MKT 574: Customer Relationship Management

Fall Semester, 2015

Instructor: Alma Mintu-Wimsatt
Email: Alma.Wimsatt@tamuc.edu
Office: BA 327
Office Hours: Teleconference M-Th 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. OR Th 5:00-6:00 in Commerce
Phone: (214) 534-1494 - cell

Instructor Background - Dr. Alma Mintu-Wimsatt, Professor of Marketing, received her Ph.D. in Marketing from
the University of Kentucky in 1990. Dr. Mintu joined TAMU-Commerce in 1992. Since joining TAMU-C, Dr.
Mintu-Wimsatt has been recognized both in research and teaching. Of her accomplishments, Dr. Mintu is most
proud of her Texas A & M Spring (2012, 2011) and Fall Teaching Excellence Awards (2011, 2010, 2009), Paul W.
Barrus Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching and H.M. Lafferty Distinguished Faculty Award for Scholarship
and Creative Activity. Dr. Mintu was also named in the 2004 Texas Monthly’s Guide to Texas Colleges &
Universities as one of the best instructors to take at TAMU-C.

SYLLABUS
Welcome to Customer Relationship Management! This course hopes to keep our MBA
students in the cutting edge of today’s marketing practices. This class will explore the
opportunities and challenges presented by a popular business practice - Customer Relationship
Management (CRM). CRM is considered the new "mantra" of marketing.

Student Conduct:

Texas A&M-Commerce will comply in the classroom, and in online courses, with all federal and
state laws prohibiting discrimination and related retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or veteran status. Further, an
environment free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or
gender expression will be maintained.

Academic Honesty Policy:

All students are required to read, sign and date TAMU-C’s Academic Honesty Policy. The AHP
will be e-mailed to you as an attachment by Dr. Mintu at the start of the semester. Students are
required to print, sign and return the completed AHP during the first day on Sept. 3rd.

Course Overview/Description:

Emphasis will be placed on the development of an understanding of Relationship Marketing,

CRM theory and CRM applications through a series of discussions, cases, and exams.

The course has the following primary objectives:

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1. To understand the premise of Relationship Marketing, the foundation for CRM, and the
meaning of "creating value" for customers.

2. To identify the key elements of implementing a CRM strategy consistent with the changing
legal and ethical parameters in business.

3. To understand the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) contexts of

CRM.

4. To familiarize students with data mining and strategic uses of information.

5. To expose students to important companies with innovative CRM strategies.

This class will primarily rely on CURRENT popular press publications. Students will need to use
several search engines for discussion/case/exercise purposes.

IMPORTANT: For this MKT 574 course, you will find that the schedule has established.
Students are expected to keep up with the course’s requirements and pace. Strict attendance will
be observed. All deadlines are absolute and no extra credit is awarded. A detailed syllabus is
provided for your direction. Students are strongly advised to keep a hard copy of this syllabus
handy at all times. E-mail Dr. Mintu ASAP for additional questions you may have.

Please read and review this syllabus carefully. If you think that the set-up of this specific course
will not work with your own schedule/style, please reconsider your enrollment and look for
another option. If you intend to drop this course, please make sure that all administrative
requirements for dropping are completed. Otherwise, if your name appears in the class roster at
the time grades are to be submitted - you will receive an "F."

Textbook and Other Resource Materials:

There is NO required textbook for MKT 574. Instead, we will use a variety of external sources.
This will mean that students would have to conduct extensive research - particularly in the
mainstream business literature. A Reading List has been provided (under Reading Materials). All
these articles are available using TAMU-C library's electronic databases. It is the student's
responsibility to conduct the necessary search for the citations provided. If you are unfamiliar
with how to use the library's databases to search for articles, contact Dr. Mintu so you can be
emailed guidelines on searching for journal articles using TAMUC’s databases.

Business magazines such as Forbes, Marketing News and Bloomberg Businessweek will also
prove to be very beneficial. The library will have these magazines as well. Specifically for
Bloomberg Businessweek (formerly known as Business Week) and Forbes articles, if you are
searching using their website - Businessweek.com & Forbes.com, note that dates/title may vary
from the hard copy reference provided in your syllabus. However, if you use the library's
electronic database - then the provided citation should be accurate.

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Marketing News and Marketing Management, published by the American Marketing
Association, are journals that you can access using the library's database. If you do not access
these journals using the library, membership will be required by AMA. By utilizing the library's
databases, you will NOT have to pay to get a copy of articles referenced in your syllabus.

For more information on utilizing TAMUC’s library’s resources, contact:

Sarah H. Northam
Research & Instruction
TAMU-Commerce Libraries
Sarah.Northam@tamuc.edu
(903) 886-5714

Course Schedule:

The following schedule has been provided for your convenience. Please follow carefully.

