Teaching What Society Needs: “Hacking” an Introductory Marketing Course With Sustainability and Macromarketing

Abstract

Marketing classes are often focused on the micro level, failing to account for wider societal issues. In this article, we argue for the inclusion of a wider macro-sustainability focus, one that “hacks” marketing education. With that objective in mind, we developed and delivered an introductory marketing course that integrated both the micro and the macro, thus infusing the course with macro-sustainability. This was done through an “expanded voice” perspective that included alternate complementary micro and macro class sessions while using a traditional managerial marketing textbook supplemented by macro-sustainability materials. We also integrated a controversies approach to support discussion and learning. We taught this course to 150 undergraduate students and conducted both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the course, including comparing results with an “unhacked” marketing course. Findings indicated increased awareness of macro-sustainability topics and movement on appreciation of sustainability and the role marketing can have in achieving this awareness. Finally, we offer a model of how marketing classes at all levels can be “hacked” with a macro-sustainability approach.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Course: Business Students’ Perspectives on an Optimized Modality of Online Teaching and Learning

“…According to Xie et al (2018), synchronous and asynchronous online modalities differ along five dimensions: communication tools, feedback types, input methods, collaboration modes, and targeted skills. However, distinctions between the two modalities have become blurred: educators adopt the same tools and collaboration modes when teaching in both modalities and use a mixture of the modalities for remote teaching (Ackerman & Gross, 2021; Peterson, 2021; Ramo et al, 2021; Wang & Wang, 2021; Watson et al, 2021), in line with the students’ preference.…”

“…Therefore, instructors may consider contents or activities that maximize social interactions for their synchronous meetings and leave the more traditional contents such as lecture handouts and video clips for self-study. Examples of interactive synchronous components include brainstorming sessions (on project ideas or the real-world application of vital concepts or theories covered in the course), role-playing sessions, developing group contracts for course project, inviting guest speakers, and playing online games in which students compete against each other on course subject matter (Heilporn et al, 2021; Ramo et al, 2021; Watson et al, 2021). During the synchronous sessions, instructors may also consider using tools that are typically adopted in asynchronous courses, such as discussion board and collaboration documents (Ackerman & Gross, 2021).…”

“…According to the self-determination theory, the three psychological needs of sense of control, feeling of competence, and feeling of relatedness have to be fulfilled for students to be intrinsically motivated to learn; additionally, social interactions with instructor and fellow students are essential factors to support the three needs (Fabriz et al, 2021;Ryan & Deci, 2000). Therefore, instructors may consider contents or activities that maximize social interactions for their synchronous meetings and leave the more traditional contents such as lecture handouts and video clips for (Heilporn et al, 2021;Ramo et al, 2021;Watson et al, 2021). During the synchronous sessions, instructors may also consider using tools that are typically adopted in asynchronous courses, such as discussion board and collaboration documents (Ackerman & Gross, 2021).…”

“…On the website of Kansas State University (n.d.), simple strategies for synchronous and asynchronous online teaching are highlighted. In a Turkish university, Watson et al, 2021 completely redesign an introductory marketing course with sustainability and macromarketing via a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous formats. Ackerman and Gross (2021) investigate the effective use of the discussion board, a tool typically associated with asynchronous courses, in a synchronous course.…”

Building on a Long Needed Seminal Contribution

“…This author is currently part of a team actively promoting the use of a “controversies” approach to develop a fuller student appreciation of macromarketing issues and concerns (Shapiro et al 2021; Watson et al 2022). Students are first presented with a variety of options on how a particular matter should be handled or resolved.…”