Programme

Course Program

The Relevance of Marketing for a More Sustainable Society
Sustainable development and market transformation
Marketing’s contribution to economic, environmental, and social value creation
The evolution from traditional marketing to sustainable marketing
Sustainable Consumer Behaviour
Consumer values, motivations, and attitudes toward sustainability
The attitude–behaviour gap
Barriers to sustainable consumption
Strategies for encouraging responsible consumer choices
Sustainable Marketing in Practice
Sustainable segmentation, targeting, and positioning
Development of sustainable products and services
Pricing, distribution, and communication of sustainability
Greenwashing, transparency, and the credibility of environmental and social claims
Sustainable Marketing Applications Across Industries
Cases and practices in the food, fashion, tourism and hospitality, service, cultural, and other relevant sectors
Comparison of sector-specific strategies, challenges, and opportunities
Designing and Conducting Sustainable Marketing Research
Defining the research problem and research question
Conducting a literature review and developing the theoretical framework
Formulating hypotheses
Selecting an appropriate research design
Sampling, data collection, and research ethics
Qualitative Research Methods
Individual interviews and focus groups
Observation and elicitation techniques
Designing qualitative research protocols
Coding, thematic analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data
Survey Design
Questionnaire structure and organization
Question formats and measurement scales
Reliability and validity of measures
Questionnaire pretesting and management of potential sources of bias
Experimental Design
Causal reasoning and hypothesis development
Independent, dependent, mediating, and moderating variables
Manipulations, experimental conditions, and randomization
Between-subjects and factorial designs
Internal and external validity
Data Analysis with SPSS
Data preparation, coding, and preliminary analysis
Descriptive statistics
Hypothesis testing
Regression analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Factor analysis
Interpretation and communication of results

Core Documentation

Recommended textbooks

Bellio, E. (2026). Marketing and Sustainability. 1st edition. McGraw Hill. ISBN 9788838624896.
Malhotra, N. K. (2022). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. 7th edition. Pearson.
Field, A. (2024). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics. 6th edition. SAGE.

No single mandatory textbook is adopted. Course content will be covered through lecture slides, SPSS outputs, datasets, business cases, and academic articles provided by the instructor through the course platform. During the course, the instructor will identify the chapters and materials recommended for further study of each topic.

Type of evaluation

Assessment Methods At the beginning of the course, students must choose between the assessment pathway for attending students and that for non-attending students. Attending students For attending students, assessment consists of an individual written examination and a compulsory team project: individual written examination: 40% of the final grade; team project: 60% of the final grade. Both components are graded on a 30-point scale. Students must obtain a minimum grade of 18/30 in the written examination. Individual written examination The written examination lasts 60 minutes and consists of: three open-ended questions based on the interpretation of SPSS outputs, worth up to 8 points each; one theoretical and applied question concerning sustainable marketing or research methods, worth up to 6 points. The maximum score is 30 points. The SPSS output-based questions assess students’ ability to select, interpret, and communicate the results of analyses such as regression, ANOVA, and factor analysis. The theoretical and applied question assesses students’ knowledge of sustainable marketing principles, qualitative methods, surveys, and experiments, as well as their ability to apply these concepts to real marketing problems. Team project The team project is completed in groups of five to seven students and requires: a short research paper; an oral presentation supported by slides. The project must develop a research proposal in the field of sustainable marketing and include the definition of the research problem and question, a literature review, a theoretical framework, and the design of the methodology. The research design may involve qualitative methods, surveys, or experiments and must identify the most appropriate analytical techniques. The team project is assessed according to the following criteria: relevance and clarity of the research question: 15%; quality and critical use of the literature: 20%; coherence of the theoretical framework: 15%; appropriateness and methodological rigour of the proposed research design: 25%; ability to connect the project to sustainable marketing principles: 10%; quality of the paper and presentation: 15%. During the presentation, each team member must present part of the work and answer individual questions from the instructor. Grades may therefore differ among members of the same group depending on each student’s contribution and individual command of the project. The final grade for attending students is calculated as follows: Final grade = (written examination grade × 40%) + (team project grade × 60%). Non-attending students Non-attending students are assessed exclusively through an individual written examination, which accounts for 100% of the final grade. The examination lasts 60 minutes and consists of: three open-ended questions based on the interpretation of SPSS outputs, worth up to 5 points each; one theoretical and applied question worth up to 5 points; five multiple-choice questions worth 2 points each. The maximum score is 30 points. The examination covers the entire course and assesses students’ knowledge of sustainable marketing, qualitative methods, survey and experimental design, and the main statistical techniques covered in the course. Assessment criteria Open-ended answers are assessed according to: accuracy and completeness of the content; correct interpretation of statistical outputs; ability to select and apply appropriate research methods; ability to connect theory, method, and managerial problems; relevance of the examples provided; clarity and appropriate use of disciplinary terminology. Grades are awarded according to the following criteria: 18–21: basic knowledge of the subject and limited ability to interpret and apply methods and results; 22–24: adequate knowledge and generally correct application of concepts and techniques; 25–27: good command of the subject, correct interpretation of analyses, and good applied skills; 28–30: comprehensive knowledge, strong methodological, critical, and applied skills, and confident use of disciplinary terminology; 30 with honours: outstanding preparation, independent judgement, and particularly accurate and original integration of sustainable marketing, research design, and data analysis.

