MKTG608 - Services Marketing

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

MKTG600 Managerial Marketing

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

The service sector dominates the economy and is continuing to expand. Services marketing focuses on the special challenges that arise when marketing services compared to the marketing of physical products. Issues such as service design, dealing with intangibilities, the inability to inventory, difficulties in synchronising demand and supply, and controlling the performance quality of human interactions are addressed. The unit explores contemporary theory and developments in relation to the marketing of services as well as developing applied strategies for maximizing services marketing effectiveness.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Discuss the evolution of theoretical frameworks designed to meet the needs of service organisations; (GA 4, 5, 6, 8)

LO2 - Analyse and explain the need for special service marketing concepts and practices and their application in services marketing; (GA 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

LO3 - Analyse frameworks and strategic issues relating to elements of the services marketing mix; (GA 4, 5, 6, 8)

LO4 - Evaluate issues relating to measuring and delivering service quality; (GA 4, 5, 6, 8)

LO5 - Research, analyse and report on issues in marketing for service focused firms. (GA 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics covered: 

• The nature of services and the services marketing mix  
• Consumer behaviour in services  
• Customer expectations and perceptions of service  
• Service development and design  
• Physical aspects of services  
• Employee roles in service delivery  
• Customer roles in service delivery  
• Service recovery  
• Marketing mix strategies for services  
• Managing supply and demand  
• Service quality 
• Service dominant logic 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Mode of delivery: Lectures, seminars and workshops on campus or mixed mode  

Pattern of attendance and duration: 12 week-semester or equivalent. Students should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit, including class attendance, readings and assignment preparation.

This unit takes an active learning approach to guiding students in acquiring knowledge and critical thinking about services marketing (as a sub-discipline within the broader discipline of marketing). The learner is able to explore the ‘core’ knowledge base underpinning services marketing practices, including theories, concepts and applications, in a series of face to face workshops. These workshops are designed to support the learner to actively participate in the development of their knowledge, both individually and in groups. By participating in these workshops, the learner will develop an understanding of services marketing theories, concepts and practices, as they contribute to service marketing activities. This unit takes a collaborative learning approach within the workshop through a series of lectures, discussions and examples. This approach is designed for the learner to develop critical and reflective skills in an independent and group environment.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, two graded assessment tasks are required to be submitted and an examination sat, and they must achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with rubrics specifically developed to measure the level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each assessment item. A final grade will be awarded reflecting the overall achievement in the Unit. The assessment strategy for this Unit allows the learner to sequentially develop their knowledge and skills in services marketing to the point where they can research and analyse the services marketing strategy of a brand in an allocated product category, forming linkages to services marketing theories, concepts, contemporary research and applications. In order to develop this capability, the learner will demonstrate a knowledge of services marketing theory, concepts and practises taught in the Unit.

In order to pass this unit, you are required to submit both assessment items, sit the examination, and achieve an aggregate pass mark of 50% overall.

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Required text(s) 

Lovelock CH, Patterson PG and Wirtz J, 2015, Services Marketing, An Asia-Pacific and Australian Perspective, 6th Edition. Pearson Australia.   

Recommended references  

Chitty, W, Hughes, A & D’Alessandro, S, 2012, Services marketing, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.   

Fisk, R, Grove, S & John, J 2014, Services marketing, an interactive approach, 4th edn Cengage Learning, Mason, OH.   

Wirtz, J, Chew, P & Lovelock, C 2012, Essentials of services marketing, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, Singapore.   

Zeithaml, V, Bitner, M & Gremler, D 2013, Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, 6th edn, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York.