Stockholm Business School

STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY

Study Guide
Course B2B Marketing, Sales and Account
Management

Semester Autumn 2025

Higher Education Credits 7.5 ECTS

Course Director Course content questions:
Nishant Kumar, email: nku@[Link]
Course coordinator Athena related, registration, and grade reporting
questions:
Emil Arvas
email: [Link]@[Link]

*Check this document again one week before the start of the course.

1. Introduction
B2B marketing refers to marketing activities that are directed toward other
businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations - and thus they tend to differ
from consumer markets in aspects such as number and size of buyers, demand and
buying behaviour. The goal of the course is to provide students insight into the unique
characteristics of B2B marketing, and develop an in-depth understanding of various
theoretical concepts and practices in B2B marketing, such as buying decision making
processes, relationship management, supply chain management and pricing of
industrial goods and services, among other topics.

The course will aim to cover the following topical areas:

- Business marketing environment

- Organisational purchasing behaviour
- Customer relationships and partnerships
- Segmenting and targeting business markets
- Business products and services
- Supply-chain and logistics management
- Pricing and financing
- Trade communications and shows
- Sales organisation and management
- Social and environmental issues

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2. Intended Learning outcomes

On completing this course, participants should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

1. Differentiate organisational markets from consumer markets and understand the

unique characteristics of marketing business goods and services;
2. Understand the competitive realities of the marketplace, relationship
management, organisational decision making, supply-chain management, and
product innovation.

Judgement and approach:

3. Compare and select between concepts, models and theories of industrial
marketing with an emphasis on international business context.
4. Analyse industrial markets, competitive advantages, cross-functional processes,
firm strategies and networks.
Skills and abilities:

5. Apply knowledge of buying behaviour, competition and cooperative strategies,

and strategic alliances in the business-to-business setting.

6. Integrate ethical and environmental considerations throughout the marketing

mix for industrial goods and services through realistic cases.

3. Education
The following learning and teaching methods will inform the pedagogic structure
of the course: classroom lectures; case studies; exercises; group work. Students will be
encouraged and required to refer to a wide range of resources covering text books and
academic peer- reviewed journal articles, to build an understanding of theoretical
concepts in B2B marketing area and refer to articles in business newspapers and
periodicals to follow current trends and practices concerning the application of B2B
marketing in business. The lectures will be developed around key concepts and will
use a range of examples and cases from business practice to demonstrate the
application of theoretical concepts.

The language of instruction for all teaching and learning activities is English. The
course workload is 200 hours equivalent to 7,5 ECTS (40 hours per week equivalent
to 1,5 ECTS).

4. Forms of examination

Assessment for the course will be continuous and is carried throughout the different
course activities. Each assessment task is weighted in relation to its importance in the
overall assessment of the course. The student’s results from the different assessment
tasks are added up to a total course score that will then translate into the final grade for
the course.

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Assessment tasks*

The course contains the following weighted assessment tasks:

1. Group work and individual participation

1.1 Seminar Participation: 25% of total course point, assesses intended learning
outcomes number 1,2,3,4,5,6 (distribution on a scale of 100 is as follows)
a. Case presentation (Team work): 20 points
b. Team Peer-review and overall active participation: 5 points

1.2 Quiz (Individual participation): Assessment: 25% of total course point Assesses
intended learning outcomes number 1,2,3,4.

2. Final Report /Essay (Individual): Assessment: 50% of total course point

Assesses intended learning outcomes number 1,2,3,4,5,6.

Team Formation for seminars: You are required to register for a seminar group on Athena.
Total six teams can be formed in a seminar group, so that each team can present one case.
Team diversity should be maintained for better learning experience. Once a team is formed,
no change in team structure shall be allowed*.

Case Presentation: Each team will be assigned a case for presentation and other
participants will be asked to give feedback on the presentation/case. Emphasis will be
placed on critically examining the case using the teaching material/book/articles
suggested in the course, identifying key issues and providing solutions. Teams must
submit presentation slides on Athena, 12 hours before the presentation. Duration of
presentation: 30 min, duration of discussion: 30 min. It is important that you have read
the case before coming to the seminar, even if you are not presenting the case or doing
peer-review.

Peer-review: Each team will be assigned a case for peer-review. You are expected to read
the case before attending the seminar and follow the online presentation carefully, then
give your comments/ feedback after the online presentation, and also write a peer-
review report (max. 200 words) following the guidelines given by your class teacher.
You are required to upload your peer-review report on Athena within 12 hours of the
case presentation.

