2020-2021 / GEST0007-1

The Firm's Competitive Environment

Duration

30h Th, 24h SEM

Number of credits

 Master in management (120 ECTS) (evening classes)5 crédits 

Lecturer

Markus Fredebeul-Krein

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

At the beginning of the course, we will examine "Porter's concept of five forces".  A full understanding of the concept is essential for a firm to be successful in an international market environment. This also covers assessing and selecting the markets (product markets, customer markets, regional markets) a firm wants to operate in.
As the course proceeds, we will expand our analysis by considering basic microeconomic aspects regarding markets and prices followed by a discussion on how different types of market structure influence a firm's competitive strategy. We will then examine firm behavior in markets with asymmetric information as well as in platform markets. 
Through case studies, we will analyze how successful companies have deployed the concepts discussed in class to create and sustain competitive advantage.
The module starts with presenting and developing the foundations of microeconomics, followed by practical considerations.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • apply "Porter's Concept of Five Forces" in view of assessing and selecting the markets a firm wants to operate in;
  • analyze the competitive environment of a firm applying advanced microeconomics and using appropriate methods of analysis;
  • accurately assess the key factors and dynamics that shape the nature of a company's markets ;
  • assess the competitive positioning of a firm's business.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

face-to-face
 

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Recommended or required readings

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

The evaluation will be based on the following components:

  • Grading of individual work
  • Grading of participation in discussion of microeconomic topics: price discrimination, asymmetric information and platform markets
  • Grading of groups in discussing/presenting results in case studies

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

The seminar will take place at the Kloster Heidberg in Eupen. It will be organized over a weekend from Friday 5pm until Sunday 1pm.

Contacts

fredebeul-krein@fh-aachen.de