Service Marketing, Marketing Ethics and Sustainability C 15 credits

About the course

This course is intended for students who wish to increase their theoretical and practical knowledge and stimulate their critical thinking skills concerning service marketing, marketing ethics and sustainability issues. The course consists of two modules, which are further described below:

Module 1.  Service Marketing, 7.5 credits/Tjänstemarknadsföring, 7,5 hp
Module 2. Marketing Ethics and Sustainability, 7.5 credits/Marknadsföringsetik och hållbarhet, 7,5 hp

Common expected learning outcome:

• communicate central concepts for the course in English, both orally and in writing

The course is given an examined in English.    

Module 1. Service Marketing, 7.5 credits
How a value proposition is experienced is closely linked to perceptions of the supplier, to marketing in general and to issues of ethics regarding how the organization looks at customers and other stakeholders. The module broadens the view of marketing and provides an understanding of how the service-dominant logic can be applied in organizations in local, national or international markets.
 
Expected learning outcomes
After completing this module, the student should be able to:

• Analyze the theory and practice of the service-dominant logic in relation to organizations' value proposition.
• Distinguish and review the roles of employees, customers, and technology in the design and in the co-creation of services.
• Explore and analyze value propositions from the customer's, the management's and the society's perspective, and critically examine ethical and sustainable aspects related to relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and argue for, and make decisions about actions for how to handle critical events between an organization and a customer.

Focus of instruction
Learning activities include lectures, guest lectures, class discussions, prepared seminars and group work. Lectures introduce certain topics and guide the students to further readings and literature searches. Based on this form of instruction students are expected to be able to apply service management work-skills regarding planning, evaluating, team-working, meeting deadlines, information finding, report writing and using information technology. It is also vital for the knowledge generation of this module that students actively search, find, assess and critically discuss scientific journal articles covering both traditional service marketing research and contemporary issues. Learning activities and assignments are designed to also improve students' generic skills, specifically oral and written communication, presentation techniques, information searches and teamwork.

Examination modes
Examination is based on an individual written hall exam and written individual and group assignments. A passing grade is required for each part of the examination. Material from guest lectures  may be used in the examination.  The course is given and examined in English. Note as well examination modes for the course below.

Module 2. Marketing Ethics and Sustainability, 7.5 credits
For companies today, ethical behaviour and environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important. In spite of this, many business and marketing decisions are made without considering their environmental, social and ethical implications. This module is designed to increase awareness and provide tools for analyzing ethics, beliefs and attitudes related to marketing, and how they relate to issues of sustainability. It pays special attention to the manner in which organizations can become agents of unsustainability and injustice in society, and conversely, how these organizations can be transformed by stakeholders, such as consumers and owners, and by institutional reforms. During the module sustainability will be analysed at the institutional level, focusing on the socially and structurally embedded nature of corporate actions in general and marketing issues in particular.

Expected learning outcomes
After completing this module, the student should be able to:

• Compare and critically reflect upon classical normative ethical theories and contemporary concepts related to marketing ethics and sustainability.
• Identify and critically discuss sustainability challenges facing planet Earth, future businesses and marketing endeavors.
• Identify and describe marketing ethics and sustainability issues and dilemmas with positive and negative implications for different stakeholders.
• Critically reflect upon the consequences of different marketing methods and apply a marketing ethics and sustainability perspective on organizational activities.
• Assess the impact of corporate and consumer decisions on human life, society, and the natural environment, locally, nationally and internationally.
• Propose solutions to marketing challenges with ethical and sustainability implications relevant for marketing management and analyze the relevance and trustworthiness of used sources.

Focus of instruction
The module is intended to let students encounter, problematize, critically reflect upon, and solve marketing ethics and sustainability issues. Focus of instruction include small group seminars, individual self-reflective writing, case solving in groups, lectures and in-class discussions. The role of lectures is mainly to introduce certain topics and guide students to further reading and literature as well as online resources. Students are required to analyze and discuss scientific journal articles as well as solve real world cases with leadership implications.

Examination modes
Examination is based on an individual written hall exam and written individual and group assignments. A passing grade is required for each part of the examination. The course is given an examined in English. Note as well examination modes for the course below.