SERVICES MARKETING - 2022/3

Module Overview

Services industries are a driving force of value creation. Nowadays nearly every product has a service component and as such service businesses are increasingly dominant forces in the world economy. This module is designed to provide the students with the skills and competencies to understand the unique marketing needs and challenges faced by service organizations in an increasingly challenging global environment. This module will explore the unique managerial challenges and decisions that occur when service providers attempt to manage the service experience for their customers. The module is designed to prepare students to deal with service issues that arise in delivering services. Of particular interest to marketing managers are concerns of the management and maintenance of all aspects of the service delivery process. This module introduces the core principles of services marketing considering service characteristics.

To emphasize the applicability of services theories to various fields this module is divided into two parts: First, general principles of services marketing are covered. Second, industry (i.e., tourism, events, or hospitality) specific theory and applications are introduced. In an increasingly customer centered environment this module will provide an understanding about theories, approaches and techniques concerning how to attract and retain customers while dealing with challenges due to services characteristics. The module also creates an opportunity to facilitate 'real life' decision-making and enhances a wide range of study skills, such as independent research, analytical skills as well as critical thinking.

Module provider

Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

STANGL Brigitte (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

1. An introduction to services marketing and challenges due to services characteristics

2. The consumer decision making process

3. The marketing environment and the services marketing mix

4. Service escape

5. Marketing segmenting, targeting and positioning

6. The communication mix

7. Service quality and the service processes

8. Service failure and recovery

9. Customer relationship, marketing ethics, and social responsibility

The impact of the Internet and market research will be covered as an integral part of the various topics where appropriate.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Individual Report, maximum 2,000 words

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to give students the opportunity to gradually build up their knowledge and understanding of services marking; demonstrate their breadth and depth of understanding, both of the theory and application to hospitality, tourism or events marketing; and to allow students to evidence their achievement of the learning outcomes.

The assessment strategy has two summative elements:

First assessment: 1h online multiple choice test (mid-term): in line with the module intended learning outcomes, the multiple-choice test aims to assess the individual student subject knowledge. The test will consist of multiple-choice questions covering the understanding of services marketing terminology and theories/concepts which is an essential requirement as a basis to build on.

Second assessment: Group project: in line with the module intended learning outcomes, the group project aims to help the students consolidate their learning and develop it further through interaction between group members by means of working together to conduct a service evaluation project for a hospitality/tourism organization or an event. The students are also required to present their findings. A separate hand-out explaining the details of this assignment will be posted on SurreyLearn.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will receive verbal feedback on their performance during in-class activities.

Module aims

• To appreciate services characteristics and to understand the unique challenges involved in marketing and managing services (compared to tangible goods).
• Understand the determinants of service quality and the process of service quality measurement.
• Use frameworks/tools to analyse services and develop competitive marketing strategies.
• Discuss the role of physical evidence in service delivery and what constitutes an effective service environment.
• Understand the role of employees (and often customers) in service delivery, customer satisfaction and service recovery.
• Manage the process of the extended marketing mix in service industries.
• To provide students with an understanding of how to transfer and apply general services marketing models, theories and concepts to their field of study (i.e., tourism, hospitality or events).
• To provide a solid foundation for further services related marketing studies.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy are designed to encourage students to think critically about the different aspects of marketing and to engage in evaluating applications in their field of study, i.e. the Hospitality, Tourism or Events industry.

The principal teaching and learning method is a one-hour weekly on-demand lecture and two hour weekly seminar including several elements to achieve the module learning outcomes:

1. Lectures are designed to develop an understanding of services marketing in general.

2. Student-led class discussions of real-world case studies to put theory into application and transform the acquired knowledge into practice in the student's field of study, i.e., hospitality, tourism or the event context.

Students are expected to undertake a number of independent learning activities:

1. Preparatory reading of the relevant chapters suggested on SurreyLearn

2. Application of the learnt theories to written case studies.

3. Guided further reading to enable them to extend their field specific (i.e., hospitality, tourism or events knowledge and understanding. SurreyLearn will be used to support student learning by providing them with additional resources.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN1130

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.