Why not teach some marketing theory?. (1st January 2002)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pearson, Gordon
• Is Part Of: International journal of management and decision making. Volume 3:Number 1(2002)
• Page Start: 96
• Page End: 105
• Publication Date: 2002-01-01
• Subjects: marketing curriculum -- branding -- technology -- consumer choice -- fragmentation -- symbolic capital -- marketing research; Decision making -- Periodicals; Management -- Periodicals; 658.403005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-4621

Abstract

A surprising degree of standardisation has been established around the core marketing curriculum as taught in our business schools. This standard curriculum, stemming largely from US marketing literature, is extremely broad and because of its breadth its treatment is necessarily superficial. Moreover, the standard curriculum appears more relevant to yesterday's situation rather than tomorrow. This paper considers some contributions to the rethinking of this standard curriculum. The advance of science and technology is changing the world of marketing and marketing's customers. As a consequence, some areas of marketing are becoming more important than others. It is suggested that more substantial theoretical topics in marketing, including consumption, branding and symbolic capital, qualitative research and consumers doing marketing should be included in the core marketing curriculum. This would be both more useful to practitioners and provide more interesting opportunities to researchers.