In AY2011/12, the Marketing specialisation enrollment expanded by almost 30%, with 179 students in the new Year 2 cohort versus 138 in the previous (current Year 3) cohort. As the specialisation grows in size and student personalities become more diverse, it is timely to take stock of the core values that existing students hold, and consider how desirable values can be preserved through future generations of Marketing students.
An informal survey was conducted among the existing 138 Year 3 Marketing students. The questionnaire listed 15 potential values that a student community might collectively share. Students were asked to rate (on a scale of 1 to 5) the extent to which each value represented a commonly-held value among NBS Marketing students. A total of 69 students responded to the survey, representing 50% of the seniors class (arguably the majority view).
The results were:
There were 6 widely-shared values: Values that received ratings of predominantly 4 or 5:
These results reflect the youthfulness, dynamism, and vibrancy of the Marketing student community. Marketing students clearly embrace fun and seek activities through which they can express their ideas/opinions and display their creative energy. They are competitive and yet cordial to one another.
A few quotes from the qualitative responses to the survey:
- “NBS Marketing students are more fun-loving and are more willing to help one another.”
- “Marketing students are more outspoken and ready to share their ideas/opinions. They are also generally the better groomed and well dressed bunch of students in NBS.”
- “Marketing students are far more creative than students in other specialisations…”
- “Marketing students tend to have more ideas than students from other majors.”
- “Marketing students are more expressive and confident and they take pride in their own work.”
- “I find that NBS Marketing students are the friendliest people in campus.”
- “We will exhibit our competitiveness when needed, like during exams. I feel that the Marketing students tend to look out for one another, which is a plus-point!
These characteristics should be preserved to enhance learning. - “NBS Marketing students (or at least, those who are here by choice) are truly passionate about the specialisation.”
- “The association of marketers being great presenters is something to be preserved”
- “Marketing students are very welcoming, cooperative and are willing to take time to know each other. Great team players who are sensitive of (or at least curious about) lifestyles and cultures.”
Moderately-shared values received ratings of predominantly 3 or 4 (with a high percentage of 4s):
These results suggest that most Marketing students treat the “serious stuff” (e.g., studying, practicing professional conduct, upholding integrity, engaging in business ventures, and promoting social causes) as at least somewhat important but don’t go out to embrace them as core values.
Qualitative responses include:
- “Marketing students seem to be more laid back… They are more willing to settle for less and are less likely to push themselves to achieve a higher standard of work through critical analysis and constructive discussion.”
- “Marketing’s students’ outgoing, enthusiastic, confident traits are commendable however we need to be more mature in our professionalism and number-crunching skills.”
- “Future generations of Marketing students should be instilled with diligence…”
- “I hope that future generations of marketing students will be able to uphold integrity and embrace values and ethics to bring Marketing to a whole new level and understanding for members of the public.”
- “There needs to be more work [done] on honing other skills and areas, like number-crunching, being more ambitious and innovative. There’s this tendency to regurgitate points given by profs and textbooks rather than challenging them, simply because it’s easier, faster and you don’t end up feeling out of place, etc.”
- “As a whole, marketing students are less “hungry” and many have chosen marketing simply because we wanted to avoid the numbers game.”
- “They like to make quick decisions versus doing extensive research behind a decision. This can be good and bad in its own ways. I would like a balance in this thinking. Research and weighing things out are also important
- “Marketing students should stay fun-loving but shed their laziness.”
- “We are still quite… conservative in many aspects, usually afraid to try things beyond our boundaries, and those are things which I hope future generations will be able to adopt.”
- “One characteristic that ought to be shed: feeling inferior to students from other specialisations – due to results and maybe also future job prospects.”
The question is: Should anything be done to get Marketing students to be more “serious”?
There were also 3 values which were not widely-shared. These values received ratings of predominantly 3 or 4 (with a high percentage of 3s)
Although it was expected that Marketing students do not care so much about formality/decorum, it is interesting that humility and courtesy/graciousness are among the least embraced values. This poses another question: Should this be an issue of concern? (Perhaps this is the new normal in today’s Gen-Y age?)
A few qualitative quotes:
- “The high level of competitiveness often results in people being too aggressive in their approach to countering arguments. Sometimes their questions or remarks appear to be directed at the person and not at the concept.”
- “A handful who may even be a bit too vocal..”
- “The students however, should decrease their competitiveness to a certain extent and learn to evaluate and work with other people’s ideas more fairly”
- “Marketing students are sometimes seen as “bluffing” our way through and this less-than-complimentary perception should be changed.”
Tell us what you think, leave a comment today!
This report was compiled by :
Dr. Lewis Lim
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Advisor, MarkeTHINK Club
Leave a comment!
I think the results are rather representative and provided some very valuable insights. We now know where we are strong at (selling points) and how we can improve ourselves.
Prof Lewis, do you conduct this every year? It might be interesting to know if the trend will change over time :p
Dear Sufan,
Sure; I can certainly conduct the survey every year (for as long as I’m around!
).
Cheers,
Lewis