COURSE #: 430

SECTION: 81

COURSE NAME: MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS

INSTRUCTOR: HORNER

CASEPACK (YES or NO?) : YES

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: NONE

1.  TEXT -- REQUIRED or RECOMMENDED? REQUIRED

AUTHOR: Besanko

PUBLISHER:JOHN WILEY & CO

COURSE #: 430

SECTION: 61

COURSE NAME: MICROECONOMICS ANALYSIS

INSTRUCTOR: KAMIEN

CASEPACK (YES or NO?) : NO

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER 1&2 IN Microeconomics book

1.  TEXT  --   REQUIRED  or  RECOMMENDED?: required

AUTHOR: Besanko & Braeutigan

PUBLISHER: Wily & son

TITLE: Microeconomics

ED./DATE: LATEST

2.  TEXT  --   REQUIRED  or  RECOMMENDED?: REQUIRED

AUTHOR: Adam & Brock

PUBLISHER:

TITLE: The structure of American Industry

ED./DATE: Latest

COURSE #: 441

SECTION: 61 & 62

COURSE NAME: Competitive Strategies

INSTRUCTOR: BALIGA

CASEPACK (YES or NO?) : YES

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: IN CASE PACKET

1.  TEXT  --   REQUIRED  or  RECOMMENDED?: NONE

AUTHOR:

PUBLISHER:

TITLE:

ED./DATE: LATEST

2.  TEXT  --   REQUIRED  or  RECOMMENDED?:

AUTHOR:

PUBLISHER:

TITLE:

ED./DATE:

TERM: Spring 2003

COURSE #: MECN 441-0

SECTION: 81

COURSE NAME: Economics of Competition

INSTRUCTOR:  Jim Dana

CASE PACKET - YES or NO?: Yes

FIRST ASSIGNMENT:

All Week 1 course materials, including the cases, the discussion questions, and this first assignment, are available online at our blackboard course web page (courses.northwestern.edu).

Note that every week you will be required to turn in a written exercise.  This assignment can be done in groups of up to five students (submit one copy per group).  It can also be posted to the course web page.

Attendance is expected but not required. However failure to attend the first class will result in your exclusion from the class in the event that a waiting list exists.

Optional Review Readings (available on course web page or in your 431 textbook):

Besanko, D., D. Dranove, and M. Shanley.  1996.  Primer: Economic concepts for strategy.  In The Economics of Strategy, New York: Wiley.

Besanko, D., D. Dranove, and M. Shanley.  1996.  Competitors and Competition.  In The Economics of Strategy, New York: Wiley.

Besanko, D., “Review Notes: Economic Concepts of Cost and the Theory of Perfectly Competitive Markets” (Kellogg School of Management)

Satterthwaite, M., "Perfect Competition and Monopolistic Competition: Review," 1998.

Al-Najjar, N., “Notes on Strategic Interaction and Oligopoly,” (Kellogg School of Management).

Readings:

Morton, “Why Economics Has Been Fruitful for Strategy”

Achieving and sustaining superior profits.  (HBS 9-797-039), rev. 8/26/96. (See the course web page for a color version that is easier to read).

Besanko, D., “Note on Product Differentiation and Price Competition in an Oligopoly,” (Kellogg School of Manage ment)

Case:  ValuJet

Discussion questions for ValuJet (Despite ValuJet’s tragic accident and subsequent transformation, ValuJet’s business model is a rich environment for studying strategic commitments).

1. What elements of ValuJet’s strategy created value for ValuJet’s consumers?

2. What elements of ValuJet’s strategy did not create value for ValuJet’s consumers? 

3. W hat elements of ValuJet’s strategy increased Delta’s incentive to price aggressively?

4. What elements of ValuJet’s strategy decreased Delta’s incentive to price aggressively?

5. What is the logic of combining the different aspects of ValuJet’s strategy?

6. Why might Delta “accommodate” ValuJet?  How could Delta have made itself less vulnerable?

Exercises:

To be turned in: Dana, J. “Exercise on Vertical Product Differentiation”

Review: Dana, J., “Exercises in Oligopoly Models”.

Supplemental: Besanko, D., “Exercise in Product Differentiation,” Consider scenario 1 only.

IS ATTENDANCE AT FIRST CLASS MANDATORY – YES or NO?:  No, unless the course is oversubscribed.  In that case priority will be given to students who attend the first class.

1.  TEXT - REQUIRED or RECOMMENDED?: None.

     AUTHOR:

PUBLISHER:

     TITLE:

EDITION/DATE: