If your selected service industry is a broad one, you may need to narrow it by defining one competitive sector or discrete market. The sector you select for study should be UK-based, and have a defined or definable competitive structure. For example, if you choose ‘retail’ as your industry you might select ‘sporting goods’ as your competitive sector; if you choose ‘charities’ as your industry you might select ‘children’s charities’ as your competitive sector.
- A definition of your chosen sector by size and competitive structure. If
applicable, identify the major strategic grouping(s) and the one you have
selected for study.
2 Your assessment of the opportunities and threats facing the sector/grouping using original and coherent analysis based on properly referenced sources.
3 A summary of the commonalities and differences between the current service marketing strategies of your chosen sector’s ‘major players’.
4 Select ONE of the existing players (major or otherwise) and
a identify that organisation’s key strategic service marketing issues for the next 5 years, drawing on your foregoing analysis.
b briefly demonstrate the relationship between any one of these issues and some relevant theoretical principles of services marketing, taken from any appropriate and referenced source.
Individual assignment assessment checklist
No | Assessment check list | Allocated marks % | Marks given for the individual assignment |
1
|
– Introduction and problem definition (Ability to
identify the problem specific to the case) – Originality and appropriateness of service sector choice by size and competitive structure (DRETS) – Breath and quality of opportunity/threat analysis |
25 |
|
2 | Ability to distinguish services marketing strategy commonalities and differences among major players | 15 | |
3 | Ability to identify key strategic service marketing issues for the next 5 years | 20 | |
4
|
– Ability to solve company’s problems based on
relevant services marketing literature (appropriate application of relevant theory ) – Evidence of rigorous and relevant external research |
25 |
|
5 |
– Conclusions and recommendations
– Supporting appendices – Bibliography and use of appropriate referencing throughout |
15 |
|
TOTAL | 100 |
This is the coursework as per the module booklet.
The main requirements regarding choice of sector is self-explanatory. You must choose from the list provided. The chosen sector should operate in the UK in order for you to have access to data within the university’s library systems. This does not preclude organisation with head offices in other countries. The focus should be the UK market.
The second question asks you to identify the main opportunities and threats facing your chosen sub sector/group. The established way to do so is by undertaking a PEST/DRETS/PESTEL analysis and this is also used as a grading criteria as given in the table above (also given in the module booklet). You could use other models such as the five forces if it helps in answering and identifying the question regarding the opportunities and threats. (Though if you have read the article on five forces the utility of this model is suspect.)
Question 3 requires you to identify the similarities and differences in service offerings of the major players. You have to choose the major players ideally around 3-4 organisations.
Question 4 requires you to identify the key SERVICE MARKETING ISSUE of any one from 3-4 organisations studied in question 3.
This question also requires you to choose one of the issues identified above and using your knowledge of service marketing theory, explain how the theoretical principles can be applied towards a solution.