Enhancing the Interdisciplinary Perspective in the Marketing Management Decision Process through an Applied, Integrated, Client Project

Businesses function within a cross-functional, integrative setting, and this necessitates providing a learning environment for students that is comparable to real-life work projects. Two upper-level university classes in marketing and information systems worked collaboratively with a snack food business to design and build a Web site based on a conceptual framework model that met specific marketing and operational objectives. Student teams developed appropriate Web site strategies intended to meet the goals and objectives, and made formal presentations to the client. Information systems students then built the designed site. This collaborative, interdisciplinary project created a richer, more complex, and realistic learning environment.