Grades Will Be Posted 28 December

Services Marketing grades will be posted on the 28th of December (or earlier). You may review your final assessment in my office. Office hours (subject to change) will occur from 11 to 1 p.m. on 28 December and 10 to 12 noon on 29 December. Best wishes to all!

Want To See What An "A" Final Assessment Looks Like? Read This!

Hooray, hooray, here's an A! If you would like to see how a student earns an A on the Services Marketing Final Assessment, read this paper.

Here are the reasons why this is an outstanding paper:

1. The student used the template that I provided and so the report was professionally organized. I did not have to search for data. The report had a natural flow to it. 
2. The student exerted effort beyond the norm. Graphs were not required, but she included them. References were not required, but she included them. In many instances, she did more than the minimum work required. 
3. Her English usage is not perfect, but it is beyond adequate. Plus, with some coaching she can further develop her writing skills without having to first learn basic English. (I hope to see her in my Special Topics in Management class).  
4. She gathered more data than did other students. She sought out references (i.e. a formula from Entrepreneur magazine) to assist her in developing answers to at least one question. 
5. She spent time thinking about the information/data she collected and making sense of it. She then turned her information into solid recommendations — she did not, as most students did, state the obvious. She thought outside of the box and developed a professional plan. She did not rely on the person she interviewed to give her the answers . . . she came up with the answers. Most students did not. 

For the reasons above, this paper exhibits A qualities. An A is something very special — it means not only beyond the norm, but beyond "good" or even "very good". It denotes excellence. An A must be earned, and while every student has the opportunity to earn an A, an A requires skills and commitment.

If your final assessment did not earn an A, compare it to this project and you will understand why.

By the way, I purposely concealed the student's identity.

Final Assessment Grading Scales

After I grade your final assessment, including your in-class presentation, you will receive an email from me with a copy of your graded paper. You will find numbers/points at the end of the file -- the numbers relate to the grading scales. The grade on your final assessment is not necessarily your final grade for the semester -- the final grade for the semester will be posted in SIS. Best wishes! 

Deadline Approaching; Presentations Begin 15 December In The Classroom

Hooray, hooray, your weeks of work are coming to a conclusion . . . your final assessment deadline is 12 December and your final presentation will occur in the classroom beginning Monday 15 December. You are expected to attend all class sessions and listen to all presentations. Come to class on time (early, in fact). Please review the presentation guidelines . . . make sure you email your PPT to yourself and to me (for backup) so that it is ready to load when you are called to present. I am looking forward to some insightful presentations! Best wishes. 

The Anton Case: What Would You Do?

You have already read the Anton Case and discussed it in the classroom. If you need to review the case, simply click on the assignment for 24 November and you can click to the case itself. Now that you've read and discussed the case, there's one burning question that still must be answered.

Should Anton be fired? Yes, No, and in either case, why?

Here's what to do:

1. Scroll to the Comments section at the end of this article. Click on the link to add Comments. 
2. Answer the question: Should Anton be fired? Explain your answer. You will need to write at least 2-3 sentences to explain yourself. Be sure to include your name and GUST ID in your Comment. 
3. Read the Comments from your fellow classmates. Select one Comment and Reply to it. Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate's Comment.  Be sure to include your name and GUST ID in your Comment. Otherwise, you cannot get credit for this assignment. 
4. Deadline: Complete both Comments no later than Tuesday 25 November at 10 pm in Kuwait.

Remember: I am looking for critical and creative thinkers! 

Your Final Assessment Action Plan: Here's How To Do It!

When you come to consult with me in my office on Monday 1 December, you must bring a print out of your Action Plan. The plan should be complete -- that is, every step that you need to take to complete your final assessment should be on the Action Plan. On 26 November, our TA, Ms. Majda, will teach you how to complete the Action Plan. Every time you come to my office to consult with me, make certain you bring an updated print out of your Action Plan. This document provides instructions for completing an Action Plan and this document is an Action Plan Template. 

Bonus Points: Attend Marketing Club Lectures

Students who attend presentations sponsored by the GUST Marketing Club are eligible for bonus points. You must sign in when you attend the various speeches. The points will be added by my discretion at the end of the semester.

Presentations are as follows:

Sunday 23 November- W1-010 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Ahmed Al Mutawa will speak about his service company that caters to small and medium businesses as well as talking about how to start up your own business and how to market it.

Monday 24 November- W1-010 - 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Abdulaziz Al Obaid will speak about pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams. Yousef Ramadhan, a well known blogger, will talk about how he markets his books.

Tuesday 25 November - W1-010 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lawyer Saleh Al Methen will lecture about how to protect your brand identity as well as the legal issues that most small business face.  Hind Al Naheth will talk about how to market your product and service through social media.