Services Sector Marketing and Management Studies

you are advised to commence work on this assignment early in the semester. The assignment is based on one services industry sector of your choice, and you are required to critically analyse all aspects of the sector and its performance.

You are required to analyse the following aspects

1. Environmental scan of the sector, PESTLE, and Porters 5 forces analysis
2. You must identify the structure of the sector including all stakeholders and players, the number and type of sector members, who and how do they operate. This includes governing bodies, stakeholders and all relevant members of the sector. Who are they, what do they do and why?.
3. You will need to extensively search industry reports and materials
4. You are required to write one Report (2000 words maximum – excluding references, executive summary, title page and figures and tables are not counted). You must have a good list of references showing where you have found your information and you must reference in text. It is important to cite all work and websites you have visited. You must use journal references and practical references and websites that support you firm. Do not use textbook references. Website, magazines and other such periodicals must be referenced.

Tasks

Analysis of sector: perform an environmental scan with particular focus on services theory PESTLE, SWOT/TOWS, Porters

The purpose of this section is to indicate how the sector is currently performing. Using your knowledge from the course module 1 and from extensive research in the library and online, critically analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the current strategies, constraints, rules and regulations and practices being used in the sector. Relevant marketing theories and concepts should be applied to assist with analysis and evaluation. You must also examine the service performance indicators for the sector that are highlighted in module one.

Information that will assist you to analyse your chosen services sector can be found on the internet, governing bodies of the sector, government organisations, and consumer advocacy groups.

Your report should comprise:

1. An executive summary and introduction outlining your sector description
2. The introduction should provide an overview of what the sector is and very clearly identify the sector market. The report should comprise of a logical, sequential and persuasive arguments, justified or supported by secondary sources and journal articles. The purpose of your audit is not to simply reword or describe the sector from the literature but to offer a thorough understanding of the operational and marketing issues and capabilities facing the sector. Overall, you are writing a business case on your sector.
3. A body that includes all the analysis of business, current marketing, and internal environments and customer/user/stakeholder analysis. You must specifically conduct and include
an environmental scan,
Porters 5 forces,
PESTLE analysis,
customer analysis,
competitor analysis, and
stakeholder analysis.
4. Once you have completed all of the analytical sections, you must develop a set of important services related issues/gaps related to the way the sector is delivering the service.
5. Recommendations and Conclusion. This includes the statement of issues you have found, the gaps in the internal capability and external market forces found and a discussion and summary of the main issues facing your sector in a competitive market place and the needs of the customers. These must be specific to services marketing.

Referencing

In your report, you should use and cite all references or sources of information. A full list of references in alphabetical order MUST be included at the end of the report (before the appendices). You can also access electronic referencing guides from the library.

Appendices avoid using excessive appendix. Materials should be integrated in text.

Guidelines on writing reports are provided in the Communication skills handbook, or the library website.

You will be assessed on your:

1. Ability to locate, assess and research material related to current environmental scanning requirements. You will need to use logic and read widely to identify issues and leads to where you should research for this firm. These are important skills for a marketer to develop.
2. Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the current marketing planning process and environmental scanning requirements. You must consider and discuss the service sector measurement indicators as discussed in the module 1 material .
3. Ability to identify and assess relevant theoretical and management issues in the environmental scan and sector analysis.
4. Presentation of a logical arguments
5. Ability to justify your position with use of supporting references.
6. Communication style, including correct spelling, grammar and referencing.

Your report should be in Times New Roman 12 point with double line spacing.

Marking criteria

You can also download a PDF version of the marking criteria.

Please download the marking criteria and grade your own work. Next, attach the graded marking sheet to your submission.

Criteria

Mark

Comment

Referencing and structure/Research ability and search:

Use journals, websites and relevant materials
Use of current materials and facts related to your business
Harvard reference format used correctly
Correct business report/marketing plan style correct formal report layout
Clear headings and subheadings
Correct labelling of tables, diagrams and appendices
Correct spelling and grammar
Correct in-text referencing.
/10

Demonstrated understanding of the sector and its internal operations and external factors:

Student has used own words – not just simple rewording of the literature
Marketing practices, relevant issues and themes have been identified
Student shows knowledge of marketing issues and accesses and uses information in a logical manner
/10

Information contained is analysed and themes have been identified:

Understanding of marketing issues both internal to the sector and external have been identified
Tools and sections have been completed successfully
/10

How well is the case argued?

A marketing view and clearly identified gaps and issues for future strategic development for the sector
/10