MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management

The unit aims to:

• consider the process and nature of marketing and buyer behaviour in different business-to-business contexts and environments.
• present a range of models and theories that can be applied in a business-to- business context.
• understand the challenges of marketing in contemporary business markets in a global context.
• develop an understanding of the research skills that are needed in order to undertake business-to-business marketing research. 

BMAN70152 Programme Req: BMAN70152 is only available as an elective to students on MSc Marketing, MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management and MSc Digital Marketing

The unit aims to:

• consider the process and nature of marketing and buyer behaviour in different business-to-business contexts and environments.
• present a range of models and theories that can be applied in a business-to- business context.
• understand the challenges of marketing in contemporary business markets in a global context.
• develop an understanding of the research skills that are needed in order to undertake business-to-business marketing research. 

• The nature of business-to-business markets
• Purchasing and supply in business markets  
• Interaction and relationships in business markets  
• Segmentation, portfolios and networks
• Strategies for Marketing and Selling in business markets  
• Digitalization and Business-to-Business Service Markets

Nine x three hour in person taught sessions  

 

These consist of a mix of traditional lecture style teaching; exercise and case discussion workshops.  

There may be some use of digital tools in class as appropriate to the tasks at hand. 

• Understand that there are a variety of possible strategies that can be used in business markets and that these vary according to the domain and context in which they occur.
• Understand the constraints and challenges that globalization and /or technology place on a business-to-business context.

 

• Discuss how marketing strategies can be used to effect competitiveness in a business-to-business environment.
• Critically assess a range of theories that are related to business-to-business marketing situations.  

• They should demonstrate the above verbally and/or during class discussions, and/or in their written work. 

Examination (70%)

Group work (30%)

 

Via Assessment Team following the full marking period.

Recommended reading

Students should make reference to a selection of the following texts as background reading for the course. The nature of the course means that students do need to address a number of books.

If you wish to buy a text, these three are (in my opinion) the most useful:

1. Brennan, Ross; Louise Canning and Helen McGrath (2024) Business-to-Business Marketing 6th edition. London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.

2. Ellis, Nick (2010) Business-to Business Marketing. Relationships, Networks and Strategies. Oxford UK: Oxford University Press.

3. David Ford, Lars-Erik Gadde, Håkan Håkansson and Ivan Snehota, (2011) Managing Business Relationships, John Wiley (3d edition)

Also helpful:

· Ford, David (ed.) (2001) Understanding Business Marketing and Purchasing, Third Edition. London, UK: Thomson Learning.

· Håkansson, Håkan ; David Ford, Lars-Erik Gadde, Ivan Snehota and Alexandra Waluszewski (2009) Business in Networks. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Additional readings are provided for each lecture topic.