International Marketing Seminar

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Claire Gruslin, Benjamin Österle

Coordinator

Claire Gruslin

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course is based on  Doole, I., Lowe, R., & Kenyon, A. J. (2019). International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation  (Eighth edition). All scripts and assignments will be provided to the students in electronical form. The book is available for purchase for around 60€ from amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1473758742/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_zCJuFbF82GQGW

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Overall objectives At the end of the seminar, students shall be able to apply key frameworks and theories to analyze marketing-related issues on an international level in a strategic and analytical way to support the decision-making process of Chief Executives of any organization.
Key learning outcomes
The Strategic Marketing seminar contributes to the following Key Learning Outcomes (KLO):

• Strategy (KLO1): Establish a strategy in order to optimize the value chain of a company...
  ... based on the analysis of its financial and economic context. ... taking into account its political, social, and societal context. ... taking into account its legal constraints. ... adopting the position of a marketing specialist. ... demonstrating a critical mind and scientific precision.

• Implementation (KLO2): Take charge of the everyday management of a company, and more especially of a project related to strategic marketing...
  ... working efficiently in an international and multidisciplinary team, among others in a leading position. ... analyzing one's managerial practice with a critical and ethical mind.

• Communication (KLO4): Communicate efficiently about a company...
  ... in at least two languages, including English and French. ... taking into account the multicultural and international features of their environment.

• Adaptability (KLO5): Adapt one's managerial practice to the needs of a fast-evolving world...
  ... being conscious of its societal, economic, political, and environmental issues. ... showing curiosity and a scientific precision of academic level. ... showing creativity, autonomy, and entrepreneurial spirit. ... developing one's expertise in a lifelong learning perspective.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

The students are required to participate actively during the group sessions. Accordingly, they need a good proficiency level in spoken and written English.
Each student should have followed at least one course of Basics/Principles in Marketing prior to taking the Strategic Marketing Seminar. 

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

On the first day of the course, students will create groups of a maximum of 6 students ("assignment groups"). Within these groups, students will develop an international marketing strategy for the international expansion of a company. Group assignments are final for the whole duration of the seminar. Remember that one of the key learning outcomes of this seminar is being able to perform teamwork (KLO-2).
Days one to three: Learning by teaching After a general introduction, the students will be divided into the above-mentioned "assignment groups" (maximum 6 students). Within those groups, on the first day, students are tasked to make themselves familiar with and prepare a teaching session/presentation of maximum 25 minutes on one of the fundamental topics in the context in international marketing. This teaching session is then presented to the rest of the course on days two and three. This serves the goal to bring all students up to the same level of knowledge.
Days four to ten: case studies, group work and subsequent presentations on the development of an international marketing plan (development of the group assignment) The sessions will start with a short collective learning phase (~30mins) based on a contemporary business case. The case is presented by the lecturer, and key questions, issues and possible solutions are subsequently discussed with the students. In the following 90 minutes, the students are then given the task to work in their assignment groups on the topic that was covered in the business case, and to implement it in their business case. Students have to prepare a 15min presentation of their results. After the group work, the results of one or two groups (either voluntarily or chosen by the lecturer) will be presented to the rest of the students, in order to provide feedback, ways of improvement, and a discussion, that is supposed to help the presenting group as well as the other students in the development of their marketing strategy, and highlight critical issues in other countries/industries to the non-presenting students. During the entire time, the lecturer will support in the development of the presentation and moderate the discussion.
Within the assignments, the groups will have to develop a sample international marketing strategy for a start-up company (choice of several) for a certain country (choice of several) in several steps (assignments of each day) over the two consecutive weeks of the International Fortnight Program. The complete marketing strategy of each group (for details, see section 5.2) will also be the group evaluation part of the final grade and account for 50% of the overall grading. 
Additionally, a conclusion of the day is provided, using a classroom response system (e.g. www.wooclap.com), by which the students will be able to give immediate feedback on the session (e.g. what was the most important part? What remains unclear? What was the muddiest point of the session?), to which the teacher will respond to at the beginning of the next session, before a brief outlook at this next session will be given.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

This course will be taught fully online, using the software "Zoom" . Note that students have to prepare the team activitiess ahead. 

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Recommended or required readings

Required readings:
The course is based on  Doole, I., Lowe, R., & Kenyon, A. J. (2019). International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation  (Eighth edition). All scripts and assignments will be provided to the students in electronical form.
The book is available for purchase for around 60€ from amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1473758742/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_zCJuFbF82GQGW

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

First session of examination (January 2021) YELLOW CODE

• Individual evaluation (50%) - The International Marketing Seminar examination in January is a written individual exam with Multiple choice questions covering Doole, I., Lowe, R., & Kenyon, A. J. (2019). International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation (Eighth edition), and specifically focused on the topics covered in the sessions.   
• Group evaluation (50%): International marketing strategy developed in group work based on the assignments in each class

• If students have failed the first session due to a failed individual evaluation, whereas they have participated successfully and scored more than 10 points on the group evaluation in the first session, then these students will have to take only the individual evaluation of the second session. In this second session the individual evaluation will again count for 50% of the overall grade, and the group evaluation from the first session will count for the other 50%.
• If students have failed the first session due to a failed group evaluation, or if they did not participate in the group evaluation in the first session at all, whereas they have participated successfully and scored more than 10 points on the individual evaluation of the first session, then these students will have to take only the assignment of the second session. In this second session the assignment will again count for 50% of the overall grade, and the individual evaluation from the first session will count for the other 50%.
• If students have failed or not participated in both the individual evaluation and the group evaluation of the first session, they have to take both the written exam and the assignment in the second session. Each counts 50% in this case.

• Understanding of marketing concepts (KLO1);
• Congruent application of marketing concepts (KLO1);
• Critical attitude (KLO1);
• Analytical mind (KLO1);
• The rigour, concision and depth of your analysis (KLO1);
• The congruence and creativity of your decisions (KLO5).

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

(See the document available on Lola for all guidelines related to the organization of the seminar)
The course is organized within the context of the International Fortnight program of HEC Liège - Management School of the University of Liège that aims to welcome visiting faculty from highly reputed foreign academic institutions to teach in their area of expertise and collaborate with HEC Liège faculty, staff, and students in research and other academic activities.
The course consists of 30 class hours and will be held in 9 sessions of 3 hours programmed over two consecutive weeks: September 14,15,16, 17, 18, 21,22, 23, 24, 25, from 1:30 PM to 4:03 PM.  The course is given in English.

Contacts

Instructors:

• Prof. Benjamin Oesterle