IS WHAT STUDENTS WANT WHAT THEY REALLY NEED? A VALUES VIEW OF UNDERGRADUATE MARKETING ELECTIVE COURSE OFFERINGS

Prior research on marketing curriculum design suggests that new course offerings are driven by inputs from faculty resources and interests, student demand and willingness to enroll in the course, and feedback from alumni and employers regarding the skills students need to be successful in the workplace. In the face of the rising costs of higher education and declining enrollments, it is critical that curriculum be developed that strikes a balance between the values and needs of faculty, students, and employers. The current study explores the disconnect between courses students most desire to take and courses business professionals most recommend they take for career success. Utilizing Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) and the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) as lenses to explore student choice in regard to marketing elective course selection, this study offers empirical data on courses preferred by marketing students and recommended by employers. Findings elucidate similarities and differences between these two stakeholders, which faculty making curriculum decisions will need to navigate. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, including recommendations for curriculum design and strategies for balancing the preferences of students with the recommendations and demands of potential employers.