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ES30040: Economics of incentives

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Economics
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework 1 (CW 40%)
  • Coursework 2 (CW 60%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this module you must take ES20011
Description: Aims:
The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the effects of asymmetric information on the incentives of agents involved in various situations of economic interaction.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this course the student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of and be able to formally model moral hazard and adverse selection, and solve problems involving these concepts.

Skills:
Ability to critically analyse problems characterised by asymmetric information and develop solutions.

Content:
This course is concerned with formal analysis of various situations of trade between agents who have different information. The specific topics that will be covered are:
(a) Auction Theory: Private value auction; the optimal design of auctions; common value auctions; the winner's curse;
(b) Non-linear pricing;
(c) Moral Hazard Theory: Principal-agent moral hazard problems; incentive problems in employment contracts; multiple agent problems;
(d) Adverse Selection Theory: The revelation principle; examples including the control of externalities, revelation of preferences for public goods, price discrimination and the regulation of a monopolist with private information.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

ES30040 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Economics
  • UHES-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics (Year 3)
  • UHES-AAB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UHES-AKB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHES-AFB04 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Mathematics (Year 3)
  • UHES-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Mathematics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UHES-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Mathematics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHES-ACB04 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Mathematics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHES-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics (Year 3)
  • UHES-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • UHES-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UHES-ACB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 4)
  • UHES-ACB03 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.