ECON 304 : Firms and Markets
Business and Economics
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- To become familiar with modern theories of imperfect competition;
- To understand the interdependence of market structure, firm behaviour and market outcome;
- To learn about basic game theory tools;
- To know how to apply basic game theory tools to analyse market situations;
- To critically evaluate the market outcome of an industry based on its general characteristics; and
- To understand basic ideas of competition policy and regulation.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand various industrial organisation (IO) theories (Capability 1)
- Analyse the interdependence of market structures, firm behaviour and market outcomes (Capability 2)
- Apply game theory tools to analyse various market situations (Capability 3)
- Critically evaluate anti-competitive practices and conduct (Capability 2, 4.3 and 5.2)
- Acquire basic ideas of competition policy and regulation (Capability 6)
- Critically elaborate and effectively present as part of a group (orally) and individually (in writing), core aspects of a selected case study (Capability 1, 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 6)
Assessments
Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
---|---|---|
In-class Written Test | 60% | Individual Test |
In-class Group & Individual Oral Presentation on a Selected Case Study | 20% | Group & Individual Coursework |
Written Report on a Selected Case Study | 20% | Individual Coursework |
3 types | 100% |
Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
In-class Written Test | ||||||||||
In-class Group & Individual Oral Presentation on a Selected Case Study | ||||||||||
Written Report on a Selected Case Study |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, weekly, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a one-hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Learning Resources
- Contemporary Industrial Organization: A Quantitative Approach, by Lynne Pepall, Daniel Jay Richards, George Norman, 2011 Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-470-59180-2. An e-book version of this title is also available at http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP001760.html
- Competition Policy: Theory and Practice, by Massimo Motta, Cambridge University Press 2004. ISBN: 0-512-81663-7.
- An Introduction to Game Theory, by Martin Osborne, Oxford University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-19-512895-6.
- Further readings to be given during the semester (journal articles, newspaper articles, etc., related to the topics taught).
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.