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2025/2026  KAN-CEAPO1002U  Inter-firm Relations: Industrial Organization

English Title
Inter-firm Relations: Industrial Organization

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory (also offered as elective)
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 of Finance, Economics & Mathematics
Course coordinator
  • Enrico Maria Camarda - Department of Economics (ECON)
  • Marek Giebel - Department of Economics (ECON)
Main academic disciplines
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 17-03-2025

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Formulate and analyze theoretical models of firm decision making
  • Apply game theoretic concepts to models of firm decision making
  • Identify appropriate theories to analyze firm decision making
  • Explain and show how empirical analysis or case studies in industrial organization relate to theoretical models
Course prerequisites
This course is offered as an elective to incoming exchange students. It is a mandatory course for the MSc in Applied Economics and Finance. It is assumed that students have knowledge similar to the entry requirements for this program.

Students will be selected based on their application. Please send a 1-page motivational letter, a 1-page CV, and a grade transcript to ily.stu@cbs.dk before the registration deadline for elective courses.
Examination
The exam in the subject consists of two parts:
Midterm - Inter-firm Relations: Industrial Organization:
Sub exam weight50%
Examination formWritten sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group examIndividual exam
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration2 hours
Grading scale7-point grading scale
Examiner(s)One internal examiner
Exam periodWinter
AidsLimited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • Any calculator
  • Language dictionaries in paper format
The student will have access to
  • basic IT application package
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination may warrant that it most appropriately be held as an oral examination. The programme office will inform the students if the make-up examination/re-take examination instead is held as an oral examination including a second examiner or external examiner.
Description of the exam procedure

Valued at 50% of the final grade. It consists partly of questions similar to the ones in the final exam.

Final - Inter-firm Relations: Industrial Organization:
Sub exam weight50%
Examination formWritten sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group examIndividual exam
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration2 hours
Grading scale7-point grading scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam periodWinter
AidsLimited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • Any calculator
  • Language dictionaries in paper format
The student will have access to
  • basic IT application package
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination may warrant that it most appropriately be held as an oral examination. The programme office will inform the students if the make-up examination/re-take examination instead is held as an oral examination including a second examiner or external examiner.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course gives an overview of modern industrial organization, with a focus on inter-firm relations. It complements KAN-CEAPO2001U Corporate Governance and Entrepreneurship which focuses on the intra-firm relations. We will use microeconomics, game theory, and empirical methods to analyze how firms strategically interact in markets. After reviewing the basic pricing and oligopoly models, the course will cover strategic investments, antitrust policy, contractual relations between firms and network issues. 
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Methodology
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
Description of the teaching methods
Lectures mixed with exercices.
Feedback during the teaching period
Solutions to exercises discussed in the exercise session are available to students giving them a chance to check their ability to solve relevant problems.
Student workload
Teaching + exercises 46 hours
Exam 2 hours
Preparation 158 hours
Expected literature
  1. Cabral, L. M. (2017). Introduction to industrial organization. 2nd Edition, MIT press.
  2. Selected chapters from Belleflamme, P. and Peitz, M. (2015). Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies. 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press.
  3. Selected chapters from Church, J. and Ware, R. (2000). Industrial Organization: A Strategic Approach. 1st Edition, McGraw-Hill. This book is out of print, but the authors have posted a free version on-line. A link will be posted on Canvas.

  4. Selected journal articles, to be posted on Canvas.

  5. Selected chapters from "Contemporary Industrial Organization: A Quantitative Approach, 1st Edition." 2012. Wiley. by Lynne Pepall, Dan Richards, George Norman"
Last updated on 17-03-2025