Module Code :PM5042T

Class/Group :Group A, Class 1

Module Title :Research Project

Assignment Title :Why do NTIC students want to

study Marketing?

Tutor Name :FaustoBarlocco

Student ID Number :T0010283

Date of Submission :28/02/2013

2.

Literature Review

Marketing is identifying and satisfying needs of people, meanwhile acquiring profit. For
example, when IKEA noticed that people wanted good furniture at a substantially lower
price, it created knockdown furniture. When eBay recognised that people were unable
to locate some of the items they desired most, it created an online auction
clearinghouse. These examples illustrated marketing savvy and turned a private or
social need into a profitable business opportunity. However, The American Marketing
Association (2008) unveiled a new definition of marketing that is marketing is the
activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and
exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at
large. Then, the importance of marketing also should be known. Marketing is
everywhere. Formally or informally, people and organisations engage in a vast number
of activities that we could call marketing.
Effective marketing has become an increasingly vital ingredient for business success.
And marketing profoundly affects our day-to-day lives. It is embedded in everything we
do such as the clothes we wear, the Web sites we click on, the advertisement we see
(Kotler & Keller 2008: p. 43). Moreover, financial success often depends on marketing
ability. That is because finance, operations, accounting and other business functions will
not really matter if there is not sufficient demand for products and services so the
company can make a profit (Kotler, 2008: pp44). Therefore, thus it can be seen that
marketing has already involved almost every aspect of our daily life. It is not only good

for business, but it also improved state economy with the success of firms. That is not
hard to understand why marketing so popular today.
Consequently, almost every company need marketing department in modern society,
which means graduated marketing students have more option for their job. According to
Erwin (2008) research, it can be known marketing is one of ten most popular major in
America. He also point out that the demand for marketing jobs can vary by industry and
geography and can be very lucrative (ibid). As is well-known that most students choose
their subjects and courses they think will help them get ideal job, which is an important
reason that marketing became popular. Through study marketing, students can
understand more consumer behaviour and strategies of company. It means people who
studied marketing could be competent in more departments in companies. For example,
students who studied human resource might only good on personnel department.
However, nowadays, people who are finding work are much more than positions, so
that sometimes, people will have to choose a job that is not related to their major in
university.
Rotfeld (1995: p.8) point out that marketing course can be an integral part of any
students education. No matter what the major, no matter what the future job,
understanding marketing practices and their role in a modern economy can be useful for
any educated person. It means through study marketing, students can learn knowledge
that could be applied in different fields. Hence marketing can be regard as an analytical
subject in business and help graduated students get a wide variety of jobs across
different sectors. On the other hand, studying marketing will change students ideology
in commercial field. Because students will develop their commercial awareness and

instincts in marketing courses, and they will think business behaviour reasoning and
professionally when they be a business person.
Specifically, through study marketing courses, students could be instilled an
appreciation of the complexities of marketing decision making. To reach this goal, the
students must understand the basic marketing concepts. However, if the students are to
realise fully and appreciate the value, importance and usefulness of marketing they
must see the knowledge they accumulate in the classroom applied in the business
world.(John and Henke, 1985: p59). For example, in analysing a companys marketing
strategies and using case study, there is no question that these approaches will benefit
the student. However, at this fundamental level a simplistic straightforward approach in
which the student relates the basic marketing concepts learned in the classroom to an
organisations marketing activities may be more appropriate. Exposure to the
application of the basic concepts of marketing will reinforce the students classroom
learning and help them realise, firsthand, about working of marketing.
In addition, this is also an excellent time to expose the students to other learning
opportunities that will enhance their business skills, such as making presentations,
interviewing, working on a team and writing reports and the result will be a more
enlightened, skilful student with a better understanding of the role and function of
marketing within the firm. On the other hand, almost every introductory marketing
textbook mentions the 4Ps as a means of understanding the various marketing decision
areas or is organised in a manner that is consistent with this approach. In addition, they
also indicated that the product, place, price and promotion approach in conjunction with
the target market concept could be easily applied by students to understanding how

marketing works in the real world. For the past four years this approach has been used
successfully, as the basis for an introductory course project which involves the students
in the basic marketing decision areas which confront every business (John and Henke,
1985: pp59).
However, there are some students who choose their subject just because their personal
reasons such as I dislike examinations and marketing do not have it; I hate math and
marketing do not need understand math too much. Moreover, they choose a major
might also because parental pressure and recommendations of friends or relatives and
even only a matter of personal interest. That is possible, some students especially
business students deciding their subject are affected by their parents occupation and
socioeconomic status (Leppel, Williams and Waldauer, 2001).
3.

