Industrial Economics III: Market Structure and Competition Policy
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BUSI3180 | Business | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- BUSI3180
- School
- Business
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module covers the two broad areas of market structure and competition policy. Topics covered include the measurement and determinants of market concentration, links between market structure and industrial/firm performance, advertising and R&D in the context of industrial economics, public policy on inter-firm agreements and restrictive practices, abuse of monopoly power and merger control.
Target Students
Available to Part II Business School undergraduate students who have taken BUSI2171 - Industrial Economics II: Economics of Pricing and Decision Making.Also available to Exchange students.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 2 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 12 weeks
Assessment
- 30% Coursework: Group Coursework (3000 words)
- 20% In-class exam: Weekly in-class tests
- 50% Exam (1-hour): In-person written exam
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
To familiarise students with the basic concepts and tools that have been developed for the analysis of firms and industries and to facilitate their application. To develop an understanding of the main issues relating to competition policy and to apply economic reasoning in a critical manner to competition policy cases.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
This module develops knowledge and understanding of:
• The application of economics. To discover how to apply relevant economic principles and reasoning to a variety of applied topics, in particular in the fields of Market Structure and Competition Policy.
• Understanding of distinctive economic theories, interpretations and modelling approaches, and their competent use.
• Economic policy with an understanding of analytical methods and model-based argument and of different methodological approaches and their strengths and limitations.
• Ability to apply core economic theory and economic reasoning to applied topics.
Intellectual Skills
This module develops:
• The ability to analyse facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions.
• Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Professional Practical Skills
This module develops:
• Numeracy and quantitative skills to manipulate data, evaluate, estimate and module business problems, functions and phenomena.
• People management, to include communications, team building, leadership and motivating others.
Transferable Skills
This module develops:
• Self-management and a readiness to accept responsibility and flexibility, to be resilient, self-starting and appropriately assertive, to plan, organise and manage time.
• An awareness of the interpersonal skills of effective listening negotiating, persuasion and presentation and their use in generating business contacts.
• Articulating and effectively explaining information