Industrial Organization

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Axel Gautier

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course of industrial organization focuses on strategic interaction between firms and in particular on those interactions taking place on markets. The objective is a better understanding of both the firms' strategies and the market functioning. This industrial organization course blends economic theory with real-world applications.
The course is organized in three parts
Part 1. Oligopoly theory In this part, we will review the main models of oligopoly competition and to present the tools to measure market power
Part 2. Strategies to increase market power Firms develop many strategies to increase their market power. In this second part, we will discuss these strategies including product differentiation, non-linear pricing, mergers, vertical relations, e.t.c.

Part 3. Economics of the internet In the internet sector is particular because goods are dematerialized and network effects are important. For these reasons, the internet sector is now concentrated with few internet giants competing on many different markets. In this third part, we will use the instruments of the industrial economy to study the main challenges of the economics of the internet.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Intended Learning Outcomes addressed by the courses :

• Strengthening knowledge and understanding of basic management disciplines in order to use them to perform a rigorous analysis of a management situation and provide pertinent solutions
• Ability to speak 2 foreign languages: C1 in English and B2 in one other language
• Understanding and being capable of using modelization methods when seeking a solution for a concrete management problem
• Providing concrete solutions to a management problem, integrating a dimension of technology, innovation or production
• Developing a critical sense (arguing)
• Developing a transversal, global vision
• Professional capacity for written communication

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Micro-economy & Notions of calculus

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Class (2h/week) Homework

Recommended or required readings

Reference Belleflamme and Peitz, Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies, Cambridge University Press, second edition,  2015

Assessment methods and criteria

Exam: 2/3 of the final mark Individual work: 1/3 of the final mark
Relative weighting of the individual evaluation: 100%

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Lecturer: Axel GAUTIER Email: agautier@ulg.ac.be Office I.49, BAT B31(ST) Tel: 04/366.30.53