B2814 - Business in Action

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to develop the ability to understand, define and plan firms’ competitive strategies in competitive environments, as well as to develop the ability to implement them. The course is based on the use of business game simulations as a vehicle for learning-by-doing. The experience with the business game allows students to apply under real market conditions the theory they learned during previous classes and grants them to operate in a competitive environment with incomplete information and to learn over time by reviewing their decisions. Students are called to work in teams to manage a company that operates in an established market and have the opportunity to invest in an emerging one. Though the use of the simulations students are required to develop the business, justifying and reporting the decisions they make for their simulated firm. The first part of the course will focus on marketing strategy and students will strengthen their knowledge on brand management, pricing strategies, segmentation, targeting and positioning analysis. The second part of the course will focus on business strategy allowing students to overview of a firm and the different management functions (accounting, finance, HR, marketing, strategy and supply chain operations), learn how to define and implement a successful business strategy, and take effective decisions. At the end of the course the student will be able to: - understand strategic, marketing, sales, operation, and logistics choices; - use Financial Statements to evaluate their firm’s performance - understand market research data and use them to implement a marketing decision - take effective decisions able to create value for the company - conduct market and competitor analysis - work in team, managing a large amount of information with strict deadlines

Course contents

MODULE 1

The course is based on the use of the business game Markstrat. The

business game allows students to simulate the decision making process of a technological company operating in an international context. Students will have the opportunity to work in small teams and manage decisions related to existing brands and new product development and introduction and will play one against the other to gain market share.

50% of the corse will be based on the use of the business game

In the remaining 50% some topics will be discussed: Marketing planning process, analyis and definition of a marketing strategy for n international company. Moreover, students will learn how to manage analytical tools generated by the software, so that they will learn how to make better decisions using market data (simulated by Markstrat).

Specifically, students will be able to:

• understand the marketing planning process, and out to implement marketing strategies in an international environment. Specifically, students will learn how to interpret and use segmentation targeting and positioning data

• learn how to manage a brand portfolio, to select distribution channels, to allocate communication budget and to define prove policies for a company operating in an international environment

• Interpret and use analytical tools and performance measurement data

MODULE 2

TBD

Readings/Bibliography

MODULE 1

Attending students

Markstrat students' handbook

MARKETING MANAGEMENT, GLOBAL EDITION

Philip Kotler, Kevin L. Keller, Alexander Chernev, Anno 2025

 

MODULE 2

TBD

Teaching methods

Lectures, business game simulations, team work and student presentations

Assessment methods

MODULE 1

Attending students

Markstrat final presentation: 50%

Written exam: 50%

Written exam will consist of a mix of multiple choices, open ended questions and questions related to a case study.

Global Marketing 9 ed. Keegan Green, 2017

Chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 12

Non attending students

Written exam: 100%

Written exam will consist of a mix of multiple choices, open ended questions and questions related to a case study.

Global Marketing 9 ed. Keegan Green, 2017

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

• <18 fail
• 18−23 sufficient
• 24−27 good
• 28−30 very good
• 30 e lode excellent

MODULE 2

TBD

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Zammit

See the website of