David M. Hunt

Marketing, Society, and Government: Reflections on an Undergraduate Elective

The authors explore the value of incorporating macromarketing as an elective course in managerial marketing curricula. Authors review a course, Marketing, Society, and Government, that is framed by the philosophy that market forces, regulations, and economic conditions that impact businesses, society, and government are characterized by a constant state of change. Developing the skills necessary for analyzing these issues—identifying critical components, interpreting the effect on various publics, and so on—is as important as learning about the issues themselves. As such, the course emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills by exploring a holistic, macromarket view of marketing theory and practice. Students are challenged to revise their own worldview and their preconceived notions of marketing, society, and government. The course combines textbook readings, readings in market theory, case analysis, and written assignments.

An Introduction to the Invited Commentaries on Macromarketing Education

The 2007 International Society on Marketing and Development and Macromarketing Society joint conference included a special session addressing issues involved in incorporating macromarketing courses into business curricula. The session featured five marketing educators with experience teaching macromarketing courses. Each speaker was asked to prepare a commentary in response to the following three questions: (1) Are macromarketing courses well suited for helping students build critical thinking and logical argument skills? (2) Should macromarketing courses be electives, required courses, or some combination of both? (3) What benefits to students and to other college stakeholders stem from incorporating macromarketing education into marketing curricula? The following essays summarize the talks presented during the 2007 special session.