Marketing

The Department of Marketing

This is one of the largest departments at the School, consisting of two main subjects: Marketing and Logistics and Corporate Geography. Teaching is provided at undergraduate, MSc and PhD levels. In Marketing we are specialized in service- and relationship marketing, which has been chosen as an Area of Strength at Hanken. We have been pioneers in this area, which during the last decade has been recognized globally as essential for companies' future success. The study programme in Logistics and Corporate Geography (formerly Economic Geography) is a study area that emphasises the international business environment of the firm, culture, regional studies, business logistics and international distribution. Details of all courses can be found in the Study handbook.

Helsinki
Visiting address: wing towards Runebergsgatan, 3rd floor.
Head: Veronica Liljander, Professor
Amanuensis: Malin Wikstedt

Vaasa
Visiting address: Kauppapuistikko 2, 2nd floor
Deputy Head: Peter Björk, Professor

The subject Marketing - Helsinki

Subject Marketing

The goal of studies in marketing are that students learn to understand how companies and other organisations, in different contexts - consumer markets, services, industrial markets, international markets - conducts their relations with consumers and end users, and with partners such as suppliers, distributors, financial stakeholders and networks. Such relations can be found in the traditional physical marketplace, as in markets enabled by the Internet, mobile, or other technologies. Students will learn models, methods and techniques to analyze marketing problems, consumer behaviour, companies' buying behaviour, customer relationships etc. Further, students learn to make and follow up on decisions regarding the marketing of goods, services, and systems. Studies in marketing are management and customer oriented. Through the choice of courses and theses subjects it is possible to study some areas in more depth.

Marketing at Hanken is specialised in the area of service and relationship marketing, which has been choses as an Area of Strenght by the school.

Marketing jobs

Students with a Master of Science Degree in Marketing mainly work with marketing related tasks: planning and analysis, decision making and implementation, marketing or sales management, or other sales tasks, in both big and small companies in the goods sector (brand manager, marketing manager), within services (e.g. bank manager, consultant), or in the industrial sector at home or abroad. A large part of graduated students work in consultance companies, such as advertising agencies, marketing research companies, marketing- and communication companies, management consultant companies etc. Marketers also find jobs in the public sector and in international (private, public, non-profit) organisations. In addition, general management jobs are also open to people with a Master in Marketing Degree.

Example of posititions: CRM-director, Export manager, Seller, Account Manager, Key Account Manager, Brand Manager, Sales Manager, Buyer, Bank Manager, Marketing Assistant, Marketing Manager, Project Leader at an Ad agency, Ad Director, Consultant

Bachelor studies in marketing gives the student insights into different sub-areas. The courses aim to install in students a general marketing and customer oriented way of thinking. It is possible to substitute courses with studies at one of Hanken's exchange universities. Hanken students has the additional possibility of studying at one of the universities that is connected to the European Marketing Network, an EU - network where only one university per country can participate (in Finland it is Hanken).

Advanced studies in marketing are management oriented. Students learn to analyze in more detail specific sub areas of marketing. In-depth knowledge of research methods gives a sound basis for conducting both market and marketing research, and to analyze research problems and to critically evaluate reports produced by others.

The subject Marketing - Vasa

... the information is being updated...

Doctoral programme in Marketing

The Department of Marketing has an ambitious doctoral studies programme that aims to provide students with in-depth knowledge of their own research area, knowledge of a variety of research methods and the ability to apply them to their own research problem, and create new scholarly knowledge. The focus of the programme is to prepare the graduates for a career as researchers. Information on how to apply and other instructions van be found under studies.

Doctoral studies at the Department of Marketing includes: 1) a minimum of 40 ECTS courses taught at Hanken, 2) courses offered by the Finnish graduate school in business studies ( KATAJA), and 3) international courses offered by, for example, EDEN Programme (part of EIASM, the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management, http://www.eiasm.org/index1.html).

Our research focus is on service and relationship marketing, and primarily on theory development. Use of a wide variety of methods is encouraged, including traditional quantitative methods analyzed with modern programmes (SPSS, Lisrel, PLS), and qualitative methods, such as interview data, observation, narratives, or critical incident studies. Students can choose between writing a traditional monograph (well suited for theory development) or doing an essay thesis. All students are encouraged to publish their work in well renowned international scientific journals

All doctoral students are strongly encouraged to spend at least one term as a visiting student at a foreign university.

Doctoral students do their research within our research and knowledge center, Center for Relationship Marketing and Service Management CERS, which was founded in 1994. The center offers facilities (desk and computer in a shared office) to about 20 fulltime doctoral students and post doctoral researchers. CERS is financed partly by business partners, and organizes workshops for academia and practitioners.

Research in Marketing

The faculty of the Department of Marketing, together with the doctoral students, post doc researchers and guest scholars at the Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management (CERS) focus a large part of their research on service and relationship marketing.

Research in service marketing and management at the department is as old as the international research within the field, with the first doctoral thesis being defended in 1979 (Christian Grönroos). In the 1980s when relationship marketing started to develop as a service-based and business network-based perspective, the department was again among the pioneers. In particular Professor Grönroos, but later also other researchers at the department have influenced the development of an internationally accepted school of marketing thought, referred to as the "Nordic School". It is recognized as one of the three leading schools of though in services marketing (Berry, L.L. & Parasuraman, A.: Building a New Academic Field - The Case of Services Marketing. Journal of Retailing, Vol. 69, No. 1, 1993, pp. 13-60). Beside a focus on service management, another research tradition, the IMP tradition that focuses on business relationships and networks has been actively represented at the department. The ambition has been to use these two traditions as an inspiration and opportunity for synthesis. Lately, research has extended into digital media service research.