Programme

Course Program

The Relevance of Marketing for a More Sustainable Society
Sustainable development and market transformation
Marketing’s contribution to economic, environmental, and social value creation
The evolution from traditional marketing to sustainable marketing
Sustainable Consumer Behaviour
Consumer values, motivations, and attitudes toward sustainability
The attitude–behaviour gap
Barriers to sustainable consumption
Strategies for encouraging responsible consumer choices
Sustainable Marketing in Practice
Sustainable segmentation, targeting, and positioning
Development of sustainable products and services
Pricing, distribution, and communication of sustainability
Greenwashing, transparency, and the credibility of environmental and social claims
Sustainable Marketing Applications Across Industries
Cases and practices in the food, fashion, tourism and hospitality, service, cultural, and other relevant sectors
Comparison of sector-specific strategies, challenges, and opportunities
Designing and Conducting Sustainable Marketing Research
Defining the research problem and research question
Conducting a literature review and developing the theoretical framework
Formulating hypotheses
Selecting an appropriate research design
Sampling, data collection, and research ethics
Qualitative Research Methods
Individual interviews and focus groups
Observation and elicitation techniques
Designing qualitative research protocols
Coding, thematic analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data
Survey Design
Questionnaire structure and organization
Question formats and measurement scales
Reliability and validity of measures
Questionnaire pretesting and management of potential sources of bias
Experimental Design
Causal reasoning and hypothesis development
Independent, dependent, mediating, and moderating variables
Manipulations, experimental conditions, and randomization
Between-subjects and factorial designs
Internal and external validity
Data Analysis with SPSS
Data preparation, coding, and preliminary analysis
Descriptive statistics
Hypothesis testing
Regression analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Factor analysis
Interpretation and communication of results

Core Documentation

Recommended textbooks

Bellio, E. (2026). Marketing and Sustainability. 1st edition. McGraw Hill. ISBN 9788838624896.
Malhotra, N. K. (2022). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. 7th edition. Pearson.
Field, A. (2024). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics. 6th edition. SAGE.

No single mandatory textbook is adopted. Course content will be covered through lecture slides, SPSS outputs, datasets, business cases, and academic articles provided by the instructor through the course platform. During the course, the instructor will identify the chapters and materials recommended for further study of each topic.

Type of evaluation

Assessment Methods At the beginning of the course, students must choose between the assessment pathway for attending students and that for non-attending students. Attending students For attending students, assessment consists of an individual written examination and a compulsory team project: individual written examination: 40% of the final grade; team project: 60% of the final grade. Both components are graded on a 30-point scale. Students must obtain a minimum grade of 18/30 in the written examination. Individual written examination The written examination lasts 60 minutes and consists of: three open-ended questions based on the interpretation of SPSS outputs, worth up to 8 points each; one theoretical and applied question concerning sustainable marketing or research methods, worth up to 6 points. The maximum score is 30 points. The SPSS output-based questions assess students’ ability to select, interpret, and communicate the results of analyses such as regression, ANOVA, and factor analysis. The theoretical and applied question assesses students’ knowledge of sustainable marketing principles, qualitative methods, surveys, and experiments, as well as their ability to apply these concepts to real marketing problems. Team project The team project is completed in groups of five to seven students and requires: a short research paper; an oral presentation supported by slides. The project must develop a research proposal in the field of sustainable marketing and include the definition of the research problem and question, a literature review, a theoretical framework, and the design of the methodology. The research design may involve qualitative methods, surveys, or experiments and must identify the most appropriate analytical techniques. The team project is assessed according to the following criteria: relevance and clarity of the research question: 15%; quality and critical use of the literature: 20%; coherence of the theoretical framework: 15%; appropriateness and methodological rigour of the proposed research design: 25%; ability to connect the project to sustainable marketing principles: 10%; quality of the paper and presentation: 15%. During the presentation, each team member must present part of the work and answer individual questions from the instructor. Grades may therefore differ among members of the same group depending on each student’s contribution and individual command of the project. The final grade for attending students is calculated as follows: Final grade = (written examination grade × 40%) + (team project grade × 60%). Non-attending students Non-attending students are assessed exclusively through an individual written examination, which accounts for 100% of the final grade. The examination lasts 60 minutes and consists of: three open-ended questions based on the interpretation of SPSS outputs, worth up to 5 points each; one theoretical and applied question worth up to 5 points; five multiple-choice questions worth 2 points each. The maximum score is 30 points. The examination covers the entire course and assesses students’ knowledge of sustainable marketing, qualitative methods, survey and experimental design, and the main statistical techniques covered in the course. Assessment criteria Open-ended answers are assessed according to: accuracy and completeness of the content; correct interpretation of statistical outputs; ability to select and apply appropriate research methods; ability to connect theory, method, and managerial problems; relevance of the examples provided; clarity and appropriate use of disciplinary terminology. Grades are awarded according to the following criteria: 18–21: basic knowledge of the subject and limited ability to interpret and apply methods and results; 22–24: adequate knowledge and generally correct application of concepts and techniques; 25–27: good command of the subject, correct interpretation of analyses, and good applied skills; 28–30: comprehensive knowledge, strong methodological, critical, and applied skills, and confident use of disciplinary terminology; 30 with honours: outstanding preparation, independent judgement, and particularly accurate and original integration of sustainable marketing, research design, and data analysis.