EC262-6-AU-CO:
Economics of Organisational Management
2023/24
Economics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
21 August 2023
Requisites for this module
EC111
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
The module applies economic ideas to examine the organisational design of firms and how this design interacts with their environment and their competitive strategies. Although the module will adopt several perspectives, the primary perspective is that of incentive theory within the economic analysis of decision making.
The first half of the module concentrates on the internal workings of the firm, including incentive pay, monitoring, executive compensation and organisational structure. The second part explores how a firm chooses where to set the boundary between internal transactions and market-based relationships. This leads to discuss issues of (related and unrelated) diversification, vertical integration and suppliers' management. A number of case studies of actual organisations will be used to explore the ways in which economic ideas can illuminate (a) the forces that guide decisions (b) the interactions among decision makers, and (c) the pattern of outcomes that are likely to be observed.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide students with a critical understanding of the economic principles that determine the relative performance of different organisational arrangements.
- To provide students with the technical tools to analyse the economic aspects of decisions that confront the managers of private firms or public organisations.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Apply the methods and techniques to sort through a complex managerial situation and identify the crucial facts and issues.
- Have a thorough understanding and applications of key economic concepts that can help address crucial issues in organisational management.
- Critically assess actual managerial decisions.
- Critically evaluate the different theoretical insights provided by the economic literature into recommendations for managerial decisions.
Transferable Skills
The module provides students with the following employability skills:
- Academic skills are enhanced through essay-writing, mathematical problem-solving and the use of ICT equipment.
- Students are encouraged to carry out research and information gathering for term papers and as background reading.
- External awareness, and in particular knowledge of work and organisational culture, is promoted through real world case studies.
Syllabus Information
- Economic Organisations, Pareto Efficiency, and Contracts
- Private Information and Adverse Selection I
- Private Information and Adverse Selection II
- Moral Hazard I
- Moral Hazard II and Executive Compensation
- Efficiency Wages
- Internal Labour Market
- Group Compensation and Intrinsic Motivation
- Price Discrimination
- Revision + Q&A
The module will be delivered via:
- One 2-hour lecture per week, in one term.
Lectures will be a mixture of formal presentations of the necessary theoretical tools and case discussions, where students are invited to apply these tools to concrete situations.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Assignment |
|
100% |
| Exam |
Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Thomas Brzustowski, email: t.brzustowski@essex.ac.uk.
Lectures: Dr Thomas Brzustowski
For further information, send an email message to ueco@essex.ac.uk.
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Giancarlo Ianulardo
University of Exeter Business School
Lecturer in Economics
Available via Moodle
Of 22 hours, 22 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Economics
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