In 1994 the Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management (CERS) was founded as a knowledge centre related to the department. In the beginning the centre focused on research concerning the influence of customer relationships and business networks on the competitiveness of firms. This focus is still valid but has developed to include, for example, technology-mediated services and marketing communication. An indication of the strength of the research tradition is the fact that the department has more than 20 active doctoral students with research projects that are related to the aforementioned topics.

When CERS was founded it was evaluated by external evaluators. Professor Evert Gummesson from Stockholm University and Professor Lars-Gunnar Mattsson from Stockholm School of Economics summarized as follows:

The focus of the research is well timed as the international receptivity to novel marketing thinking has opened up during the past few years; the approach is international and the network of international contacts which the members of the research theme possess is well developed, even unique; the reputation of the senior researchers is well established; and, finally, by being early in addressing the foundations of the currently emerging paradigm of relationship marketing - through extensive research in service marketing and within the network approach of industrial marketing, some of it going back to the 1970s - the researchers are well equipped to stand out in the international research community. (Gummesson)

In conclusion, it is my opinion that the research groups has very competent leadership, that the senior and "semi-senior" researchers have good merits within the area of the research theme, that they have an international orientation and in a considerable degree are on the "research frontier". A very important observation is that there are many cases of co-authorships (the researchers are used to cooperate) and that both service researchers (service marketing and management) and network researchers (networks in industrial marketing) are represented in the group. (Mattsson)

Today, research within the Centre of Excellence includes all interaction (dialogue) with customers, regardless of channel, location (national, international), or industry. Our view of the research field is broad rather than narrow.

See CERS (Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management)

Hanken's research database CRIS includes information about current research activities. The researchers themselves update their information so that staff, students and externals can obtain up-to-date information about the research conducted at Hanken.

Contact information can be found on the researchers own home pages or through the tools on the right.

The Subject Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography

The aim of the major Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography is to develop the abilities of students to manage problems related to supply chain management and corporate geography. The core topics of the major are

• Facility location
• Environmental management, corporate social responsibility
• Development theories
• Business environments
• Supply chain management
• Humanitarian logistics
• Services logistics and geographies

We encourage students to develop company contacts and experience as part of their studies, via offering a project course, and conducting studies in and with companies, in particular in bachelors' and masters' theses. We emphasise interactive and personal supervision of students' work. More information about education in Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography (courses and faculty) can be found at the major's own webpage. The major is also responsible for Hanken's interdisciplinary minor in Corporate Responsibility.

The major Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography is part of the Department of Marketing.

Recommended course structure for the integrated BSc/MSc programmein Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography

The following course structure is recommended in the major: Course structure 2009/10 [pdf] 196k

NB! Only the courses of the major Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography are shown in this structure. Courses in the minor(s), optional courses, and programme-bound courses are not denoted here. The course structure is bound to changes; this is the structure for the academic year 2009/2010, with some indications for 2010/2011. Courses can also be taken at other universities in Finland and abroad.

Career Development

Studies in the major prepare for the management of a variety of tasks in an international business environment. Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography graduates typically work in an international environment, both in the private and public sector. Our graduates are placed at, for example, embassies, FINPRO and many multinational corporations in Finland and abroad. There is also a growing demand for business graduates with a specialisation in corporate responsibility. What is more, the job market in logistics / supply chain management is very attractive at the moment. Graduates often find their first jobs at international logistics companies, or work within supply chain management at multinational corporations.

Potential job titles: logistics manager, supply chain manager, key account manager, purchasing manager, operations manager, environmental manager, CSR manager, community relations advisor, GIS specialist...

Masters Programme in Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography

Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography can be chosen as a major in Hanken's integrated MSc programme. Students can also apply for an MSc programme in the major in Swedish. (Please consult the Swedish sites for more information.) Some MSc level courses are given in English.

Doctoral Programme in Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography

The studies leading to a Ph.D. degree require four years of full-time study, of which approximately one year consists of course work. The thesis project constitutes the remaining part of the degree and is carried out under active supervision. Those who have completed a university level Master's degree can apply to Hanken for doctoral studies. Doctoral students may study for the degree Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration) or for the degree Doctor of Philosophy. Hanken is a member of several Finnish Graduate Schools and is involved in active collaboration with international networks and other universities. This guarantees the availability of a wide range of courses and other scholarly activities to our students. The subject of Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography also arranges subject-specific courses as well as takes part in arranging the Managing the Research Process (MRP) course. MRP provides the tools and information needed in order to finish a PhD thesis. The subject-specific courses focus on interesting themes according to the needs of doctoral students in the subject. The subject also has good national and international contacts. International research collaboration and exchange is especially encouraged.

Research in Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography

Publications are found in the database DHanken.

Hanken's research database CRIS includes information about current research activities. The researchers themselves update their information so that staff, students and externals can obtain up-to-date information about the research conducted at Hanken.

Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography research is also conducted at the Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Research Institute (HUMLOG Institute).

Contact information can be found on the researchers own home pages or through the tools on the right.