Instructional goals
This class introduces advanced management students to selected contributions in modern economic theory that deals with market structure and industrial dynamics. Seminal papers will be presented and discussed during classes.
Prerequisites
Basic principles of Industrial Economics and Statistics are required.
In more detail,
Industrial Economics:
i) consumer and firm theory; ii) competition and efficiency; iii) monopoly and regulation; iv) oligopoly competition; v) collusion; vi) market structure.
Textbook
Cabral L. (2017) Introduction to Industrial Organization, MIT Press
Statistics:
i) sample and population; ii) variables grouped data and histograms; iii) measures of central tendency; iv) measures of dispersion; v) correlation.
Textbook
Newbold P., Carlson, W.L., Thorne, B., Statistics, Chapter 2.
Intended learning outcomes
1) Knowledge and Understanding:
At the end of the course students will be able :
- to understand market structure and dynamics of the main industries.
- to understand the firm behaviour and its evolution over time.
- to understand the specific characteristics of the Italian industrial system (industrial districts, networks and social innovation)
- to develop capabilities for the strategic analysis.
2) Applying knowledge and understanding:
The student will be able:
- to perform empirical analyses on structure and evolution of industries, on firm heterogeneities within and between industrie ;
- to perform policy evaluation studies of industrial policies and regulation;
These goals will be achieved by means of class exercises and work group evaluation.
3) Making judgements:
We expect students to be able to make judgements upon the validity and effectiveness of the industrial policies.
4) Communications Skills
Through classes exercises and work group presentations the students will be able to communicate their ideas, proposals, analysis and critical reasoning.
5) Learning skills
The complementarity between the theoretical knowledge and the know-how students accumulate during the class excercises and work group allow them to acquire those dynamic capabilities useful for their career.
Course Contents
This course deals with market structure and industrial dynamics. Gibrat Law, market structure, determinants of entry and exit, and industry life-cycle will be discussed in the first part of the course. Afterwards, we turn to entrepreneurial theories, sectoral patterns of innovation and fourth industrial revolution technologies. Many of these topics will be complemented by class exercises.
Reference Books
Dinamiche Industriali di Francesca Lotti e Valentina Meliciani, Il Mulino editore.
Other material used during the lectures and summarized in the slides
Reading material indicated below is for deepening your knowledge but it is not compulsory
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures, class discussion, exercises, simulations, and on group-works that will be presented in class at the end of the course.
Assessment Method
The overall evaluation for the students attending class consists of an ongoing assessment (based on exercises and simulations and on the content and presentation of group work) which accounts for the 70% of the final grade. The remaining 30% is based on a oral exam. In more detail:
Tests (30%): two tests (multiple choice questions) administered to students on 5th and 26th of October. (weights 15% each).
Group Work (40%): the discussion will start from the seventh week on. Each group has 1 hour for presentation and each student has to prepare 3-4 slides. Both collective work and individual work will be evaluated (20% each).
Oral exam (30%), 2 questions. The exam will last about 15 minutes.
All grades will be on a range from 0 to 30 to which the weights above apply.
For non attending students the rules are as follows:
Oral exam (100%)
4 questions, 30 minutes in total (range 0-30)
The program will be:
the whole course program
The book “La nuova rivoluzione delle macchine” di Andrew McAfee e Erik Brynjolfsson, 2017, Feltrinelli.
The paper Economia Digitale, Riccardo Cristadoro, Banca d’Italia, (2019), disponibile online
https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/focus-on/2019/FocusOn_1_2019.pdf
Thesis assignment criteria
In general, an interest in the subject. From a master's degree student we expect: 1) ability to propose a thesis that can be traced back to the topics or the tools presented during the course; 2) ability to conduct quantitative analyses; 3) initiative and critical thinking when using data and bibliographical resources.
Does the syllabus cover sustainability topics?
The issues related to sustainability are declined in the context of industrial policies and the use of energy as a productive input.
Week 1 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Market Structure
Session 2 online
Data analysis exercise on market structure indicators
References:
J.Sutton (2006), Market Structure: Theory and Evidence, Handbook of Industrial Organization
Rossi-Hansberg, E., and M. L. J. Wright,(2007). "Establishment Size
Dynamics in the Aggregate Economy." American Economic Review, 97(5):
1639-1666.
* Lotti, F., E. Santarelli and M. Vivarelli, (2003). "Does Gibrat's Law hold among young, small firms?," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 213-235, August.
* D.B. Audretsch& L. Klomp& E. Santarelli& A.R. Thurik, 2004. "Gibrat's Law: Are the Services Different?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 301-324, 05.
