ECC3830 - Industrial organisation and regulation - 2019

Industrial organisation (IO) studies firm behaviour and its consequences in settings where the assumption of perfect competition fails, i.e., where we can no longer just think about the intersection of a demand and supply curve. The topics include pricing and marketing strategies that individual firms can use to increase profits (price discrimination, bundling, advertising); the effects of interactions between firms and problems that can arise if they coordinate on anti-competitive strategies (cartels, merger, entry, vertical restraints, exclusive dealing); the design of marketplaces (network effect); and public policy responses to firm behaviour, including antitrust laws and regulation.

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

1. explain the basis for competition and rationale for regulation, and the basis of different theories of regulation
2. explain the arguments for and against privatisation
3. understand the main features of National Competition Policy in Australia, including its impact on segments of society such as rural Australia
4. understand the variety of approaches to competition policies from the international perspective
5. critically evaluate attempts to increase competition in particular industries, such as aviation, electricity, telecommunications and other relevant industries, where there are ongoing reforms.

Within semester assessment: 50% + Examination: 50%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information