A survey was undertaken with executives from marketing research firms and marketing faculty who teach the undergraduate research course. Each group was asked comparable questions about desired course delivery methods, course content, and statistical coverage. Several significant gaps were found between the two groups but none larger than the perception of which statistical methods should be taught in the undergraduate research class. It is clear that both groups could benefit from learning more about each other's preferences and reasoning.Thegoalofundergraduatemarketingresearchcoursesisto provide needed skills, thinking, and processes to students who desire to work either within the research field or as managers and users of research information. Either way, students need to understand the nature of the industry and the strategies and methods that are available to conduct a study. Even students who have no desire to become marketing research practitioners will need to understand the intricacies of research in order to understand research specialists, to evaluate their work, and to use the information in decision making.To teach students to perform well in the business world, it behooves professors to design their classes in a way that provides students with the tools and approaches they need. How can we be sure, though, that what we are teaching in the undergraduate marketing research class-or any class for that matter-is what is needed at the other end of the channel? That is the essence of what this study intends to address.
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