Quiz: The quiz consists of objective, multiple choice questions. The quiz will be based
on classroom lectures, seminars and course material discussed in the class.

Final Report /individual Essay: This will involve writing an individual report on a topic
assigned by the teacher. The list of topics and writing instructions will be made available
on Athena. Final report must be submitted via Athena as per the schedule. Length of the
report: 3500 words (+/- 100 words). This does not include title, personal details,
references, figure etc. The essay/report must be your own writing.

*If you have any question you can get clarification from your course teacher. It is
important that you attend all the lecture and take note of instructions/clarifications
given by the class teacher. There is no substitute assignment in this course.

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Grading

After completion of the course, students will receive grades on a scale related to the
intended learning outcomes of the course. Passing grades are A, B, C, D and E. Failing
grades are Fx and F. A grade Fx can be completed for a grade E.
A course comprises 0–100 course points. Receiving a final passing grade requires at least
50 course points. The scale for the final grade is tied to fixed score intervals: A: 90-100; B:
80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69; E: 50-59; Fx: 45-49; F: less than 45. The grades correspond to
the total score points a student obtains (over a total of 100) for all the weighted
assessment tasks combined as part of the continuous assessment for the course.
Each assessment task is awarded 0–100 points. The score for a single assessment task is
the number of points multiplied by its percentage weight, and the combined total of
score points for all weighted assessment tasks for the course are added up to a final score
between 0 and 100 which then translates into a corresponding final course grade between
A and F.

Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria are designed as overall assessments, combined qualitative

descriptions of what the student is expected to do in order to demonstrate how well the
course’s learning outcomes are achieved. The assessment criteria are based upon the
general abilities as expressed in the degree objectives of the Higher Education
Ordinance (appendix 2, System of Qualifications). The list of abilities below is a
compilation of these degree objectives. To pass the course (grade E) students should
demonstrate general ability to:

recall, understand and explain course content, the course subject and its
scientific basis and methodology;
apply course content;
critically analyse course content;
problematise course content;
orally and in writing, present and discuss course content;
assess course content in terms of scientific, social, and ethical aspects;
relate course content to current social issues;
meet standards of written presentation and formal accuracy.
Participants who receive a passing grade (A-E) in the final exam or any grade (A-F) in
other assessment items are not allowed to retake the final examination or complete a
previously not completed assessment task to attain a higher grade. A passing grade may
not be turned into a failing grade upon the request of a student.
Any student receiving an overall course grade of Fx or F will be permitted one re-taking
of the final exam, while still retaining the course points achieved in other assessment
tasks, in an attempt to improve the overall grade to an E. Any student still receiving an F
grade overall must re-take the whole course at a future offering.

The following assessment criteria are used to decide to what extent students have
demonstrated these abilities and hence fulfil the course’s intended learning outcomes,

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 whereby a grading decision can be made. A higher grade-level presupposes the abilities
at lower levels.

A (90-100 Excellent)
The student demonstrates ability to evaluate and relate to the content of the course from
a comprehensive, critically reflective perspective, as well as to transfer and apply insights
in new, meaningful contexts.
B (80-89 Very Good)
The student demonstrates ability to, from an overarching and coherent perspective of the
field, understand and use concepts to explain how different aspects of the course relate to
each other, interconnect and become meaningful.

C (70-79 Good)
The student demonstrates ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex issues dealt
with in the course from several well-developed but mainly independent perspectives.

D(60-69 Satisfactory)
The student demonstrates satisfactory ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex
issues dealt with in the course in a way that, albeit in-depth and elaborate, is decidedly
one-dimensional.

E (50-59 Sufficient)
The student demonstrates sufficient ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex
issues dealt with in the course in a way that is decidedly one-dimensional.
Fx (45-49 Fail)
The student’s knowledge, skills and abilities display minor flaws, overall or in significant
parts.
F (0-44 Fail)
The student’s knowledge, skills and abilities display major flaws, overall or in significant
parts.

