24713 Marketing Channel Management

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject develops advanced knowledge and practical competencies to design, develop, maintain and manage effective relationships among worldwide marketing channels to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by using strategic and managerial frames of reference.

Subject objectives/outcomes

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

1. implement practical solutions to complex channel problems
2. apply analytical perspectives and decision tools, which underlie managerial channel decisions
3. work more effectively in teams to develop interpersonal, leadership and communication skills
4. present more effectively in an informal and formal manner the findings of the group work components.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject provides the tools to implement a crucial component of marketing strategies and develops advanced knowledge and practical competencies to design, develop, maintain and manage effective relationships among worldwide marketing channels to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by using strategic and managerial frames of reference.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject is based on dynamic and interactive lecture and workshop sessions. It is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops (ie, tutorials). The lectures involve critical debate and in-depth case deliberations; and the workshops are built around in-class exercises, case discussions and presentations. These classes will be supplemented with both printed and electronic learning materials and resources. The UTS web-based communication tool (UTSOnline Course Information) will be used to share information and encourage interaction between staff and students. Students will also use appropriate computer software such as spreadsheets and word processors to complete assigned tasks.

Content

The subject will address the following topics:

• marketing channel structures and functions
• marketing channel design and service outputs
• marketing channel flows and efficiency analysis
• marketing channel gap analysis
• managing marketing channel conflict and coordination
• strategic alliances and vertical integration in marketing channels

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Marketing channel formal mid semester assessment (individual)

Assessment item 2: Marketing channel project report (group)

Assessment item 3: Marketing channel formal final examination (individual)

Required text(s)

Coughlan, Anne, Erin Anderson, Louis W Stern and Adel El-Ansary (2006), Marketing Channels, 7th edn, Prentice Hall

Indicative references

Bert Rosenbloom (2004), Marketing Channels: A Management View, 7th edn, Cengage

Lilien G, and Rangaswamy A (2004), Marketing Engineering: Computer-Assisted Marketing Analysis and Planning, 2nd edn, Trafford Publishing

Research sources

Students are encouraged to access the UTS Library (www.lib.uts.edu.au) for research. Most of the major academic journals and publications are available at either the City or Kuring-gai campus libraries, although the more popular journals may be in Closed Reserve.

There is an online catalogue for the UTS Libraries plus Interlink access to a number of other University Library Catalogues in NSW and around Australia. Some other libraries have very powerful online access to various articles and publications, but many have very limited access to material. Students should not hesitate to contact the Faculty of Business librarians to help them identify other useful databases.

The best electronic database for business research is ABI/INFORM which is available in the Database section of the Library website. Most of the major business academic journals and publications can be found in ABI/INFORM. However, ABI/INFORM only contains either an article abstract or a full-text version of the article, which often means that you may still have to seek the original article if you need tables, graphs or exhibits that are critical to explain principles covered in the article.

In some cases students may be able to obtain articles that are not in the Libraries by contacting the Faculty of Business Liaison Librarian who may be able to pick them up through the CARL/UNCOVER Service. Some articles that are not in ABI/INFORM may be in the CURRENT CONTENTS database also available in the Database section of the Library website.

A number of marketing journals may not be in these databases but still may be in the Library collections. There are some marketing and business journals produced out of the United Kingdom (MCB University Press) that used to be available through the ANBAR system but are now available online through MCB Intelligence Service. However, you may need to check the website or the libraries directly for availability as this subscription to this service has been intermittent in recent times.

Relevant journals, periodicals and publications that may assist students with research for case studies and other components might include:

• Columbia Journal of World Business
• European Journal of Marketing
• Harvard Business Review
• Sloan Management Review
• International Marketing Review
• International Marketing Journal
• Journal of Marketing
• Journal of Marketing Research
• International Business Week
• Fortune
• The Economist
• AsiaWeek
• Far Eastern Economic Review
• Business Review Weekly
• Australian Financial Review
• The Australian
• The Sydney Morning Herald
• The Melbourne Age

Business channels textbooks may be used in research but should not be the only or major references used.