If it Walks Like a Duck...: Concerns about Quackery in Marketing Education

Abstract

Quackery is a term commonly associated with the medical profession. It is often associated with those who are proponents of alternative medicines, the benefits of which are not based on science. In this article, it is asserted that quack methodologies have been infused into the teaching of marketing. Marketing education is not indicted with being dominated by quack teachers. Rather, the article presents a number of concerns about the infusion of quack teaching methodologies that, as practiced, are proffered to contribute positively to student learning. The article offers a challenge to marketing educators to engage in more scientific assessment of teaching methods. Throughout the article, questions are presented that, it is hoped, will energize some marketing educators to rigorously examine teaching methodologies in the continuing quest to improve the quality of marketing education.