Managerial Economics

Aims of the course

This course emphasizes the synthesis of economic theory, decision sciences, and the various fields of business administration studies. It examines how they interact with one another as the firm attempts to reach optimal managerial decisions in the face of constraints. A special emphasis will be made on how managerial decisions are actually made in the real world. The course will increase the effectiveness of decision making by expanding and sharpening the analytical framework used by managers to make decisions.

Course syllabus

1. Theory of demand.
1.1. Classical theory of demand.
1.2. Theory of demand that is based on product characteristics.
1.3. Demand estimation and demand forecasting.
1.4. Business case-Fueling Sales at EuroPet.
2. Production and costs.
2.1. Cost advantages.
2.2. Optimization and supply of the firm.
2.3. Costs analysis for business decisions.
2.4. Business cases – (1)Outsourcing opportunities for small businesses: A quantitative analysis. A Longitudinal Study of BankExecutives' Recognition. (2) Write-Off of Problem Loans.
3. Internal organisation.
3.1. Behavior of firms and their goals.
3.2.Business cases – (1) National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA): Influencing Customer Behaviour. (2) Performance Management at Vitality Health Enterprise, Inc.
3.3. Markets of asymmetric information.
4. Vertical boundaries of the firm.
4.1. The firm in a vertical chain.
4.2. Costs and benefits of vertical integration.
4.3. Model of vertical integration.
4.4. Business case-Bergerac System: The Challenege of Backward Integration.
5. Diversification.
5.1. Measures and reasons of diversification.
5.2. Strategic styles of diversified firm.
5.3. Business case-Kolektor.
5.4. Business case-Yunnan Baiyao: Traditional medicine meets product/ market diversification.
6. Market structures.
6.1. Entry and exit.
6.2. Business case- Dogfight over Europe: Ryanair (A).
6.3. Strategic commitment and game theory.
7. Dynamic pricing policy.
7.1. Business case-Airlines and Antitrust: Scrutinizing the American Airlines-US Airways Merger
8. Price discrimination.
9. Strategic positioning and comparative advantages.
9.1. Comparative advantage.
9.2. Strategic positioning.
9.3. Sustaining comparative advantage.
9.4. Business case- Line 6: Disrupting the Electric Guitar Market (A-B).
10. Industrial policy.

Course director(s)

No description

 
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