FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL: TEACHING PROFESSIONALISM IN THE MARKETING CLASSROOM

Developing professionalism skills in the classroom is vital to the business college experience as educators strive to ensure preparedness and success of their graduates. Marketers especially need enhanced professionalism training, as their careers involve interactions with many constituents. In this paper, the authors develop a semester-long emphasis on professionalism that introduces the concept, embeds its importance throughout the course with discussion and relevant exercises, and includes a component to monitor and evaluate professional behavior. Assessments at the beginning and end of the semester provide evidence for learning outcomes, both quantitatively and qualitatively, that speak to the effectiveness of its implementation.