Week Dates Topics/Chapters/Due Dates

LECTURE TOPIC: Introduction - Relationship Marketing

 Overview and definition of CRM

Sept.  Impact of CRM on marketing
Week #1
3
Discussion:
Topic (1) Introduce yourself, and
Topic (2) Questions on course requirements
LECTURE TOPIC: Foundation of CRM

 Key components of CRM

Sept.
Week #2  Technology & organizational issues
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Discussion: The Reincarnation of Relationship Marketing (Marketing
News, Dec. 31, 2012, p. 11)
Case Study #1: The Experienced Relationship (Marketing
Management, Summer, 2010, p. 10-eoa [end-of-article])
Sept.
Week #3
17 Submission due: Sept. 17th

Discussion: Case #1

Sept.
24 No class

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 LECTURE TOPIC: CRM contexts

 B2B (business-to-business)
 B2C (business-to-customer)
Week #4 Oct. 1
 Consumer lifetime value (LTV)

Discussion: Getting Engaged (Marketing Management, Fall, 2012, p.

4-eoa)
Case Study #2: Testing the Value of Customization (Journal of
Marketing, Vol 73 (Sept., 2009), pp. 103-121).
Week #5 Oct. 8
Submission due: Oct. 1st

Discussion: Case #2
LECTURE TOPIC: Creating value

 Customer-centric culture
Oct.  Customer acquisition
Week #6
15  Customer retention

Discussion: Customer Service is the 'Sine Qua Non' of Relationship

Marketing (Marketing Management, November, 2013, p. 22-eoa)
Case Study #3: Know Your Customers (Marketing Management,
January/February, 2009, p. 37-eoa)
Oct.
Week #7
22 Submission due: Oct. 16th

Discussion: Case #3
Mid-Term Oct.
Mid-Term
Exam 29
LECTURE TOPIC: Customer loyalty

 Brand equity
 Satisfaction
Week #8 Nov. 5
 Supply chain management

Discussion: Your Employees Are Your Brand (Marketing News, Oct.

30, 2010. p. 22-eoa)
Case Study #4: The Experience of Loyalty (Marketing
Management, Winter, 2012, p. 17-eoa)
Nov.
Week #9
12
Submission due: Nov. 5th

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 Discussion: Case #4
LECTURE TOPIC: Database marketing

 Data mining
 Privacy and legal issues
Nov.
Week #10 Case Study #5: The Data Knows (Bloomberg Businessweek, Sept.
19
12-16, 2011, p. 70-eoa)

Submission due: Nov. 12th

Discussion: Case #5
Nov.
Thanksgiving – no class
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Discussion: Database Marketing

Personalized Pricing (Bloomberg Businessweek, Nov. 18, 2013, p. 88-

eoa)
Week #11 Dec. 3
10 Minutes with Scott Howe (Marketing News, November, 2013, p.
50-eoa)

What's a Friend Worth? (Bloomberg Businessweek, June 1, 2009, p.

32-eoa)
LECTURE TOPIC: Evaluation

 Establishing CRM measures

 Evaluating success

Discussion: Future of CRM

Dec. 10 Minutes with Kristin Bush (Marketing News, 9/30/2009), p. 26-eoa

Week #12
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Go to Forbes.com to 'search' for the following articles:

The CRM of the Future Will Recommend New Customers

Automatically by Darian Shirazi (9/3/2013)

How Cloud Integration is Defining the Future of CRM by Louis

Columbus (5/21/2013)
Final Dec.
Final exam
Exam 17

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Reading Materials: The following articles are available in TAMU-C library's database.

OVERVIEW OF CRM:

Winer (2001), "Framework for Customer Relationship Management," California Management

Review, Vol. 43 (4), p. 89-eoa [end-of-article].

Jain (2005), "CRM Shifts the Paradigm," Journal of Strategic Marketing, Vol. 13, December, p.
275-eoa.

Wyner (2007), "Relationship Management Revisted," Marketing Management,

January/February, p. 10-eoa.

Olasz (2006), "Marketing's Role in a Relationship Age," Baylor Business Review, Vol. 24 (4), p.
2-eoa.

FOUNDATION OF CRM:

Sheth (2012), "The Reincarnation of Relationship Marketing," Marketing Management, Dec. 31,
p. 11-eoa.

Crosby (2010), "The Experienced Relationship," Marketing Management, Summer, p. 10-eoa.

Vence (2007), "CRM: You Know What it Stands For, But You May Not Know What it Means,"
Marketing News, Sept. 15, 2007, p. 12-eoa.

