NIFK14022U Industrial Organization

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Agricultural Development 
MSc Programme in Agricultural Economics
MSc Programme in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
 

Content

The course will present students with some of the main results and models of modern industrial economics. It is a standard course focusing on theoretical as well as applied aspects of industrial organization. Main topics covered are:
- Market structure and market power
- Cost and technology
- Monopoly power
- Oligopoly and strategic interaction
- Anticompetitive strategies
- Contractual relations between firms

Learning Outcome

The objective of this course is to learn concepts and techniques of analysis in Industrial Economics and to apply this knowledge to problems faced by decision makers in the business organizations as well as policy analysts.

After completing the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge:
Students are expected to
- Know some theoretical modeling and results concerning different market forms; quantity setting, pricing and bundling, product variety and quality.
- Know some modeling and results concerning firms’ strategic interaction; Cournot, Bertrand and Stackelberg models.
- Know some modeling and result concerning anticompetitive strategies; limit pricing and entry deterrence, predatory pricing, cartels and collusion.
- Know some modeling and results concerning contractual relations between firms; horizontal and vertical mergers, and vertical price restraints.

- Know some modeling and results concerning non-price competition; information and advertising, research & development, and patents.


Skills:
Students are expected to
- Understand various results and techniques related to market forms, organization and firms’ strategic interaction.
- Reflect on particular cases using the models and analytical tools of industrial economics.

Competences:
Students should be able to
- Identify and analyze basic industrial organization issues.
- Analyze particular issues related to firms strategies and market forms.

See Absalon for a list of course literature.

 

Course in intermediate microeconomics

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
The instruction consists of a combination of lectures (which review the basic theories and models) exercises, case studies, text reading and discussion. In addition each student will have to hand in a group based project report.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 32
  • Preparation
  • 123
  • Theory exercises
  • 28
  • Project work
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20-25 minutes
Type of assessment details
The individual oral exam is based on the project report and general questions in the course literature.

No preparation time.
Exam registration requirements

Approval of a group based project report is a prerequisite for attending the exam.

Aid
Without aids

 

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Two internal examiners
Re-exam

As the ordinary exam.

If the student has not handed in the group project report, then the students must individually make a report. It must be handed in three weeks prior to the re-exam. It must be approved before the exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

To obtain the grade 12 the student has to fullfil the Learning Outcome.