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2020/2021  KAN-CPOLO1908U  Analysis of Industry and Competition

English Title
Analysis of Industry and Competition

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc/MSc i International Business and Politics, MSc
Course coordinator
  • Marcus Asplund - Department of Economics (ECON)
Main academic disciplines
  • Strategy
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 20-10-2020

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Analyze the competitive situation in a market.
  • Analyze the competitive position for a firm in a market.
  • Predict the evolution of a market and firms’ competitive positions.
Course prerequisites
Completed course in intermediate microeconomics or managerial economics
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see s. 13 of the Programme Regulations): 2
Compulsory home assignments
The mandatory assignments are individual take home set assignments.
2 out of 3 mandatory assignments must be approved for the student to participate in the final exam.

Feedback on the assignment will be provided in class.

If a student fails to get 2 of the 3 mandatory assignments approved or fails to submit due to documented illness or failed attempts, a retake of the mandatory assignment will be offered between the ordinary and the retake exam. The retake mandatory assignment will have the same format (individual take home set assignment).

Please note that to submit the retake mandatory assignment it is a precondition that the student has made a valid attempt in all set activities, unless it can be documented that the lack of submission/participation was caused by illness or similar circumstances.

More information on prerequisites for participating in the exam: compulsory activities can be found in the MSc IBP Programme Regulations §13.1-5.
Examination
Analysis of Industry and Competition:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Please see text below
The exam is a 4 hour written home assignment therefore there is no max number of pages.
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
It is at the discretion of the Study Board to change the exam form from a 4-hour written exam to a 20 min oral exam with no preparation.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course is concerned with the analysis of markets and the assessment of competition in the market place. It is broadly a course in competitive strategy that uses economics as a guiding framework for strategic decision-making. It shows how the methods and results of microeconomics and, in particular, game theory can be applied to business strategy and industry analysis. The insights gained in this course will help you to forecast and understand the actions of your rivals, suppliers, and customers and to formulate a good strategic response.

 

There are six main topics: Competitive Markets, Industry Analysis, Strategic Positioning, Dynamic Competition, Market Entry, and Competitive Advantage. The teaching is a mix of lectures to develop some of the concepts, and real world cases to apply the learnings.

 

This course is a natural continuation of previous courses in microeconomics. The methods developed in this course are useful to reach a deeper understanding of the forces that shape markets and are particularly useful for students who intend to specialise in management, strategy, or finance.
Description of the teaching methods
For each topic there is a lecture covering the basic theory and concepts used. For each topic there will be real world cases of different markets to allow you to apply the theory. It is imperative that you have read the cases before class and tried to answer the assignment questions. You should be prepared to clearly state your answers to the assignment questions and defend your positions.
Feedback during the teaching period
Debriefing in-class of mandatory assignments. Discussion in-class of particular issues with mandatory assignments.

In-class exercises solved in small groups, where students present and discuss their conclusions. Voluntary exercises relating to each lecture that are solved individually or in groups, which are debriefed and discussed in the following lecture. Presentations and discussion of arguments relating to assigned case questions.


Student workload
Lectures/ class exercises / “homework café”/ workshops etc. 30 hours
Preparation time (readings, group work, etc.) 169 hours
Expected literature

D.Besanko, D.Dranove, S.Schafer, M.Shanley: Economics of Strategy, John Wiley & Sons. (Most recent edition)
Last updated on 20-10-2020