Research Methodology

Quantitative research method is normally employed in academic researches to perform

date collection and analysis (Blumberg, et al 2011). This method is suitable for present
research as it had facilitated the pragmatic analysis of students choice of marketing as a
subject. Deductive approach has been used for data collection using survey method.
Cross-sectional Time frame is targeted with mono method of data collection with the
help of close ended questionnaires. This selection of research design is suitable for the
objectives of current study. Furthermore, in appropriate positivist paradigm of this study,
quantitative approaches are more suitable.
For research based on survey, answers in form of suggestions and preferences need
to be taken from potential customers. Hence, around 50 questionnaires were distributed
to students in the range of age group 18 to 30 years. Students and youth were covered

in this sample studying in various disciplines of business administration especially with

major in marketing. University freshmen were mostly of the 18 years of age, and hence
they are likely to have ample time to decide for their future professional functional area
in business administration courses. Also, students and the youth are likely to be more
open-minded and ready to accept changes in field of choice. These students belong to
leading universities in UK and are students of Bachelors or Masters Programs. The
demographics of the sample population were based mostly of females (60%) and males
(40%). The 30% sample was fully employed, 50% partially employed, and 10% were full
time students only. The average GPA of these targeted participants was 2.9 and each
one of them has taken marketing at least as a core subject.
In close ended quantitative questionnaire, 12 questions were included in total in the
questionnaire, 7 of them were made on 5-point Likert scale and rest were multiple
choice questions related to demographics and subject choice criteria. The questions are
all connected to the purpose of the research and their details have been included at the
end of the study in Appendix A. Information generated as a feedback from them is not
only important for this thesis, but cal also help curriculum development in universities
and academia to factors affected students choice of marketing as a professional field of
study. For greater validity of the information, questionnaires were personally
administered in respective departments of university after assuring the field of study.
The participants were initially given a detailed briefing about the research topics and
important considerations. The anonymity and confidentiality of participants identity and
provided information was assured before requesting them to fill the questionnaire in
researcher presence. . However, taking the diversity of people in to consideration, there

is a possibility that the results are different at each time if various participants are
targeted. Only the results from the first time send questionnaires are included in this
thesis.
Data and information which is secondary was searched mainly from the database
resources available openly such as through the Universitys library or other resources
available outside. For guarantee of data and informations accuracy and reliability,
majority of the articles and journals will be taken from search engines which are credible
in nature such as Emerald, Springer linker, and database sites like EBSCO and JStor.
Evaluation of empirical data gathered from websites is also done before its acceptance
by the potential purpose, published time, published column, quality of the previous
articles and so on. The aim of this is to make sure that data made use of in this thesis is
authentic and reliable.

Data analysis was classified according to data types into two categories. Figures were
shown to represent the primary data collected from questionnaires. Survey results are
direct and clear to read so that presentation of the accurate information along with the
current situation can be presented. The studys conceptual framework was kept in mind
when implementing analysis on secondary data. Data analysis bought together the
practical information and theories to fix with each other and this helps in forming the
studys conclusion.

4.

Data Analysis and Discussion

References
Blumberg, B, Cooper, D.R. & Schindler, P.S. (2011) Business Research Methods, New York,
McGraw Hill
Collis, J. and Hussey, R. (2003). Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Students, 2nd edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Chicago, IL (2008). New Definition of [Link] Marketing Association.
Available at:
[Link]
%20releases%20new%20definition%20for%[Link] accessed 27/11/2012

Erwin, P., (2008) 10 most popular majors and what they pay.
Available at:[Link]
Last accessed 28/11/2012

John and Henke, J, W., 1985. Bringing Reality to the Introductory Marketing [Link] Journal
of Marketing Education, 1985, vol.7, no.3, pp.59-71. Available at:
[Link]
pdf?sequence=2. Last accessed: 28/02/2013

Kotler, P. andKeller, K.L., (2008) Marketing Management. 13rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Leppel, K., Williams, M, L., and Waldauer, C.,2001. The Impact of Parental Occupation and
Socioeconomic Stauts on Choice of College [Link] Journal of Family and Economic,2001,
Volume.22, Issue.4, pp.373-394.

Rotfeld, H., (1995) Why students should study marketing. Marketing News.
Available at: [Link] Last accessed: