Institute of Business Administration

MKT 301
MBR
Fall 2013

Course Facilitator: Nida Aslam Khan

Counseling hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays Main Campus 3:30- 4:30 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays Main Campus 2:00-3:00pm
Room 103 First floor, CED BUILDING
Other days by appointment only
Contact: nakhan@iba.edu.pk; nidaaslam.khan@gmail.com

COURSE OVERVIEW
This undergraduate course provides a comprehensive introduction to research proposal writing,
research methodologies, and foundational research theories and protocols. Students in the course
learn about the cyclical nature of applied research and the iterative process of research writing. The
curriculum is sequential, helping students to identify a study topic, formulate inquiry questions,
organize a literature review, and select appropriate research designs and methodologies. Students
use the proposal they develop to establish the foundation of a summer project and the basis of a
final research paper that will be submitted at the end of the summer once the study is completed. By
the end of the course, students will complete a proposal that includes an introduction, problem
statement (significance of study), literature review, methods section, references, and a project
timeline. At the end of the summer students will convert this proposal into a full research that will
include the following sections: findings, discussion, conclusions, and references.

Course Objective: Business research methods provide the insight into the challenges faced by
managers in research for business decision making. The course aims at:
 To meet the challenge of the fast pace decision making environment,
 Provide the knowledge and skills a manager needs to solve the problems.
 The course is designed to prepare the students to manage business, not-for-profit, and public
organization in all functional areas.

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Course Layout

Approx. Topics Reading Assignment/

No. of Resource
sessions
1 Introduction Chap 1
1 Research Process Chap3 & 4
2 Research Problem Chap 6
1 Qualitative Research Chap 7
1 Secondary Research Chap 8
2 Survey Research Chap 9 & 10
2 Measurement Concepts Chap 13
2 Scales for Attitude Measurement Chap 14
6-7 SPSS
2 Advanced Scales handout
2 Questionnaire Design Chap 15
2 Sampling Design and Procedure Chap 16
2 Sample Size Determination Chap 17
1 Test Marketing Chap 12
1-2 Summary of Various Market Handout
Researches
1-2 Presentations

The Term Report: (15 marks)

The term report of this course is one of the most important ones that you will work upon in your stay
at IBA. The marks assigned to it reflect that importance. Though it is a group project, the marks
may vary across group members depending upon their relative contribution in the
project. Students are advised to make groups wisely from the very beginning.

The report is a research project, undertaken by each group on a topic. The instructor will provide you
with the proposed format of the report. To make the project more in line with the course content,
the development will be in 4 modules. Each module is designed to correlate with the text. Therefore
you will be studying the same topic that you are working on in your project. This method will greatly
enhance learning and make it more fun too. At the end of the semester each group will present its
report in class.

Assessment Format
A. Assignments: The assignments will be individual and students are supposed to write not only
their ‘names’ but ‘student ids’ as well. The assignments should not be more than a ‘1000’
words plus or minus ‘10 percent’ written in ‘ariel’ or ‘times new roman’ with ‘1.5 spacing
between the lines’ and ‘1.54’ as page margins.

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 B. Quizzes: The quizzes that will be taken during the course will test the theoretical knowledge of
students. The quizzes will be individual and students are expected to write not only their ‘names’
but ‘student ids’ as well. The students are supposed to bring ‘A4 size’ blank papers along with
a ‘Stapler or Paper Clip’.
C. Final Paper: The final paper will not only test theoretical knowledge but the students’ ability to
apply and synthesize theoretical concepts. The final exam will also test logic and reasoning
abilities of the student.
D. Term Exams: The students will have two termexams and will be tested from the all the material
covered during the class i.e. the taught chapters, readings etc.
E. Final Presentation: ‘All’ the members of the group are to make a presentation which should be
‘equally’ distributed and the overall length of presentation should not exceed ‘20 minutes’ with
‘5 minutes’ designated for questions and answers.
F. Research Project Report: The project will be executed in a group and the number of people in a
group should not be more than ‘4’. A ‘Group Liaison’ will be assigned who will liaise with the
instructor. The project report is ‘modular’ and will be assessed in the same way; that is in
components with group ‘demonstrating’ their progress for each module or cycle. The report should
not be more than a ‘2500’ words plus or minus ‘10 percent’ written in ‘ariel’ or
‘times new roman’ with ‘1.5 spacing between the lines’ and ‘1.54’ as page margins.

