Pre-requisites:

MBA standing, BSAD 305

Goals & Objectives:

Course Description

This course explores decision-making and activities involving business-to-business (i.e., industrial, organizational, institutional, or governmental) transactions. Business-to-business marketing transactions occur when organizations acquire goods and services from (or sell them to) other businesses. Business-to-business activities pertaining to buying, market segmentation, positioning, pricing, communication, physical distribution and customer service, sales management, and other activities are examined within the context of a framework that views business market management as the process of understanding, creating, and delivering value to customers.

Course Content:

Course Requirements

Class participation: The reading assignments are indicated on the syllabus. Since classes will follow a case/discussion format, it is expected that you will have read and thought about each reading assignment prior to class. Your contribution to class discussions will determine a portion of your grade. As part of your participation grade, I may assign you, in advance of class, principal responsibility for discussing a specific case or article. Finally, commenting on and evaluating presentations made by other groups will constitute part of the participation grade.

Mid-term and final exams: There will be two mid-term exams (on the dates indicated) and a final exam (date to be determined). There are no make-up exams for missed mid-term exams.

Team term project (paper and presentation): Each student will belong to a team, and each team will investigate a business-to-business phenomenon or issue. A team may choose to examine either: (a) a specific companys business-to-business marketing problem, or (b) a business-to-business marketing issue confronted by a group of companies or industry. I will make available team sign-up sheets early in the semester. Teams will consist of 6 students each. Each team will need to hand in, no later than January 30, a one-page description of the issue it has selected to examine, and the intended analysis. The description should also include the sources of information that will be utilized to investigate the issue. I will assign each team a presentation date, in one of the time slots between April 1 and April 24. Each team will make an oral presentation of its findings on its assigned presentation date. Each team should distribute a 1-page Executive Summary to all students in the class at the beginning of the presentation, to facilitate communication. As for the presentation itself, the team may use either transparency overheads or make a Powerpoint presentation. Teams are individually responsible for reserving, transporting and setting up all necessary equipment if a Powerpoint presentation is desired. Regardless of the presentation date, all written reports are due April 29, the last class day (of course, reports turned in earlier will be gladly accepted).

A team project should: (a) clearly define the issue or problem at hand, including its importance, (b) contain a thorough analysis of the customer, competitive and organizational environments relevant to the problem or issue, and (c) offer a recommendation for handling the problem or issue. There is no set length expected of the written reports. In my experience, though, most quality papers contain about 20 to 25 pages of text, plus additional pages for graphics (tables, charts, etc.). Be sure to include a cover page with the names of all group members

Books & Materials

Required Materials (available for purchase at University Store)

Anderson, James C., James A. Narus, Business Market Management: Understanding, Creating, and Delivering Value, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.

Packet of Harvard Business cases (shrink-wrapped)

Grading:

Academic Honesty

The principal objective of the policy on academic honesty is to promote an intellectual climate and support the academic integrity of the University of Vermont. Academic dishonesty or an offense against academic honesty includes acts that may subvert or compromise the integrity of the educational process. Such acts are serious offenses that insult the integrity of the entire academic community.

Offenses against academic honesty are any acts that would have the effect of unfairly promoting or enhancing one's academic standing within the entire community of learners which includes, but is not limited to, the faculty and students of the University of Vermont. Academic dishonesty includes knowingly permitting or assisting any person in the committing of an act of academic dishonesty.

The policy distinguishes between minor and major offenses. Offenses purely technical in nature or in which the instructor does not perceive intent to achieve advantage are deemed minor and handled by the instructor. Major offenses are those in which intent to achieve academic advantages is perceived. A full statement of the policy can be found in the Cat's Tale. Each student is responsible for knowing and observing this policy.

Classroom Code of Conduct

Faculty and students will at all times conduct themselves in a manner that serves to maintain, promote, and enhance the high quality academic environment befitting the University of Vermont. To this end, it is expected that all members of the learning community will adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Faculty and students will attend all regularly scheduled classes, except for those occasions warranting an excused absence under the policy detailed in the catalogue (e.g., religious, athletic, medical).
2. Students and faculty will arrive prepared for class and on time, and they will remain in class until the class is dismissed.
3. Faculty and students will treat all members of the learning community with respect. Toward this end, they will promote academic discourse and the free exchange of ideas by listening with civil attention to the comments made by all individuals.
4. Students and faculty will maintain an appropriate academic climate by refraining from all actions which disrupt the learning environment (e.g., making noise, ostentatiously not paying attention, and leaving and reentering the classroom inappropriately).
5. Food and drink are not allowed in classrooms.

Instructors will inform students of any special/additional expectations.