Run by Bangor Business School

15.000 Credits or 7.500 ECTS Credits

Semester 1 & 2

Organiser: Prof John Goddard

The purpose of this module is to enable students 1. To introduce the concept of markets, opportunity costs and managerial issues for the organisation, including fixed costs and elasticity. 2. Develop critical students’ understanding of the theories and concepts that underpin managerial economics, such as economies of scale, fixed and variable costs, so that they are able to apply these to their own organisations. 3. Develop students’ knowledge of, and the ability to evaluate production functions including JIT, TQM and BPR, so that they are able to apply these to their own organisations. 4. Develop students’ understanding of competition policy and its effects on the organisation.

This module considers the managerial theories of the firm, including production and costs, market structures, strategic pricing and competition policy. These important and challenging concepts, and their relevance to modern management, are set in context for the student to reflect upon their own organisation’s economic behaviour and strategies. The module emphasises the importance of an economic understanding of how modern firms behave, from managerial behaviour to production methods, and a detailed analysis of cost controls. The objective of the module is to expose the student to a challenging perspective on evaluating firms and management in areas as diverse as pricing policy and rival behaviour in inter-dependent markets. The module examines the key concepts of managerial economics and applies these to real world scenarios.

good

B- to B+ (60-69%): Very good performance Most of the relevant information accurately deployed. Good grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Good integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.

Understands most but not all o Evidence of background study o Focussed answer with good structure o Arguments presented coherently o Mostly free of factual errors o Some limited original interpretation o Well known links between topics are described o Problems addressed by existing methods/approaches o Good presentation with accurate communication

excellent

Excellent standard: 70+ An outstanding performance, exceptionally able. The relevant information accurately deployed. Excellent grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practice elements. Good integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Strong evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.

threshold

c- to c+ (50-59%): marginal failing yet compensatable work No major omissions or inaccuracies in the deployment of information/skills. Some grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Integration of theory/practice/information present intermittently in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives.No major omissions or inaccuracies in the deployment of information/skills. Some grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Integration of theory/practice/information present intermittently in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives.• Knowledge of key areas/principles only; • Weaknesses in understanding of main areas; • Limited evidence of background study; • Answer only poorly focussed on question and with some irrelevant material and poor structure; • Arguments presented but lack coherence; • Several factual/computational errors; • No original interpretation; • Only major links between topics are described;

1. Critically analyse the importance of managerial economics in a contemporary context

2. Critically evaluate the subject specific roles, features and relationships within and between firms.

3. Understand, identify and judge the efficacy of different economic policies and theories

4. Comprehend, evaluate, appreciate and assimilate the scope and constraints imposed by law and regulation.

5. Critically comprehend the implications of different strategic decisions for the firm

6. Demonstrate the ability to make informed management and leadership judgements and decisions.

Type	Name	Description	Weight
	Assignment		40.00
	Examination		60.00

		Hours
Private study	This module is to be delivered in blended learning format. Students will receive a detailed study pack comprising three units of self study. There will be mandatory periods of asynchronous online teaching together with online virtual workshops. These will be supplemented by face to face teaching at the Management Centre at the end of semester. Students will also be expected to work together in online groups on pre-assigned topics.	141
Seminar	Three seminars of one hour are provided through the web-ex system. Three seminar web-ex sessions are provided to allow students to engage with the materials in a live internet based session over the Web-ex platform this is designed to encourage student interaction and discussion of study materials and module aims.	3
Lecture	At least 5 hours of lectures provided on line and some lectures also provided in the class room for those students attending the bi-annual teaching sessions at the management centre - all lectures are recorded. These lectures are also supplemented by vidoes introducing and summarising the different elements of the module which total to a further hour of discussion	6

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
• Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting

• Abstraction. From the study of economic principles and models, students see how one can abstract the essential features of complex systems and provide a useable framework for evaluation and assessment of the effects of policy or other exogenous events. Through this, the typical student will acquire proficiency in how to simplify while still retaining relevance. This is an approach that they can then apply in other contexts, thereby becoming more effective problem-solvers and decision-makers.
• Analysis, deduction and induction. Economic reasoning is highly deductive, and logical analysis is applied to assumption-based models. However, inductive reasoning is also important. The development of such analytical skills enhances students' problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Quantification and design. Data, and their effective organisation, presentation and analysis, are important in economics. The typical student will have some familiarity with the principal sources of economic information and data relevant to industry, commerce, society and government, and have had practice in organising it and presenting it informatively. This skill is important at all stages in the decision-making process.
• Framing. Through the study of economics, a student should learn how to decide what should be taken as given or fixed for the purposes of setting up and solving a problem, i.e. what the important 'parameters' are in constraining the solution to the problem. Learning to think about how and why these parameters might change encourages a student to place the economic problem in its broader social and political context. This 'framing' skill is important in determining the decision-maker's ability to implement the solutions to problems.

Reading list

A module reader (supplied to to students)

Textbook (supplied to students) Industrial Organization: Competition, Strategy, Policy 4th Edition J Lipczynski, J Wilson & J Goddard, Pearson

Compulsory in courses:

• N3BN: MBA Chartered Banker year 1 (MBA/CBDL)