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) specifically chapters 1-8 and the topics covered in the sessions.
The student presentations from days 2 and 3 will also be part of the exam and will be provided in electronic form. All scripts and assignments will be provided to the students in electronical form

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 International 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). Students have until the 3rd session to be integrated in a group for the assignment.  Afterwhich they will take the resit in August for this activity.
Sessions 1 to 3: Learning by teaching After a general introduction to the topic and the organization of the course in the first session, the students will create the above-mentioned "assignment groups" (maximum 6 students). Within these groups, until the next session, 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 of international marketing. This teaching session/presentation is then presented to the rest of the course on days 2 and 3. This serves the goal to bring all students up to the same level of knowledge.At the end of day 3, the groups will receive some project work or case studies. The goal is to prepare a 10-15 minutes presentation for peer discussion in the next session, which 4-6 groups will then present (either voluntarily or chosen by the lecturer).
Sessions 4 to 10: Presentations on the development of an international marketing plan (development of the group assignment) / peer discussions and feedback / collective learning / case studies. The sessions will start with the presentations of the work that groups prepared during the course of the time since the last meeting (~60-90 mins). This is conducted in order to provide peer discussions and 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. This is followed by a collective learning phase (~60-90 mins), where new input is provided by the lecturer through presentations and/or a contemporary business case. Key questions, issues and possible solutions are discussed with the students. Additionally, a conclusion (~15 mins) 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)

Remote course


Additional information:

This course will be taught fully online, using the software "Zoom" on the following dates:
Topic: International Marketing Seminar - MARK9302-1 - HEC Liège
Time: (all Brussels/CEST time)

• Wednesday, 22 September 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 29 September 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 06 October 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 20 October 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Friday, 29 October 2021, 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM
• Wednesday, 03 November 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 10 November 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 17 November 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Wednesday, 24 November 2021, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM

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

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )

Written work / report


Additional information:

First session of examination (January)

• 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 chapters 1-8 and the topics covered in the sessions. The student presentations from days 2 and 3 will also be part of the exam and will be provided in electronic form.
• Group evaluation (50%): International marketing strategy developed in group work based on the assignments in each class to be submitted by December 8, 2021. The international marketing strategy will be the result of the group work assignments given in each session. For these assignments, students will be divided into groups of max. 6 in the first session. These groups are final for the whole duration of the seminar. For a company (choice of several) within a certain country (choice of several), the groups will then step-by-step develop the international marketing strategy based on the assignments at the end of the sessions. It is expected that the groups apply the concepts and models they learned about in the sessions when developing their marketing strategy. It is imperative to give reasons, cite evidence, and explain all choices made in the marketing strategy. The full marketing strategy should comprise of either one 10-page word document per group (.doc or .docx), Times New Roman, 12pts, single space lines and 2.5cm margins, tables and figures are allowed or one 12-slide Powerpoint slideset, including notes and comments per group (.ppt or .pptx). The marketing strategy is to be submitted in LOla by December 8, 2021.

• Oral exam (individual evaluation) (50%) - Carefully review Doole, I., Lowe, R., & Kenyon, A. J. (2019). International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation (Eighth edition), specifically chapters 1-8 and the topics covered in the sessions. The student presentations from days 2 and 3 will also be part of the exam and will be provided in electronic form. The exam questions will be of the same style as the ones of the first session.
  AND/OR (description follows below)
  Assignment (individual evaluation) (50%) - Analyze a marketing strategy provided by the instructors according to what has been learned and discussed in class. Specifically answer the following questions: What would you improve? Why would you improve it? How would you improve it?
  
  
• 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.

• 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

Attendance is compulsory; it is important to participate in every session. We only excuse your absence to the class in case of an imperious reason (such as sickness, family emergency)
Additional information and material about the seminar will be provided exclusively via Lol@. Students should therefore regularly check the online platform to be up to date!

Contacts

Instructor: Prof. Benjamin Oesterle


Course coordinator: Claire Gruslin.  Should you have any questions with regard to the seminar, please do contact the coordinator first.
Office hours: by appointment only