Teaching marketing in a transition economy: some personal experiences

Abstract

In addition to the challenges faced when delivering a marketing course to international students in general, the challenges are compounded when the students have little interest in the subject and the students are located in a country in transition. This study examines the experiences of the author in teaching marketing theory to first-year students at the Stockholm School of Economics, Riga, in the former Soviet Republic of Latvia. Although the political and economic systems in which the students were raised may have changed, the pre-transition period continues to have an influence on how marketing should be taught. Recommendations for international instructors wishing to teach in a transition economy are also discussed.

Keywords:

• Transition economies
• International teaching
• Marketing
• Latvia

Notes

1. The ‘transition’ was from a centrally planned economic, political and social system to one based on democratic free markets and private ownership. Transition economy countries include the former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe and to a lesser extent China, Vietnam and Cambodia.

2. Universities cover one or several significant fields completely and are entitled to confer doctoral degrees. According to decision of Latvian Council of Higher Education, the following institutions of higher education have university status: Daugavpils University, Latvia University of Agriculture, University of Latvia, Riga Stradrai University and Riga Technical University.

3. There was a degree of serendipity as to how the author was asked to teach this course. In 2004 the author attended a conference held at SSER and corresponded with the Rector of SSER if there was interest in having a lecture presented at the school. There was a positive response, and the author was taken to lunch after the presentation and asked about any interest in teaching the marketing theory section of the course.

4. In addition to the text-/theory-related requirements of the course, the students also had to create a marketing report on a local business—that part of the course was administered directly by SSER.