ECON 4999: Economics in Action: Industrial Organization
Spring 2008
Professor
Yongmin Chen
Office:
Econ 112
Tel.
(303) 492-8736
Website:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~cheny/
Class
Time: 12:00-12:50 PM, MWF.
Classroom:
ECON 119
Office
Hours: 10:30-11:30 and 2:00-4:00 on Monday
This
course will address current issues in industrial organization. The course has
two parts.
Part 1
provides an overview of the basic theory and analytical tools of industrial
organization, based on the book by Lynne
Pepall et al:
Industrial
Organization: Contemporary Theory & Practice, third edition. There will be
two mid-term exams.
Part
2 is a research project that studies competition and market performance in a
particular industry. Students will form research groups, each consisting of 2 to
3 people. Each group will choose an industry to study. Students will gather
information about the industry (such as products, determinants for demand and
costs, historical developments, market share distributions, etc.), analyze its
market structure and firms’ competitive strategies, and suggests ways in which
firms may gain competitive advantages and/or the industry performance may be
improved. The project will result
in a research paper for each group, which each group will present in class.
The
final grade for the course will be based on homework and class participation
(20%), two mid-term exams (50%), the paper and its presentation (30%). Students
are expected to participate actively in classes. If you must miss a class,
please inform me in advance.
Tentative
Course Schedule (Changes will be announced during classes):
Weeks
1-2: Introduction
Assignment 1: page 44: #4; page 131-132: #3, #4
Week
3: Market Structure and Market Power
Assignment 2: page 57, #1
Weeks
4-6: Game Theory and Oligopoly Markets
Assignment 3: page 224-225, #1, #3, #4;
Assignment
4: page244-245, #1, #3; page 263, #1.
February
25: Midterm Exam 1
Weeks
7-9: Business Strategies
Assignment 5: page 355, #2
Form research groups and select an industry to
study.
Weeks
10, 12-13: Contractual Relations between Firms
Assignment 6: To be distributed.
Prepare Research Proposal.
One-page
outline is due on March 26.
April
9: Midterm Exam 2
Week
14: Meetings to discuss the project.
April
21: Draft of the paper is due; organize presentation.
Weeks
15-16: Research Presentation and revising the paper
Completed
Paper is due before or at final exam time.
*If you qualify for accommodations
because of a disability, please submit to
me a letter from Disability
Services in a timely manner so that your needs may
be addressed.
Disability Services determines accommodations based on
documented
disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and
http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices"
*Sudents and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining
an appropriate
learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such
behavioral standards may
be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and
sensitivity are especially
important with respect to individuals and topics
dealing with differences of
race, culture, religion, politics, sexual
orientation, gender, gender variance,
and
nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with
the
student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by
an
alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference
early in
the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my
records.
*The
the
faculty. Any
student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the
subject of
discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national
origin, sex,
age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status
should
contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at
303-492-2127 or
the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information
about the
ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available
to
assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained
at
http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
*All
students of the
knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this
institution.
Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid
of academic
dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening
behavior. All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the
Honor Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students
who are found to be in violation
of the academic integrity policy will be
subject to both academic sanctions
from the faculty member and non-academic
sanctions (including but not limited
to university probation, suspension, or
expulsion). Other information on the
Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html
and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
"