NIFK14022U Industrial Organization

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Agricultural Economics
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development
MSc Programme in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
MSc Programme in Sustainable Development in Agriculture (Agris Mundus)

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.

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.

Literature

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 write an individual essay.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Lectures
  • 32
  • Preparation
  • 123
  • Project work
  • 20
  • Theory exercises
  • 28
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 3 hours under invigilation
Written assignment, made during the course
Description of Examination: 3-hour written examination in course curriculum. During the course the student has to hand in an essay which will be part of the overall assesment.

The grade is to be set as a weighted average of the results from the part-examinations.

Weight: Written examination= 75% Written essay= 25%

The course has been selected for ITX exam on Peter Bangs Vej.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed

Specific aids: Calculator, one A4 sheet with equations named “Equations exam industrial organization nifk14022u”.

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Re-exam

Oral reexamination (20 - 30 minutes). No time for preparation.

Criteria for exam assesment

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