| Learning objectives |
At the end of the course the student should be
able to:
- Describe the design science research methods (empirical cycle;
regulative/ problem-solving cycle) and explain when and how to use
these research methods.
- Undertake a literature review and distill insights from the
relevant body of knowledge and understand its limitations (i.e.,
gaps).
- Model and diagnose a management issue analytically using
qualitative and quantitative techniques
- Assess the utility of existing artefacts (i.e., values,
concepts, models, design rules, and instantiations) to address a
marketing or sales management issue.
- Design new or improve existing artefacts (i.e., values,
concepts, models, design rules, and instantiations) that can solve
a business, marketing, or sales management issue.
- Describe how to implement and test artefacts (i.e., models,
design rules, and instantiations) and how this will enrich
literature.
- Apply all knowledge in a real-life setting.
|
| Course prerequisites |
| None. However, understanding of marketing,
strategy, and basic analytics is an advantage. |
| Examination |
|
Design Science
for Business, Marketing, and Sales:
|
| Exam
ECTS |
7,5 |
| Examination form |
Oral exam based on written product
In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product
must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The
grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and
the individual oral performance, see also the rules about
examination forms in the programme regulations. |
| Individual or group exam |
Oral group exam based on written group
product |
| Number of people in the group |
2-4 |
| Size of written product |
Max. 10 pages |
|
Definition of number of pages:
Groups of
2 students 5 pages max.
3-4 students 10 pages max
If you are not able to find a group yourself, you have to address
the course coordinator who will place you in a group.
Note that the oral part of the exam is a group exam.
Students who wish to have an individual exam might be able to
write a term paper in the course. Please see the cand.merc. rules
for term papers for more information. |
| Assignment type |
Synopsis |
| Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade,
and informing plus explaining the grade |
| Grading scale |
7-point grading scale |
| Examiner(s) |
Internal examiner and second internal
examiner |
| Exam period |
Winter |
| Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Re-take exam is to be based on the
same report as the ordinary exam:
* if a student is absent from the oral exam due to documented
illness but has handed in the written group product she/he does not
have to submit a new product for the re-take.
* if a whole group fails the oral exam they must hand in a revised
product for the re-take.
* if one student in the group fails the oral exam the course
coordinator chooses whether the student will have the oral exam on
the basis of the same product or if he/she has to hand in a revised
product for the re- take.
|
Description of the exam
procedure
The students will work on a real marketing or sales management
issue and identify problems, diagnose root causes and effects, and
suggest possible
solutions.
|
|
| Course content, structure and pedagogical
approach |
|
Marketing and Sales Management is inherently a Design Science.
Managers need to make decision every day on how to improve the
status quo into a desired end state. This implies that managers
need to address ad hoc and structural challenges and problems on a
daily basis. To ensure that managers maximize the performance of
their decisions, a systematic and scientific approach is needed.
The aim of this course is to provide students with such an
approach: Design Science.
Design science is a pragmatic research approach where scientific
knowledge and methods are utilized to solve practitioner problems
and challenges.
This course aims to introduce students to the design science
approach and prepare them for their final master thesis
project.
By combining theory with analytical tools students will address
practitioner problems in the sales and marketing domain. Thus, the
goal of the course is to develop the skills and knowledge for
conducting a design science project where students are able to (a)
identify and frame a practitioner’s problem or challenge, (b)
diagnose this problem, (c) provide solutions to address the
problem, (d) explain ways to implement and evaluate the suggested
solution, and (e) discuss theoretical implications of their
research.
The course is conducted in collaboration with Magasin
(www.magasin.dk) and as such students will get access to the
Magasin organization for executing weekly assignments.
|
| Description of the teaching methods |
The course uses blended learning: that is, we
combine online material and lectures with in-class discussions and
workshops. Blended learning (the mix of online and offline
platforms) creates a powerful leaning environment for students,
which we intend to use to its fullest potential.
The course consists of online lectures and materials, a running
real-life case, and online/offline case-based and general
discussions. The class is highly interactive both with a
corresponding expectation that students engage in these
interactions.
The written research proposal will be conducted in random groups of
two (or three) students (as one part of the active learning
experience) and can address different research topics within the
area of the cand.merc. program (with an emphasis on commercial
activities). |
| Feedback during the teaching period |
| During tutorial sessions students will get
feedback from peers and the teachers. In an extended
classroom-teaching situation groups can voluntarily present their
projects. At the end of the course a Q&A session is
planned. |
| Student workload |
| Preparation |
123 hours |
| Teaching |
33 hours |
| Exam |
50 hours |
|
| Expected literature |
|
Indicative literature (more literature will be announced upon
enrollment):
- Alvesson, M. and Sandberg, J. (2011). Generating Research
Questions Through Problematization, The Academy of
Management Review, 36(2), 247-271.
- MacKenzie, S. B. (2003). The Dangers of Poor Construct
Conceptualization, Journal of the Academy of Marketing
Science, 31 (3), 323-326.
- Dresch, A., Lacerda, D. P., & Antunes, J. A. V. (2015).
Design science research. In Design Science
Research (pp. 67-102). Springer, Cham.
- Denyer, D., Tranfield, D., & Van Aken, J. E. (2008).
Developing design propositions through research
synthesis. Organization studies, 29(3),
393-413.
- Holmström, J., Ketokivi, M., & Hameri, A. P. (2009).
Bridging practice and theory: a design science
approach. Decision Sciences, 40(1),
65-87.
- March, S. T., & Smith, G. F. (1995). Design and natural
science research on information technology. Decision
support systems, 15(4), 251-266.
- Sudbury-Riley, L., Hunter-Jones, P., Al-Abdin, A., Lewin, D.,
& Naraine, M. V. (2020). The Trajectory Touchpoint Technique: A
Deep Dive Methodology for Service Innovation. Journal of
Service Research, 1094670519894642.
- Van der Borgh, M., Xu, J., & Sikkenk, M. (2020).
Identifying, analyzing, and finding solutions to the sales lead
black hole: A design science approach. Industrial
Marketing Management, 88,
136-151.
|
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