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Organisations, Economics and Incentives (ECON30017)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject is concerned with the economics of asymmetric information, when agents may have private knowledge, take hidden actions, and attempt to manipulate the knowledge, information and incentives of others. Using game theory and information economics it will cover the main techniques and results of principal-agent theory and contract theory. It will introduce students to the principles of economic design in asymmetric information environments. These tools will be applied to a variety of topics and case studies, performance incentives, regulation, government procurement, structure of insurance markets, monopoly behaviour, agricultural contracts and share cropping.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Understand the concepts of economics of information and be able to apply them to explain the contracts within organisations; and
- Analyse a firm's behaviour under different contractual structures.
Generic skills
On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:
- High level of development: problem solving.
- Moderate level of development: application of theory to practice; interpretation and analysis; critical thinking; evaluation of data and other information.
- Some level of development: statistical reasoning; receptiveness to alternative ideas.
Last updated: 6 February 2025