Schieffer & Leninger (2008), "Customers at the Core," Marketing Management, Jan./Feb., p. 31-
eoa.

Raman et al. (2006), "Leveraging CRM for Sales: The Role of Organizational Capabilities in
Successful CRM Implementation," Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 26
(1), p. 39-eoa.

Roberts et al. (2005), "Strategy, Technology, and Organizational Alignment: Key Component of
CRM Success," (Journal of) Database Marketing & Customer Strategy, Vol. 12 (4), p. 315-eoa.

CRM CONTEXTS:

Wyner (2012), "Getting Engaged," Marketing Management, Fall, p. 4-eoa.

Franke et. al (2009), "Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer
Products Tailored to Their Preferences," Journal of Marketing, 73 (Sept.), pp. 103-121.

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Friedmann (2011), "What Business Are You In," Marketing Management, Summer, p. 18-eoa.

Pine et al. (1995), "Do You Want to Keep Your Customers Forever?" Harvard Business Review,
March/April, p. 103-eoa.

Wilson (2006), "Developing New Business Strategies in B2B Markets by Combining CRM
Concepts and Online Databases," CR, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 38-eoa.

CREATING VALUE & LOYALTY:

Duboff & Gilligan (2012), "The Experience of Loyalty," Marketing Management, Winter, p. 17-
eoa.

Slater et. al (2009), "Know Your Customers," Marketing Management, January/February, p. 37-
eoa.

Levy (2010), "How to Reach the New Consumer," Marketing News, February 28, 2010, p. 16-
eoa.

Wilson (2010), "Beyond Listening," Marketing Management, Winter, p. 27-eoa.

Liang et al. (2006), "Customer Centric Information Systems," Journal of Management

Information Systems, Vol. 23 (3), p. 9-eoa.

Breur et al. (2006), "The Importance of Focus for Generating Customer Value," Journal of
Financial Services Marketing, Vol. 11 (1), p. 64-eoa.

Blanchard (2007), "Why Leaders Need to Put Customers First," Financial Executive,
July/August, p. 36-eoa.

Jones & Sasser (1995), "Why Satisfied Customer Defect," Harvard Business Review,
November/December, p. 88-eoa.

Berman (2006), "Developing an Effective Customer Loyalty Program," California Management

Review, No. 49 (1), p. 123-eoa.

DATABASE MARKETING:

"The Data Knows," Bloomberg Businessweek, Sept. 12-16, 2011, p. 70-eoa.

Moskowitz et al. (2006), "Databasing the Shopper's Mind," (Journal of) Database Marketing &
Customer Strategy Management, Vol. 13 (2), p. 144-eoa.

Robertshaw & Marr (2006), "The Implications of Incomplete and Spurious Personal Information
Disclosures for Direct Marketing Practice," (Journal of) Database Marketing & Customer
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Strategy Management, Vol. 13 (3) p. 186-eoa.

EVALUATION:

Payne & Frow (2005), "A Strategic Framework for CRM," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 69
(October), p. 167-eoa.

Ryals (2005), "Marketing CRM Work: The Measurement & Profitable Management of Customer
Relationships," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 69 (October), p. 252-eoa.
Course Participation & Attendance:

The “success” of this class is highly dependent on the interaction generated by students. CRM is
a very interesting and challenging subject. Students’ comments and ideas regarding specific
topical areas are encouraged. Most importantly, students’ participation on the assigned readings,
articles and cases will be heavily weighted.

However, “participation” does not mean “how much time you spend talking in class.” It means
substantive participation in the class as a whole – discussing relevant readings and interacting
with other students. As an inducement to participate, 50 points will be assigned for participation.
Obviously, an absent student will be unable to participate and therefore, will be penalized.
Students are expected to arrive on time. If you are going to be late – you might as well be absent!

Grading rubric: 50 points

Disengaged Acceptable Commendable Completely engaged

Student attends Student attends all classes,

Student attends all classes & demonstrates high
all classes with Demonstrates some level of preparation,
Student attends
minimal discussion interest, provides substantive
all classes
input into the preparedness & contributions & consistently
discussion engagement engaged throughout the
semester

< 30 points 31-38 points 39-45 points 46-50 points

Case Studies:

MKT 574 students are expected to effectively communicate their ideas and opinions in class
using case studies. Students will analyze 5 current CRM trends and/or cutting edge topical areas.
The details are as follows:

For each assigned case, questions will be provided for students to analyze and submit the week
prior to the due date. This will ensure that students proceed in analyzing each case within the
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context of previous class discussions and able to tie-in the concepts in keeping with the grading
rubric presented below.