a) The research project has 6 modules, which will be assessed as per ‘Course Schedule’. The 6
modules are as follows;
1. Introduction (About the research, The Company or Brand, Goals and Objectives of
research, Research question)
2. Context (Current Corporate Condition, Overview of the Problem, Significance of
Problem etc.)
3. Methodology (Type of research, Research design, Research Methods etc.)
4. Analysis (Data Gathered, Tool Employed etc.)
5. Findings (General Findings, Key Findings etc.)
6. Conclusion (Inference Drawn, Recommendations)
b) The research project will be study of an area of a business’ Product, Price, Place,
Promotion, People, Processes or Physical Evidence
c) It should be scoped around but not limited to the business categories of
telecommunication companies, financial institutions, universities, not-for-profit
organizations, FMCGs, advertising agencies, fashion houses.
d) The research project should be an investigation of a business problem contextualized
around the chosen ‘area’ and ‘category’

Class Behavior
While in the classroom you are expected to maintain a business-like conduct. Please be respectful of
both me and the other students in the class. Please arrive on time and do not leave early. If you will
be arriving late or must leave early please let me know beforehand. Please do not get up and walk out
and return to the classroom during class time. Turn off you cell-phones, pagers and other noisemaking
electronic devices.
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Undergraduate Honor Code Syllabus Statement
The standards and expectation of the IBA Honor Code and its academic honesty and integrity policies
apply to this course as well as to any other course you are taking here. The policy is articulated in
your Undergraduate Handbook. Failure of any student to take appropriate steps to fully understand
the Code will not be an acceptable nor tolerated excuse for any violations.

Tardiness & Attendance

Class will start promptly at the scheduled time in the time table. Students are expected to be on time
and ready to participate. Arriving late is disruptive to classmates and discussion. Habitual tardiness will
result in a severe reduction of the class participation grade.

Students are expected to attend every class and to notify me if they cannot attend. The value of the
course lies in preparing for, listening to, and participating in the discussions, and in sharing insights,
opinions, and experiences. It is impossible to fully make up a missed class by simply analyzing the
cases for that day. We may have some in-class assignments. If you’re not there, you will miss any
benefit of attending and will create more work for your fellow students.

Remember, someone (you, your employer, your parents, etc.) is paying a lot of money for you to take
this course. If you don’t show up, you’re not getting what you paid for. If you think you can learn
everything outside of the classroom, you are wrong.

Electronic Devices
Use cell phones, PDAs, mp3 players, etc. during class is strictly prohibited. If it is necessary for a
student to receive an important call, the phone must be switched to vibrate and the call taken outside
of the classroom. Computers may be used during class for note-taking only; not playing video
poker, responding to e-mails, checking scores, administering fantasy team transactions, updating your
Facebook status, etc. I reserve the right to ban the use of computers in class at any time for any
reason!

Plagiarism
Simply put, don't do it. I take this issue very seriously and will refer cases to the IBA Judicial Board for
adjudication. Please read the Academic Integrity section of Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook,
which lists the sources that must be documented. A partial list includes: word-for-word quotations
from a source, including another student's work; paraphrasing the ideas of others, including another
student's work; unusual or controversial facts--facts not apt to be found in many places; information
obtained from Internet sources; information from radio and television, interviews, and telephone
conversations.

Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is a fundamental value essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarships at the
IBA. Participating honestly, respectively, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures
that the IBA degree that you earn will continue to be valued and respected as a true signifier of a
student's individual work and academic achievement. As a result, IBA treats cases of academic
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misconduct very seriously.

Learning Outcomes
Course Content Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Define research, business research, structure of decision making, level of decision making, decision
making process, manager researcher relationship, Scientific Inquiry. Practically use terminologies in
research, methods of theory construction, model based theory, deductive theory, functional theory
inductive theory, relevance of science in business research, science versus in non – science, scientific
method

COURSE RESOURCES
Core Textbooks
1. Business Research Methods by William G. Zikmund, Barry J. Babin, John C. Carr and
th
Mitch Griffin, 9 Edition, South-Western, 2013.
rd
2. Essentials of Marketing Research by William G. Zikmund and Barry J. Babin, 3
Edition, Thomson, 2007.
Reference Textbooks
th
a) Exploring Marketing Research by Willian G. Zikmund, 8 Edition, Thomson, 2003.
b) Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation by Naresh K. Malhotra and Satyabhusan Dash,
th
6 Edition, Pearson, 2011.

Marks Distribution:
Mid term 30 marks
Term report 10 marks
Presentation 5 marks
Assignments 5 marks
Quizzes 5 marks
Class Participation 10 marks
Final 30 marks
SPSS 5 marks

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