Inhalt

[ 572ESTLESMU20 ] IK Experiments on Strategic Management Decisions

Versionsauswahl
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Workload Education level Study areas Responsible person Hours per week Coordinating university
3 ECTS B2 - Bachelor's programme 2. year Economics Franz Hackl 2 hpw Johannes Kepler University Linz
Detailed information
Pre-requisites (*)KS Einführung in die Volkswirtschaftslehre KS Einführung in die Mikroökonomie
Original study plan Bachelor's programme Economics and Business 2025W
Learning Outcomes
Competences
  • Students can prepare, conduct, evaluate and present classroom games (experiments in an economic context).
  • Students are able to make management decisions on the basis of sparse market information in scenarios with asymmetric information.
  • Students are able to relate theoretical (equilibrium) forecasts from abstract economic models to real management decisions in companies.
Skills Knowledge
  • Based on suggested literature students can use various IO-problems in so-called class room games (experiments in economic sciences) as a didactic element of a course.
  • Students acquire the ability to relate model-theoretical results to real economic decisions.
  • Students recognize that repeated decisions in real industrial economic problems converge to the results predicted by abstract theoretical models.
  • Students learn about typical decision-making situations in strategic management in the context of different scenarios (experiments).
  • Students know about equilibria and optimal decisions in different industrial-economic scenarios [keywords: Cournot and Bertrand equilibrium, collusion, location decisions, decisions about product qualities, feedback mechanisms on markets, effects of company mergers and franchising models in vertical company structures, displacement strategies of companies].
  • Students understand that management decisions have a significant influence on key business figures such as profit, turnover, market share and the probability of survival of companies.
  • Students are familiar with the didactic requirements of economic experiments (so-called classroom games).
  • Students know the basics of game theory.

Subject The central element of the course is the organization and participation in so-called classroom games, which are prepared, organized and evaluated by the students. The students have to make strategic management decisions under experimental conditions in the context of various industrial economic problems. The economic decisions are compared with the theoretical forecasts of abstract economic models. The industrial economics problems include Cournot and Bertrand competition, collusive behaviour, decisions under asymmetric information, vertical firm integration, and location decisions. (The topics vary.)

Criteria for evaluation Students must participate in experiments on the one hand and organize and evaluate experiments on the other. The performance in the self-organized classroom game is decisive for the assessment - preparation, organization and execution of the experiment (25%), presentation of the results (25%) and the final report (25%) are assessed. In addition, the performance as a player in the classroom games of the other groups is included in the assessment (25%).
Methods Lecture and in-class discussions
Students will prepare, conduct and evaluate games and experiments
Language German
Study material Course Reading: Holt, C. A.: Teaching economics with classroom experiments. Southern Economic Journal, 65(3), 603-610.

Additional reading material which can vary according to the course syllabus: Journal of Economic Education

Changing subject? No
Further information The course will consist of class room games on industrial economic topics (= designed to address and solve economic problems in an experimental setting); students will be organized in groups. Students are responsible for organizing a classroom and required to participate actively.
Corresponding lecture (*)572AECOFUMU15: IK Firmen und Märkte (3 ECTS)
Earlier variants They also cover the requirements of the curriculum (from - to)
572AECOEXPU18: IK Experiments on Strategic Management Decisions (2018W-2020S)
On-site course
Maximum number of participants 40
Assignment procedure Assignment according to priority