EC262-5-AU-CO:
Economics of Organisational Management
2023/24
Economics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
21 August 2023
Requisites for this module
(EC111 or IA151 or IA153) and EC115
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA 9L11 Management Economics (Including Placement Year),
BA L108 Management Economics,
BA L190 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L192 Management Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC 5M00 Management Economics (Including Placement Year),
BSC L109 Management Economics,
BSC L191 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L193 Management Economics (Including Year Abroad),
MECNL133 Management Economics,
MECNL134 Management Economics (Including Placement Year),
MECNL135 Management Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BA LN10 Business Economics,
BA LN11 Business Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BA LN12 Business Economics (Including Placement Year),
BA LX10 Business Economics (Including Foundation Year)
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 an understanding of the economic principles that determine the relative performance of different organisational arrangements.
- To apply these principles to provide insights into 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 economic analysis to address issues involving the nature of organisational decision-making.
- Sort through a complex managerial situation and identify the crucial facts and issues.
- Identify the economic concepts that can help address these crucial issues.
- Evaluate actual managerial decisions.
- Convert the 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.
No additional information available.
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)
|
Additional coursework information
Feedback for this module will occur through class meetings where we will go over the answers to problem sets and where you will be able to ask questions about your own method of solution; answers that will be posted on the website for the module that will give you written guidance on the appropriate method to approach the problems, assignments, and tests; and office hours where any additional questions can be addressed. You should be sure that you use these methods to understand how to improve your own performance. For modules including a term paper, the term paper will be returned with individualised feedback that addresses what the marking criteria are and how you could improve your own work.
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 20 hours, 20 (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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