Overview of Course

Services dominate almost all types of economies today. The service sector (e.g., banking, hospitality, tourism, retailing, healthcare) accounts for a majority of the gross domestic product (GDP) in all industrialized countries and provides most of the new jobs in many developing and highly developed nations worldwide. Consequently, it is almost a certainty that students will be earning their living – directly or indirectly – creating and delivering services. However, understanding service operations is not easy. The primary theme of the course is that service organizations require a distinctive approach to marketing strategy. This course is designed to prepare students who are pursuing marketing careers in the services or goods industries and non-marketing students as well. Through lectures, exercises and case studies students will learn key concepts of services marketing and how they can be used to create competitive advantage for businesses. The topics covered in the course include the distinctive nature of services, the importance of building relationships with consumers, designing successful services, and managing services for sustainability. The Semester at Sea voyage presents a unique learning environment in which students may observe different manifestations of services and be exposed to different service operations grounded in local environments, which will make the learning experience even more rewarding.