Course syllabus

BMP Course Syllabus 2021 v2.pdf

Course-PM

TEK261 TEK261 Business marketing and purchasing lp2 HT21 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Technology Management and Economics

Contact details

Examiner and course responsible teacher

Frida Lind

Phone: 031-772 1113

E-mail: frida.lind@chalmers.se

Teacher and course secretary

Carla Ferreira

Phone: 031-772 1862

E-mail: carla.ferreira@chalmers.se

Teacher

Hannes Lindkvist

Phone: 031-772 1857

E-mail: hannes.lindkvist@chalmers.se

All the three of us are at:

Division of Supply and Operations Management,

Department of Technology Management and Economics

Chalmers Vasa, House 3, third floor, south

Course purpose

The main objective of the course is to provide students with knowledge and abilities regarding business processes between firms. These processes will be studied from the perspectives of both selling and buying firms. .

Schedule

The course will include both on-campus lectures, group sessions and supervision. In addition, there will be activities on zoom. The zoom-activities are connected to a collaboration with Vaasa University in relation to the Sustainability Project of the course. 

Please for a full schedule see the Course Syllabus.  

TimeEdit

Course literature

Book

B         Brennan, R., Canning, L. & McDowell, R.  (2020) Business-to-Business Marketing, London: SAGE Publications, Fifth edition.  (available both as an E-book and Hard copy. The book is for sale in most online bookstores, such as Adlibris, Amazon, Bokus, Chalmers Store, and E-books.com. Please use the 5th edition of the book.)

C        Chapters (Access from Canvas)  

 C1      Two approaches to marketing (from old compendium)

 C2      Supplier relationships from Gadde, L-E. and Håkansson, H. (1993) Professional Purchasing, Routledge, London, pp. 63-76.

MP Hayes M, Jenster, P, Aaby N-E. (1996). Business marketing - a global perspective Erwin, McGraw-Hill, pp. 60-64

A        Articles, Electronic access from Chalmers Library: 

 A1 Håkansson, H. (1990) Technological collaboration in industrial networks. European Management Journal, 8(3): 371-379.

A2 Laage-Hellman, J., Perna, A. and Lind, F. (2014) Customer Involvement in Product Development: An Industrial Network Perspective, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 21(4): 257-276.

A3 Hedvall, K., Jagstedt, S. & Dubois, A. (2019) Solutions in business networks: Implications of an interorganizational perspective, Journal of Business Research, 104: 411-421.

Course design

The course schedule is divided into lectures and group sessions with teachers from Chalmers and guest speakers from industry. Lectures will be a combination of ‘teacher lecturing’ and discussions of the course literature. Therefore, it is expected that students have gone through and are familiar with the content of the part of the literature that is allocated to the various sessions.

 The Marketing Project is a group assignment, and it focuses on central marketing aspects of a B2B-product. Each student group (of five students) will take the starting point in a real product. Based on the course literature and analysis, the group formulates recommendations for the marketing activities of the product. In this way, students are given the opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of essential functions in business marketing and purchasing. See separate instructions for the Marketing Project.

The Sustainability Project is another group assignment where the opportunity is given to focus on sustainability in the business landscape. Sustainability in relation to the supplier relationships and networks focusing on the food industry and the textile and clothing industry. The group assignment is designed in such a way that it is possible to have a broader sustainability focus in either of those industries or to go in-depth in one particular case in those industries. This group-based assignment is done in collaboration with Vaasa University, Finland. See separate instructions for the Sustainability Project.

In the course, we will discuss a case in class which will be based on a real case description handed out before the session and to be discussed in smaller groups. Participation in the case seminar session is part of the examination.

Changes made since the last occasion

The Sustainability Project is new this year and some of the readings are new. 

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

  • Describe central features of industrial markets
  • Identify purchasing strategies and processes of buying firms
  • Compare different marketing situations and their particular characteristics
  • Frame sustainability as part of the current business landscape
  • Explain the role of business relationships in technical development
  • Formulate and evaluate marketing strategies

 

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Study plan

Examination form

The examination involves the following parts:

 -  Written examination                             Maximum score: 50 points

- Group-based projects  

     - Marketing Project                             Maximum score: 10 points

     - Sustainability Project                        Maximum score: 10 points

-  Case seminar                                        Pass/fail

                                                   Maximum points: 70 points                     

 Grades:         40 %: 28+ = grade 3          60 %: 42+ = grade 4          80 %: 56+ = grade 5

 Passing the course will require a minimum of 40% of the score in the written exam (20 points), the Marketing Project (4 points), Sustainability Project (4 points) and pass in the Case seminar.

 Written digital exam: January 11 at 8.30-12.30. Will come back with details based on Chalmers pandemic guidelines.

 Note that you need to sign up for the exam. The exam registration closes on December 14 at 12.00. You need to register to be able to take the exam. If you are not registered, you cannot take the exam. This is a Chalmers rule.

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due