5. Course literature and other teaching material

Textbook and Cases

The assignments and assessments are based largely, though not solely on the specified
chapters in the book, articles, and cases used in the seminars.
Book:

Hutt, Speh, Hoffman's Business Marketing Management: B2B, 13thedition

ISBN: 978-0-357-71823-0
or
Hutt, M.D. & Speh, T.W. (2014/2017). Business Marketing Management: B2B,
Europe, Middle East & Africa edition. United Kingdom: South-Western /
Cengage Learning. ISBN:978-4080-9371-9/ ISBN10: 1-337-41847-1.

Business Marketing Management: B2B, 13th Edition -

9780357718230 - Cengage

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Cases:
Case 1: Tetra Pack: The challenge of intimacy with a key customer, Reference number
IMD- 5-0604

Case 2: India's Amul: Keeping up with the Times, Case -Reference no. 9-516-116.

Case 3: Bharat Forge: bringing technology and speed to the world forging market- a
profile of one of the India’s pioneering multinationals, Reference no. 6737BC

Case 4: Value Selling at SKF Services (A): Facing a tough buyer, Case Reference no:
IMD- 5-0751

Case 5: Danone & Wahaha: A bitter-sweet partnership, Reference no. IMD-3-1949

Case 6: Volkswagen's Emissions Scandal: How Could It Happen? Reference no. 718-
0015-1
The above cases can be downloaded from (http://
[Link]) Course Pack code: will be updated .
Course title: B2B Marketing

Recommended articles:

 Sheth, Jagdish N., and Atul Parvatiyar (1995). "The evolution of relationship
marketing." International business review, Vol 4 No.4, pp. 397-418.
 Kotabe, Masaaki, and Janet Y. Murray (2004). "Global sourcing strategy
and sustainable competitive advantage." Industrial Marketing
Management, Vo.33 No.1, pp. 7-14.
 Ramaswamy, V., & Ozcan, K. (2018). What is co-creation? An interactional creation
framework and its implications for value creation. Journal of Business Research, 84,
196-205.
 Cartwright, S., Davies, I., & Archer-Brown, C. (2021). Managing relationships
on social media in business-to-business organisations. Journal of Business
Research, 125, 120-134.
 Lancioni, Richard (2005). "Pricing issues in industrial marketing." Industrial
Marketing Management, Vol. 34 No.2, pp.111-114.
 McDonald, Malcolm, Tony Millman, and Beth Rogers (1997). "Key account
management: Theory, practice and challenges." Journal of Marketing
Management, Vol.13 No.8, pp.737-757.
 Terho, H., Haas, A., Eggert, A., & Ulaga, W. (2012). “It's almost like taking the
sales out of selling—towards a conceptualization of value-based selling in
business markets”. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol.41 No.1, pp. 174-185.
 Clayton M Christensen; Mark W Johnson (2016). "What are business models, and
how tare they built?, Harvard Business Publishing, 11 pages.
 Kemper, J. A., & Ballantine, P. W. (2019). What do we mean by sustainability
marketing?. Journal of Marketing Management, 35 (3-4), 277-309.
 Sharma, A., Iyer, G. R., Mehrotra, A., & Krishnan, R. (2010). "Sustainability and
business- to-business marketing: A framework and implications". Industrial
Marketing Management, Vol. 39 No.2, pp. 330-341.
 Kumar, N., & Yakhlef, A. (2016). Managing business-to-business relationships
under conditions of employee attrition: A transparency approach. Industrial
Marketing Management, 56, 143-155.

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6. Additional information

Exemption from an assessment task is granted if the student presents a valid reason
and a written certification (such as illness and a medical certificate), whereupon the
student may re-sit the assessment task (final report) at a later date while maintaining
previously acquired course points.
Application for exemption should be submitted to the Director of Studies immediately
after, or during planned absences well before, the date when the assessment task is
carried out. A granted exemption expires at the end of the immediately following
semester.

7. Plagiarism

The Higher Education Ordnance (Högskoleförordningen) states that disciplinary

action will be taken against students who with unlawful means or in any other way try
to mislead (10 Ch. Section 1). Plagiarism is a form of cheating/misleading. We regularly
use programmes to check papers, assignments and home-exams. So, on a regular basis
and in accordance with scientific practices, we advise you to carefully define the text
you use in the assignments of various kinds and papers. Never use any materials or
tools that you suspect deemed to be unlawful means or fall within the framework of
plagiarism or cheating. Successful completion of the course presumes that each
individual student makes an independent contribution throughout – in writing and
discussions.

8. Lectures and seminar schedule

The schedule is available on the course website and Athena.