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2011/2012  KAN-CM_N63  Methods in Empirical Business Economics

English Title
Methods in Empirical Business Economics

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Course Period Autumn . First Quarter
Please see e-campus.
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Max. participants 60
Study Board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course Coordinator
  • Kelly Foley - Department of Economics
Administration: Ida Lyngby - il.eco@cbs.dk
Main Category of the Course
  • Statistics and mathematics

Taught under Open University-Taught under open university.
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
• Demonstrate an ability to detect situations in which the traditional linear model is not adequate and be able to explain why.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the approaches introduced in the course
• Undertake a fairly simple econometric analysis using models within at least one of the main topics of the course. This implies being able to:
1. Identify a research question and discuss its relevance.
2. Use a theoretical model from finance or economics to form hypothesis about the research question.
3. Specify a suitable econometric model including the assumptions of the model.
4. Collect the data necessary for conducting the analysis.
5. Estimate the model using an appropriate method using the SAS program
6. Discuss and solve any important problems encountered in relation to the analysis (e.g. heteroscedasticity for a cross-sectional data set).
7. Perform hypotheses testing of both simple and more composite hypotheses.
8. Report and interpret the results of the analysis clearly and effectively to a reader who does not have a technical background of econometrics, for example, the CEO of a firm.
9. Conclude upon the analysis.
Prerequisite
While the course does not explicitly build on the “Applied Econometrics” course, basic knowledge of the linear regression model (OLS) is required.
Examination
Individual project (home assignment)
Methods in Empirical Business Economics:
Assessment Home Assignment
Marking Scale 7-step scale
Censorship No censorship
Exam Period Autumn Term
Aids Please, see the detailed regulations below
Duration Please, see the detailed regulations below

Examination
The exam will take the form of an individual project (home assignment). Each student will be asked to write a short empirical esay (15 pages) that uses one (or more) of the models studied in class.
Course Content

This course provides an opportunity for students to gain direct experience estimating a simple model from economics or finance. The course will introduce three widely used approaches in econometrics that extend skills learned in the basic course in Applied Econometrics at the Applied Economics and Finance cand.merc. line. Students will be required to perform an analysis that uses one or more of the techniques of the course. This course will be very useful to students who plan to undertake empirical analysis as part of their Masters Thesis.
 

The course will begin with a brief summary of basic econometric methods with a focus on practical issues such as data quality, recoding raw data and treatment of missing data. We will also review the important classical assumptions, emphasizing when empirical results can be interpreted as causal effects or correlations between variables.
 

The course will cover the following topics:
 

1) Binary outcomes– Outcomes that are of particular interest within corporate governance, finance and many other fields are often binary in nature. For example, one might want to study the factors that affect whether a firm will make a public offering. In this section, students will learn the different approaches to estimating models with binary outcomes: linear probability models, probit and logit models.

2) Program/policy evaluation using difference-in-difference estimation– Difference-in-difference (DD) estimators are a relatively easy way to estimate the causal impact of a program or policy on any outcome of interest. For example, one might estimate the effect of minimum wages on unemployment, whether free trade agreements affect stock market prices, or how anti-trust laws impact cartel behaviour?

3) Trending time series and cointegration –These methods are very relevant for students who plan to write their thesis within finance or more generally those who plan to use time series data. In this section of the course, students will learn how to work with data that has a time trend and how to test whether two time series are cointegrated. The methods learned in this section can be used to test various important hypotheses from economic and finance models.
 

Students will:
•become proficient in the use of SAS statistical software;
•develop the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing.

Teaching Methods
The course will combine lectures with demonstrations and instruction in computer labs.
Literature

Main text book:

Stock, J.H. and Mark W. Watson. Introduction to Econometrics second edition. Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley.

Relevant articles will be selected from each of the three main topics.