Checking date: 28/04/2025 10:35:48


Course: 2025/2026

Organizational Economics
(13693)
Bachelor in Economics (2008 Study Plan) (Plan: 145 - Estudio: 202)


Coordinating teacher: MELERO MARTIN, EDUARDO

Department assigned to the subject: Business Administration Department

Type: Electives
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
Mathematics for Economists I & II (or similar) Microeconomics  Statistics I (or similar)
Objectives
- Acquisition of a working understanding of the economic approach to the study of organizations. - Ability to apply that approach to the analysis of specific problems arising in firms and other organizations. - Ability to work in groups to analyze in depth organizational problems faced by actual firms and to present the results of the analysis to an audience. - Ability to analyze rigorously and discuss in public practical problems of business organization. - Understand the concept of informational asymmetry and its implications for organization. - Understand the key concepts of the economic analysis of employee selection and the provision of incentives in firms and be able to apply these concepts to address organizational problems faced by today's firms. - Understand the concept of vertical integration and its determinants and be able to apply this understanding to the study of firms' decisions.
Learning Outcomes
K3: Acquire knowledge of the theories and techniques specific to Economics, employing appropriate terminology and the scientific method. K4: To understand the functioning of the economy as the efficient allocation of scarce resources, including the importance of equity. K7: Understand the economic variables that regulate the economy and govern the behaviour of agents. K8: Understanding economic institutions K10: Understand the fundamental elements of the economic environment from the perspective of different theories and various economic agents. S1: To plan and organize team work making the right decisions based on available information and gathering data in digital environments. S2: Exploit information by interpreting relevant data, avoiding plagiarism, and adhering to academic and professional conventions within the field of study, with the ability to evaluate the reliability and quality of the information. S3: Apply the knowledge acquired in the degree program to rigorously, accurately, and scientifically identify socioeconomic processes and propose potential solutions. S4: Manage and develop autonomous learning within the field of Economics. S5: Formulate, debate, and defend critical and ethical arguments related to Economics. S8: Formally representing economic decision-making processes S10: Prepare advisory reports for economic agents relevant to decision-making. C1: Develop interpersonal skills such as initiative, responsibility, conflict resolution, negotiation, etc., which are required in the professional domain. C3: Independently develop and defend a problem within the disciplinary scope of the degree, proposing well-founded solutions through the application of the knowledge, skills, tools, and strategies acquired or developed throughout the degree program. C4: Solve economic models of interest from both theoretical and numerical perspectives.
Description of contents: programme
1. Internal Organization: Selection and Incentives 1.1. Selection: asymmetric information, adverse selection, signaling, and screening 1.1.1. Asymmetric information and adverse selection in hiring 1.1.2. Screening mechanisms for employee selection 1.1.3. Signaling and employee selection 1.2. Explicit incentives 1.2.1. The Principal-Agent model 1.2.2. Optimal compensation contracts and the trade-off between incentives and insurance 1.2.3. Multi-tasking and optimal compensation 1.2.4. The choice of performance measures 1.3. Implicit incentives and organization 1.3.1. Implicit incentives 1.3.2. Incentives in teams 2. Firm Boundaries 2.1. Incentives and vertical integration 2.2. Contracting costs and the limits of contracts 2.3. Specific investments and the hold-up problem 2.4. The benefits of external suppliers and distributors 2.5. Other advantages of vertical integration
Learning activities and methodology
In the large-group sessions, the teacher will present the main contents of the subject. During the sessions, students will also answer short surveys and quizzes. The goal of these quizzes is to motivate the questions raised in class, improve students¿ understanding of the concepts and tools discussed in class, and provide feedback to students. In the small-group sessions, students will solve exercises, review the homework, participate in the discussion of case studies and news articles, present and debate case studies prepared by student teams, and take tests. In addition to in-class activities, students should read the assigned readings prior to the large-group sessions and prepare the materials assigned for the small-group sessions (readings, problem sets, cases for discussion). To review the materials, students will be able to take online review tests at their own pace. Students will also prepare an in-depth case study in teams. In addition to the written analysis, student teams will present their study in class. The course¿s 6 ECTS credits are distributed as follows: 3 credits for in-class activities (in person or online), 2 credits for students¿ individual work, 1 credit for team work. Both the large-group and small-group teachers will hold weekly office hours.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 40
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 60

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • Besanko, D., D. Dranove, M. Shanley, and S. Schaefer.. Economics of Strategy. Third Edition.. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. 2003
  • Milgrom, P. y J. Roberts.. Economía, Organización y Gestión de la Empresa.. Ariel. . 1993

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.