module specification

The service sector accounts for a significant proportion of GDP and employment in most developed economies and therefore it becomes essential for students to have an in-depth understanding of the subject of Services Marketing. In this module, students are introduced to a range of services marketing concepts, models, techniques and online activities applicable to service organisations.

The module aims to:
• Provide an understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical application of services marketing in the private and public sectors.
• Provide an understanding of contemporary issues in services marketing.
• Enhance the transferability of students’ knowledge in developing marketing competences across organisational, national and sector boundaries.
• Develop students’ academic writing, communication and interpersonal skills, including oral presentation.

On completion of this module students should develop the following skills:
• Researching and Analysing Data
• Application of Knowledge and Presenting Data
• Critical Thinking and Writing
• Communicating/Presenting – orally and in writing, including inter-cultural communication
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Interpersonal, including collaborating/working with others, cross cultural awareness, having a positive attitude, negotiation and persuasion

• Fundamentals of services marketing management LO2
• Marketing challenges posed by services; powerful forces that influence services marketing LO2
• Creating and delivering the service experience and extended marketing mix for services LO1
• E-services LO2
• Service innovation strategy and process LO2
• Managing new service development (NSD) process and service blueprinting LO1
• Conceptualising and applying the service quality process LO1
• Service failure and recovery LO2
• Managing relationships and building loyalty in service organisations LO1
• Internationalising services LO1

The module will be taught over a 13 week period and consist of a 3-hour workshop each week. Students will come to this module both with a developed body of marketing knowledge and in many cases, well-rounded communication skills and the module therefore seeks to broaden students’ understanding of marketing practices and contextualise their knowledge.

Workshops will focus on key issues, concepts and models of services marketing and their application to real life situations. These sessions will serve to anchor knowledge imparted in the workshops and provide a forum for a better understanding of key topic areas through small group discussions, videos, case study/journal article analysis and presentations; where possible guest lecturers from service organisations shall be incorporated in the teaching.

The use of WebLearn facilities is central to the delivery of the module handbook, case studies, journal articles and student feedback.

1. Critically evaluate appropriate services marketing strategies, plans and activities for an organisation operating within the service sector with relevant data gathering and analysis (LO1).
2. Critically assess and apply relevant marketing concepts/models available to service organisations in order to facilitate decision-making processes (LO2).

The module is assessed by two components:-
• A group presentation and supporting materials on a service sector (40% weighting) presented in class in week 10.
•
• An individual assignment, which will typically include an examination of a case study requiring students to seek, handle and interpret information and to think critically and produce solutions. The work will require the student to communicate effectively by articulating their understanding and ideas on the subject within a defined problem setting (60% weighting). To be handed in by day one of week 15.

Group presentation

The aim of this assessment is to encourage students to examine a sector in the service industry and analyse the service marketing issues affecting one of the organisations in that sector, e.g. Education, Financial services, Leisure, Not for profit/charity, Professional services, Retail, Travel.

The elements that form this assessment include:
• - A definition of a chosen sector by size and competitive structure including a DRETS analysis.
• - Assessment of the opportunities and threats facing the sector using original and coherent analysis based on properly referenced sources.
• - Select ONE of the existing players (major or otherwise) and
a. identify that organisation’s key strategic service marketing issues for the next 5 years, drawing on foregoing analysis.
b. briefly demonstrate the relationship between these issues and some relevant theoretical principles of services marketing, taken from reliable and appropriately referenced sources.

The assessment also enables students to acquire the skills of working with others from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. Students should work in groups of 4-5 for the 15-minute oral presentation. Each presentation will be marked out of 40%. Students are also required to submit their slides on the day of the presentation. It is mandatory for students to submit a group declaration form.

This assessment encourages students to develop and practice the following skills:
Researching and analysing data, application of knowledge and presenting data, communicating/presenting – orally and in writing, including inter-cultural communication, problem solving and decision making, interpersonal, including collaborating/working with others, cross cultural awareness, having a positive attitude, negotiation and persuasion.

Individual assignment

Students will be provided with a case study on the marketing practices of a service organisation. The assessment requires students to think critically and decide what are the key issues pertaining to the case and how they can best be addressed.
The individual report weighs 60% (3,000-word limit).
Further details on assessments will be included in the module handbook.
This assessment encourages students to develop and practice the following skills:
Researching and analysing data, application of knowledge and presenting data, critical thinking and writing, problem solving and decision making.

Textbooks:

Core Text:
Lovelock, C. and Wirtz, J. (2016) Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy, Global Edition, 8th Edition, World Scientific Publishing.

Other Texts:
Grönroos, C. (2015) Service Management and Marketing: Managing the Service Profit Logic, 4th Edition, John Wiley and Sons.

Lovelock, C. and Wirtz, J. (2018) Essentials of Services Marketing, 3rd Edition, Pearson.

Palmer, A. (2014) Principles of Services Marketing, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hill.

Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D. (2017) Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hill.

Journals:
Journal of Services Marketing
Journal of Marketing
International Marketing Review
Journal of Services Research
Journal of Marketing Communications
Marketing Intelligence and Planning
Academy of Marketing Science Journal
Managing Service Quality
International Journal of Service Industry Management
Journal of Financial Services Marketing
Services Marketing Quarterly
Journal of Voluntary and Non Profit Marketing
European Journal of Marketing
Harvard Business Review

Websites:
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
http://www.cim.co.uk

Electronic Databases:
Mintel, Market Intelligence, Keynote.

Other:
Financial Times, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Marketing Week, Business Week.