. The remainder of the class will be asked to critique that analysis. A proforma will also be used for Peer Review of the syndicate group presentations. There will then be a general discussion of the case and the learning points that arise. Please bear in mind that the group-base exercises encourage team effort and help you to build interpersonal and organisational skills. In addition, in the seminars, presentations are designed to build your presentation and communications skills. The Peer Review  motivates individual- and group- centred learning, while providing a further vehicle for honing critical, analytical as well as, presentational skills. Importantly, the selected case-studies are typical of the case-study that will b used in the examination paper. The aim is to familiarise you with action format and the depth and breadth of analysis expected by the examiner.

3. Individual Reading and Study

Directed reading: Readings to supplement lectures and give a wider perspective on marketing issues are suggested for each topic of the module. Essential Readings are primarily taken from the set textbooks, but may also include published articles. Published articles are available via the library. Background chapters are taken from the set textbooks to supplement the essential readings and for completeness. They are not essential (compulsory) reading, but will provide a more rounded reading package and should be read, if possible. Further readings (non-essential) are suggested for those with the time, interest and access to them. These include materials that reflect contemporary research addressing topical marketing challenges, opportunities and problems.

The selection of readings cover the ground for a core marketing module, combining academic and managerial articles as well as scholarly pieces drawn from recommended texts. There also comprises a range of more recent published works as well as ‘classic’ and older pieces, which, together, will provide deeper insights into evolving debates and contemporary developments in the field.

Relevant magazines and journals are also recommended, most of which e available through the university library service or the university’s inter-library loan system. If you cannot get access to these do not worry - but the wider your reading on the subject the better!

Self-study and class preparation: In this module, you are expected to take full advantage of the number of hours that have been designated to self-study, directed reading, individual class preparation and both individual- and group- based case study preparation. Your ability to benefit from the module also will depend on your commitment to undertaking prescribed (essential) and, where relevant and feasible, recommended, learning activities. You are responsible for driving, planning and securing individual-level learning, and translating this into rewarding learning outcomes. If you do not put in the work, you will gain little knowledge as you emerge from the module. Let us hope you will invest the time expend the energy to activate and facilitate your learning; enjoy the process; and maximise the returns on your learning effort.

Learn, however, calls for more than mere reading, listening, discussing and debating. You are strongly encouraged to allow time to pause for thought and to reflect on key concepts, theories and techniques, as you come to familiarise yourself with the fundamentals and toolkit of marketing. You should try to critique learned materials and to consider how to select, adapt and interpret concepts, theories and tools to wide ranging marketing situations.

Core text book:

Gary Armstrong, Philip Kotler (2017). Marketing, twelfth edition. Publisher: Pearson Education.

Further Recommended Textbooks:

1. Hooley, G.J., Piercy, N.F. & Nicoulaud, B. (2011). Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, 5 th edition. FT Prentice Hall International/Pearson.

2. Aaker, D. (2007). Strategic Market Management, 8th ed. Wiley. 

The following assessment strategies are used within this module:

1. Periodical Test

There are 2 periodical tests (include a mid-term test) in this semester, please check the following table for detail.

2. Group work

Students should be divided into 6 groups and 4-5 members for each. A case or some requirements will be issued for each topic and you have 1 week’s time to prepare your creative thinking and wonderful views of each topic. You should formulate your ideas into a 6mins talk with some appropriate slides. Please check the following table for detail.

3. Final Test

The final test will take place in the end of this semester.

Then, your final mark (M) of this course will be:

M = average mark of group work *30% + homework * 5% + mid-term test * 15% + final test * 50%