Department of Economics & International Development, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
EC30174 Industrial organisation |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: EX100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take EC20010 and take EC20147 |
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Aims: The aim of the unit is to provide a rigorous understanding of contemporary theories of industrial organisation.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will have acquired familiarity with key topics in industrial organisation (e.g. pricing theory, advertising, innovation, the analysis of market structure, barriers to entry) and will be able to apply these concepts to contemporary industrial developments. Students will also have gained an understanding of industrial and competition policy. Skills: The following are facilitated and assessed: abstract reasoning, information synthesis, diagrammatic skills, writing skills, numeracy skills. Content: The unit provides a critical review of contemporary industrial structure and of the relationship between industries in the UK, Europe and beyond. It analyses the two main paradigms for understanding industry, namely the Structure-Conduct-Performance model and the New Industrial Economics. It applies microeconomic theory to explain why firms exist and how they select price, output and marketing strategies. It also examines the role played by government policy in the operation and regulation of industry. Key texts: Philips L. (1998) Applied Industrial Economics. Cambridge University Press. Shy O (2001) Industrial Organisation MIT Press Tirole J (1989) The Theory of Industrial Organisation. MIT Press. |