*Lotti, F., E. Santarelli and M. Vivarelli (2009), Defending Gibrat’s Law as a long-run regularity, Small Business Economic Journal, 32, 31-44.
Week 2 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Firm size distribution and the Gibrat Law
Session 2 online:
Data analysis exercise on the Gibrat Law
References:
Rossi-Hansberg, E., and M. L. J. Wright,(2007). "Establishment Size
Dynamics in the Aggregate Economy." American Economic Review, 97(5):
1639-1666.
* Lotti, F., E. Santarelli and M. Vivarelli, (2003). "Does Gibrat's Law hold among young, small firms?," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 213-235, August.
* D.B. Audretsch& L. Klomp& E. Santarelli& A.R. Thurik, 2004. "Gibrat's Law: Are the Services Different?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 301-324, 05.
*Lotti, F., E. Santarelli and M. Vivarelli (2009), Defending Gibrat’s Law as a long-run regularity, Small Business Economic Journal, 32, 31-44.
Week 3 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Profit-driven entry theory
Session 2 online
Online test to track student progress (10 minutes)
Data analysis exercise on entry and exit rates.
References:
*Capitolo 12, Cabral, Economia Industriale (2018), Entrata, uscita e comportamento strategico
*Garavaglia,(2014), Analisi delle determinanti dell’entrata di nuove imprese nei settori industriali: una rassegna, LIUC Papers n. 144
*Geroski P. (1995), What do we Know about Entry?, International Journal of Industrial Organization, 13, 421-441.
Week 4 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Industries and shakeout theory
Session 2 online
Shakeout: case studies
References:
Klepper, S. & Miller, J. H., 1995. "Entry, exit, and shakeouts in the United States in new manufactured products," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 567-591, December.
Week 5 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Innovation and the industry-life cycle: The Klepper model
Sessione 2 online
Case studies on industry life-cycles
References
* Klepper, S, 1996. "Entry, Exit, Growth, and Innovation over the Product Life Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 562-83, June.
Week 6 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Sectoral patterns of innovation: the Pavitt (1984) and Audescht (1995) models
Session 2 online
Online test to track student progress (10 minutes)
Applications of Pavitt's Taxonomy
References:
*Pavitt, K. (1984), ‘Sectoral Patterns of Technical Change: Towards a Taxonomy and a Theory’, Research Policy, vol. 13, pp. 343–73.
*Audretsch, D. B. (1995). The propensity to exit and innovation. Review of Industrial Organization, 10(5), 589-605.
Week 7 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Schumpeterian patterns of innovation of Malerba and Orsenigo
Session 2 on line
Project Work presentations
References:
*Malerba, Franco & Orsenigo, Luigi, 2014. Regimi tecnologici e pattern
settoriali di innovazione, in Economia dell’innovazione, a cura di F.
Week 8 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Sessione 1 on campus
Concurrent technologies and networks.
Sessione 2 online
Project Work presentations (in alternative Case studies on sectoral patterns of innovation)
References:
*Lissoni, F. (2014) “Tecnologie concorrenti e rendimenti crescenti da adozione” in Economia dell’innovazione, a cura di F. Malerba.
Week 9 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 o on campus
The 4th Industrial Revolution
Session 2 online
Project Work presentations
References:
*McAfee, Andrew and Erik Brynjolfsson. "Big Data: The Management Revolution". Harvard Business Review, October 2012.
*Brynjolfsson, Erik, and Andrew McAfee, "Winning the Race with Ever-Smarter Machines" MIT Sloan Management Review, Winter 2012
*Gordon, Robert (2012). 'Is US economic growth over? Faltering innovation confronts the six headwinds', CEPR Policy Insight No 63.
Week 10 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Sessione 1 on campus
Entrepreneurial Theory
Sessione 2 online
Project Work presentations
Letture:
*Lazear, E. (2005), "Entrepreneurship," Journal of Labor Economics, 23:4. p649.
*Ardagna, S. and Lusardi, A., 2008. Explaining international differences in entrepreneurship: The role of individual characteristics and regulatory constraints (No. w14012). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Week 11 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Entrepreneurship and territory
Session 2 on line
Project Work presentations
References:
Fritsch, M. and Mueller, P., 2008. The effect of new business formation on regional development over time: the case of Germany. Small Business Economics, 30(1), pp.15-29.
Fritsch, M. and Schroeter, A., 2011. Does quality make a difference? Employment effects of high-and low-quality start-ups.
Week 12 Contenuto sessioni on line e on campus
Session 1 on campus
Energy, strategic sectors and industrial policies
Session 2 online
Presentation of group work