Introduction to Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Description

Overview: This is a one semester class. It is designed as a standalone class if you only wish to take marketing and entrepreneurship in your First Year, but it also lays the foundation on which the rest of the Undergraduate Programme is based for those who wish to specialise in marketing and/or entrepreneurship in years two to four. This class is designed with the assumption that you have no former knowledge of marketing or entrepreneurship. Whilst it will be challenging and hard work, on completion of this class you will know a lot more about the world and yourself, and we hope you will become as fascinated by these subjects as we are. Marketing is a complex process involving many different skills and activities, but it is based upon four simple principles: identifying a real consumer need; developing a product or service which will meet that need; the persuasion of potential customers to try that product or service; and the constant improvement and updating of the product or service to meet changing consumer or market conditions. Marketing is a key part of any successful business, and a good theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject will be of immense benefit to an aspiring manager or entrepreneur. In this class, you will be exposed to concepts and ideas from economics, sociology, psychology, geography and other social sciences, all in the context of the competitive business environment. Entrepreneurship primarily addresses the identification of value-creating opportunities and the exploitation of those opportunities through the creation, design, development, and growth of new organisations. While entrepreneurship is often intrinsically linked to new business startup, it can also take a wide range of forms (for example, social enterprise, family business, corporate entrepreneurship/intrepreneurship, environmental/green entrepreneurship). In this class, you will explore and critically analyse the highly varied roles that entrepreneurial activities play in society. Syllabus: A full class outline will be available at the beginning of the semester. Learning Outcomes: a. Understand marketing and entrepreneurship in theory and practice, as well as develop skills associated with both concepts. b. Be aware of the complexity of the marketing environment and consumer behaviour/psychology, and the impact of these factors on the organisation’s operations. c. Comprehend the role of marketing within an organisation, and common tasks marketers undertake in respect of research and planning. d. Understand the role that entrepreneurship and innovation play in societies e. Explore how entrepreneurship and innovation can be supported at policy and institutional levels f. Understand how different forms of entrepreneurial pursuits are characterised by unique behaviours, approaches, and/or business models Assessment: Marketing Individual assignment (30%), 2 x multiple choice test (20%) AND Entrepreneurship assignment (50%)