Each student will be required to submit a 1-page (page restriction will be strictly observed)
single-spaced type-written case analysis (TEXT only, not including references or title page).
References should be included in a separate page, if utilized. To guide you in your case analysis,
be sure to read the appropriate lecture notes and/or readings (see Reading Materials). The
discussion questions (for posting purposes) will also help you frame your analysis. Cases are
due at the start of class on the due date designated in your Course Schedule. No late
submissions allowed. Students have to be in attendance in order to receive case credit.
Therefore, no emailed case submissions will be accepted. Dr. Mintu will typically have your
cases by the following class day.

Cases will be evaluated base on the following:

(1) Use of research facts to validate your recommendations/suggestions - 5 points
(2) Integration of previous and/or current lectures' concepts into the analysis. - 5 points

Grading Rubric: 10 points

Criteria Needs improvement Proficient Exemplary

Student identified &
Student did not Student identified
effectively
effectively use & utilized some
utilized relevant
Use of existing case information in case information
case information in
case facts the analysis. in the analysis.
the analysis.
0-1 point 2-3 points
4-5 points
Student did not
Student identified Student identified
demonstrate the
& related some & effectively integrated
ability to integrate
concepts currently/ concepts currently/
Integration of current/ previous
previously discussed previously discussed
relevant concepts concepts in the
in the class. in class.
analysis.
2-3 points 4-5 points
0-1 point

IMPORTANT CASE SUBMISSION RULES:

1) Be sure to follow the one-page restriction. Text written after the 1st page will not be read nor
graded. This will result in significant point penalty.

2) All cases will be submitted at the start of class. No submission via email will be accepted. No
late submission allowed.

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3) To receive case credit, a student has to be in attendance.

4) Format - The Question and Answer (Q & A) format is preferred by Dr. Mintu. This will
ensure that she does not overlook any of your responses.

5) Using additional references is allowed but not required. If using references, make sure it is
properly cited APA style. A second page is allowed for your bibliographic references only.

Exams:

There will be two exams in this class: Mid-term and Final. Please note that the Final exam is
NOT a comprehensive exam! Each exam is worth 50 points.

The exams will cover all lecture notes, discussion threads and cases. Since your lecture notes are
based on the Reading Materials provided, I strongly advise that you read these articles carefully.
Discussion threads will not be included. Sample questions and exam guidelines will be provided
the week before the exam.

The exam will be comprised of two parts:

10 items - True/False (but you need to justify your "false" answers) (20 points)
4 essay questions (30 points)

Grade Components:

Two exams 100 points

5 cases 50
Discussion/participation 50
TOTAL 200 points

The assignment of letter grades will be as follows unless a 'curve' is deemed necessary: 90% is
the cut-off for an A, 80% for a B; 70% for a C, etc. As mentioned, no extra credit is available
(see Note under Course Objectives/Description).

Student Guidelines:

Here are some Student Guidelines for the class:

• Do not dominate any discussion.
• Do not use offensive language.
• Share relevant information and/or tips with other students.
• Keep an “open-mind” and be willing to express even your minority opinion.
• Be aware of the University’s Academic Honesty and Student Conduct Policies.
• Do not hesitate to ask for feedback

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What to Expect From Dr. Mintu:

Some of you will enjoy the class (especially if you like a more practical approach) and some of
you won't. Regardless, be cognizant of the fact that I am stickler for schedules and deadlines.

1) All questions and/or comments regarding the class should be directed to Dr. Mintu as soon as
possible via e-mail or face-to-face. In case of emergency, call her on the number indicated in the
syllabus. Dr. Mintu REGULARLY checks her e-mail – so you can expect a prompt response.
Therefore, each student should always check his/her e-mail account regularly. Dr. Mintu will
attempt to respond to your e-mails within 24 hours, EXCEPT during the weekends.

2) Occasionally, current events may occur that have great relevance to marketing. E-mails may
be sent to the class with additional questions for discussion.

3) Dr. Mintu grades ALL your submissions herself. Typically, your submissions will receive her
feedback (i.e., grades/comments) by the next class period.

4) Always check your syllabus for the weekly schedule and deadlines. When in doubt – ask Dr.
Mintu.

5) If you are late – you might as well be absent!

6) I like to get to know my students fairly well. It is my intent to keep the line of communication
quite “open” – to some extent.

7) MOST IMPORTANT – Anyone caught cheating will be subject to University Policy.

Students with Disabilities:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this
legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that
provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact:

Office of Student Disability Resources and Services

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Gee Library- Room 132
Phone (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835
Fax (903) 468-8148
StudentDisabilityServices@tamuc.edu

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