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MAN-20191 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 16 September 2026

MAN-20191 - Marketing and Society: Issues, Impact and Implications
Coordinator: Helen Millward Tel: +44 1782 7 33111
Lecture Time:
Level: Level 5
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

The ‘Marketing and Society: Issues, Impact, and Implications’ module enables you to critically investigate the impact marketing practice can have on different organisations and stakeholders. Throughout the module, you will engage in key debates around ethical and sustainable marketing practices, corporate social responsibility, digital disruptions, and global marketing strategies. By fostering a holistic understanding of the impact of marketing within society, you will emerge as a conscientious marketer who can balance profitability with societal well-being.

Aims
This module aims to develop students’ comprehension of the complex interaction between the rapid changes and demands within society and the uses and practices of marketing. Underpinned by theory and practice, students will engage in current critical debates around the broader role of marketing in society to explore the ethical issues involved within marketing practice, the impact of marketing decisions at a global level and the responsibilities of organisations to their stakeholders and the wider community. By examining critical concerns facing marketing practitioners, students will be able to propose ways in which companies and organisations can use marketing in an ethical way to contribute to the common good.

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse current social and ethical marketing issues faced by organisations.: 1
evaluate the impact of social and ethical marketing issues on a broad range of stakeholders.: 1
appraise organisational responses to social and ethical marketing issues to identify different ways of adopting a more socially responsible approach to marketing.: 2

Study hours

Interactive lectures - 24 hours
Tutorials - 24 hours
60 hours lecture/tutorial prep
96 hours assignment prep
96 hours private study which includes additional reading, online activities, working of feedback, thinking time, discussing ideas with other students, etc.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Video Blog weighted 50%
Recorded individual presentation
Using relevant concepts, theories and research, students will prepare a 12-minute presentation that analyses a current social and ethical marketing issue and evaluates the implications of the issue for marketing management.

2: Essay weighted 50%
Individual 1500-word essay
Students will build on the societal marketing issue they identified in the first assessment to write an essay appraising how an organisation has addressed the marketing issue and identify ways a more socially responsible approach to marketing could be adopted.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 16 September 2026