By Linda Irwin, MBA
Starting in 2019, I had the opportunity to transform 3 different graduate-level Marketing courses at Regis University based on the recognition that current marketing paradigms and practices do not support sustainable business, or a regenerative and just world. Here are some personal reflections of my journey.
Willing, but why me?
My Department Chair offered this opportunity because she knew of my passion for changing business education for a survivable future, but I had no expertise in “sustainability.” While I had taught for over 20 years, our business college employed affiliate faculty with business expertise. I was a businessperson but not a highly credentialed academic. Why should I be the one to transform marketing courses? It seems my willingness to do the job without pay or credit was enough. And I knew I could bring concerns from students and the business community into the process.
How far to go?
As I started thinking about the components of the first course, I realized it was necessary to create a new definition of the purpose and role of marketing in business. This daunting task kept me awake at night. I met with many colleagues, conducted research, and collaborated with my Department Chair to publish a new definition of marketing that changes focus from pushing products to creating value (Irwin, Schneider 2020). We intentionally flipped marketing’s focus from “product-pushing” to a practice where marketing creates value for the business, customer, and society by solving valid problems through goods or services. Marketing must do all three, not put one over the others.
How deep to go?
My research into the intersection of marketing and sustainability revealed amazing resources. It was easy to go down a rabbit hole of papers and resources to add to the course as exercises. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are quick tools to build a bridge to just and sustainable practices. For the first course, I used some of these resources to create exercises and assignments aligned with main marketing concepts of Product, Place, Promotion, and Price and an existing text. I taught the revised course within 4 months of the assignment to change it. In surveying students after the course, I found the new exercises were “interesting” but did not change core beliefs that the purpose of marketing is to maximize profit and sales.
Scratch-built
For the next courses, I left textbooks behind and examined what concepts or skills students would need to put our new definition of marketing into practice. This was harder than adding sustainability topics to existing material. At times I felt overwhelmed trying to bridge traditional theories with new sustainable practices.
I focused on the overall tri-part purpose of marketing to create value, I provided resources and processes to help students set goals and measurements, and rigorously challenged them to ensure that they did not drift toward profit-only results. To help students practice these skills and learn-by-doing we used student team projects. Students expressed frustration when they realized there was no “recipe” or “right answer” for the hurdles they faced in completing their project because there is risk and uncertainty in a fast-changing world. I consciously stepped out of the role of information-provider and switched to innovation coach. Not only did this process allow students to invest in their own learning but post-course surveys revealed a wholly different attitude about integrating sustainability into all business practices.
Timeline
- The first course was developed, and first session taught within 4 months.
- Next two courses were developed and taught within 1 year.
Being humble and supportive
Facing rapid change means that faculty and students will not have answers for an uncertain future. This is uncomfortable. We all need are resources and tools to face those challenges and solve problems we don’t yet understand – but they are available! In class I was frank about both the wealth of resources and the lack of recipes for success. I explicitly included activities where students learn processes and analytical tools to help them solve problems and determine best courses of action in varied situations.
Feedback
Most of the MBA students in my classes were employed adult learners. They wanted to grab some tricks for selling more stuff and getting promoted at work. For many it was unsettling that they were asked to think about how their work impacts their society and environment. They were asked to innovate, research, and solve problems focused on creating value. I received feedback that these courses were life-changing and wonderful and also some that stated the course and facilitator were awful. But I persisted. The business environment and the social and environmental threats are changing too quickly to wait for the ultimate text or perfect syllabus. As soon as we launched courses, we reviewed feedback and revised elements of each course.
It is a continual process and takes time. But if I can do it, so can you. And our survival depends on helping the next generation build businesses that support our lives and livelihoods.
If you have questions, you can contact me at lirwin@seecommgroup.com. Please include a subject line of “Marketing Course Questions” to grab my attention and get past spam filters.
