Rose-Hulman

Institute of

Technology

 VA 353

Industrial Organization
  Department of Humanities & Social Sciences / Dr. Kevin Christ  

This course is a values and contemporary issues elective.  SL151, Principles of Economics, is a prerequisite.  The field of industrial organization is concerned with three broad areas of economic inquiry:

Primary Textbook:  Cabral, Luís, Introduction to Industrial Organization, The MIT Press, 2000

Secondary Textbook:  Kwoka, John E., and Lawrence J. White, eds., The Antitrust Revolution, Economics, Competition, and Policy, Oxford University Press, 4th ed., 2004.

Schedule for Fall 2006

  Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday
Week 1a:  August 31     Nature and scope of IO           Cabral, 1 Demand and cost theory         Cabral, 2.1, 2.2
Week 1b:  September 4 Efficiency                                   Cabral, 2.3, 2.4                             Problem Set 1:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Theory of the firm                     Cabral, 3                                     Problem Set 1:  6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Market Structure I                    Cabral, 6.1 - 6.3, 6.5                   Problem Set 1: 13, 14, 15 Market Structure II                  Cabral, 5.1, 6.4                            Problem Set 1: 16, 17, 18
Week 2:  September 11 Exam 1 Game theory I                              Cabral, 4.1 Game Theory II                          Cabral, 4.2 Oligopoly I                                   Cabral, 4.3, 7.1 - 7.4                               Problem Set 2: 1, 2
Week 3:  September 18 Oligopoly II                               Cabral, 7.5 Collusion  I                                   Cabral, 8                                           Problem Set 2: 3, 4, 5, 6 Collusion II S-C-P, Concentration                       Cabral, 9.1                                Problem Set 2:  7, 8, 9
Week 4:  September 25 Competition Policy                         K&W, 8 - 26 Competition Policy                       Problem Set 2:  10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Case studies and Review                    KW, Cases 1 - 3, 6 Exam 2
Week 5:  October 2 Oligopoly Conduct                      Cabral, 9.2 - 9.3; KW, 172 - 187     Problem Set 3:  1 Case studies                                 KW, Cases 8 - 11                              Problem Set 3:  2 Pricing with market power      Cabral, 10.1 - 10.3                      Problem Set 3:  3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Pricing with market power       Cabral, 10.4 - 10.5                             Problem Set 3:  8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Week 6:  October 9 Vertical relations                      Cabral, 11; KW, 322 - 333 Case studies                                 KW, Cases 13, 15 - 16                 Problem Set 3:  13, 14, 15, 16 Fall Break Fall Break
Week 7:  October 16 Market structure & welfare      Cabral, 14 Entry & Exit                                Cabral, 15.1, 15.2                     Problem Set 3:  17, 18, 19 Mergers & Acquisitions           Cabral, 15.3 Case studies                                  KW, Case 5                               Problem Set 3:  20, 21, 22
Week 8:  October 23 Exam 3 Research Paper Work Day Advertising                               Cabral, 13 Technology & structure         Cabral, 16                                 Problem Set 4:  2, 3, 4 (Skip #1)
Week 9:  October 30 Network effects                        Cabral, 17; KW, 414 - 427 Case studies                                 KW, Cases 14, 17 - 19                Problem Set 4:  5, 6 Regulation                                 Cabral, 5.1, 5.3 Regulation                              Handout
Week 10:  November 6 Exam 4 Student                          Presentations Student                          Presentations Student                           Presentations

 

In-Class Slides & Handouts Problem Sets Helpful Links