University of Technology SydneyHandbook 2008

24706 Services Marketing

Faculty of Business: Marketing
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Postgraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 24734 Marketing Management OR 24746 Marketing: Concepts and Applications
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are also course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Handbook description

This subject enables students to broaden their understanding of marketing by focusing on the marketing of services. Major areas of economic activity such as tourism, banking, transportation and health care services are not significantly considered in traditional marketing, literature and courses that concentrate on product marketing. The case study method allows students to gain a first-hand understanding of service marketing within a wide variety of industries.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

  1. Identify and analyse the various components of the services marketing mix and the unique characteristics of services
  2. Understand and discuss the key issues concerning the managing and measurement of service quality and customer satisfaction
  3. Understand the intertwined role of service personnel and customers with respect to service delivery, service failures and service recovery
  4. Understand the key issues in service organisations of managing supply and demand, relationship management and the interconnectedness of marketing, operations management and human resources management
  5. Understand the services marketing trinity of traditional marketing practice, internal marketing practice and relationship marketing practice
  6. Build important workplace skills (e.g. Cooperation, teamwork, meeting deadlines, report writing) through team projects and cooperative learning activities.

Contribution to graduate profile

Since the dominance of GDP is now service related this subject provides an understanding for the management of service related industries that have unique differences to their product counterpart. Importantly, nowadays competitive advantage is often gained through the service related components of organisations, be they product or service based. This subject provides the framework for understanding how delivery of these services can be achieved to meet the customer's expectations. Given also the role of electronic commerce in the marketplace and the dominance of service industries in this arena, this subject aids in understanding the service role of e-commerce.

Content

  • Examines the unique characteristics of services and how these act as building blocks
  • Understanding and influencing consumer behaviour in the marketplace
  • Developing processes and strategies to manage these differences
  • Recognising the role of the employees and customers in the service production
  • The subject is theoretical and practical in content and approach.

Assessment

Group Project (Group)10%
Groups of students research the nature of 'servicescapes' in service organisations and with reference to the literature analyse a 'real-life' example. They present their analysis and recommendations to the class and lecturer. Each group reports on a different environment. This tests the degree to which students have met objectives 1, 3 and 6.
Group Case Study (Group)20%
Groups of students write a case study about a service company of their choice. The report is accompanied by a written analysis of the situation that uses the case study approach and course concepts. Each group reports on a different service issue. This tests the degree to which students have met objectives 1-6.
Final Exam (Individual)70%
The exam is a combination multiple choice and case study style exam that covers the whole semesters work. Students will be expected to integrate theoretical concepts from lecture material and academic papers as well as practical issues derived from 'in class' presentations and group project work. This tests the degree to which students have met objectives 1-5.

Recommended text(s)

Zeithaml, Valarie A. and Mary Jo Bitner (2003). Services Marketing 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, NYC.

Indicative references

Leenders, Michael R. and James a. Erskine (1989). Case Research: the Case Writing Process ,3rd ed., University of Western Ontario.

Naumes Bill and Peggy Naumes, (2000). The art and craft of case writing. Sage Publications.

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.