- Docente: Giacomo Calzolari
- Credits: 6
- SSD: SECS-P/01
- Language: English
- Moduli: Giacomo Calzolari (Modulo 1) Vincenzo Denicolò (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Economics (cod. 8408)
Learning outcomes
Students which complete this class will acquire a working knowledge of theoretical models of industrial organization.
They will learn the conditions under which the predictions of these models are valid.
They will apply the methods they learn in class to practically relevant problems.
They will be in a position to read academic papers, assess the strengths and weaknesses of approach, summarize and comment on these papers and suggest possible extensions.
This is a graduate course jointly offered with the PhD in Economics at the University of Bologna.
Course contents
Part I
List of possible topics to be covered.
- Introduction: Why study IO”, “Market definition”, “What is a market” (T Introduction)
- Theory of the firm (T Ch. 1)
- Monopoly (T Ch. 2)
- Product Selection (T Ch. 2)
- Price discrimination (T Ch. 3)
- Short run price competition (T Ch. 5)
- Dynamic price competition and Collusion (T Ch. 6)
- Product differentiation (T Ch. 7)
- Entry (T Ch. 8)
- Innovation and R&D (T Ch. 10)
(Reference T to the textbook by J. Tirole.)
Part II
Advanced topics with students presentations. Possible topics to cover
- Contracts and competition
- Exclusive contracts
- Privacy policies
- Search and information
- Platforms
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Models of innovation
- Patents
- Non-linear pricing and Bundling
Prerequsites.
Since this is a graduate course jointly offered with the PhD in Economics at the University of Bologna, students are expected to command the basics of game theory. A very good knowledge at the level of Micro 1 and Micro 2 LMEC is required.
Readings/Bibliography
Textbooks.
The Theory of Industrial Organization (1988). Jean Tirole. MIT Press.
Industrial Organization. A Strategic Approach (2000). Church Jeffrey and Roger Ware. McGraw-Hill. Available freely online at http://homepages.ucalgary.ca/~jrchurch/page4/page4.html.
Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies (2010). Paul Belleflamme and Martin Peitz. Cambridge University Press.
Other materials.
Other materials will be distributed on the course webpage:
https://sites.google.com/view/lmecindustrial
Teaching methods
Traditional class lectures.
Students' presentations.
Assessment methods
Written exam.
Students' presentations.
Class participation.
Teaching tools
Class lecturing and presentations.
Links to further information
https://sites.google.com/view/lmecindustrial
Office hours
See the website of Giacomo Calzolari
See the website of Vincenzo Denicolò