Economics Concepts for Managers COURSE SYLLABUS UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH Charlton College of Business Department of Accounting and Finance Summer 2018 Instructor: Gopala Vasudevan Office: Email:[email protected] 317 Charlton Building (508) 999-8426 (office) Course: FIN 500, Economic Concepts for Office Hours: Online and Email. Managers Section 7101 COURSE DESCRIPTION This is taught as an online course. All lecture materials, syllabi will be posted on MYCOURSES which is the website of the University. All assignments and exams will be posted on CONNECT which is a subscription based website hosted by McGrawHill. Please make sure that you set up your account with CONNECT as soon as possible. The first two weeks is generally complimentary and you should not wait to start the assignments posted on CONNECT. Assignments and Exams will not be reopened past the due date. Regular Assignments are due on Sunday. Practice Assignments are due on Friday. Practice Assignments will also be graded and receive 25% of the grade for that Assignment. Regular Assignments will receive 100% of the points for the assignment. Economics concepts for managers focuses on microeconomic analysis and its application to business decision making. We study how to direct scarce resources in the way that most efficiently achieves managerial goals. The course develops the tools of intermediate microeconomics, business, and policy analysis. Specific topics includes demand and supply, basic econometrics, individual behavior, production, costs, theory of the firm, the nature of an industry, market models, value of information, and public policy toward business. The basic analytical techniques of managerial economics are identifying problems and opportunities, analyzing alternatives, and making optimal choices. These techniques are powerful tools for managers in firms who must make decisions in business functional areas of finance, marketing, productions and accounting. This course goes beyond basic principles course because it concentrates on the applied aspects of intermediate microeconomics and building economic intuition to help managers make sound decisions. Upon completion of this course the students will have acquired the skills to identify and develop sound solutions for business economic problems in the areas of demand, supply, production, cost, and pricing. Students will also conduct analytical analysis including economic optimization and regression analysis to assist them in making management decisions using sound economic reasoning. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of how to price a product, benefits of advertising, optimal use of employees and material inputs for production, measuring profit margin, and business strategies for operating such cost minimization versus profit maximization.Economics Concepts for Managers SUMMER COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE MATERIALS: Required Textbook: Managerial Economics & Business Strategy with Connect Plus, 9th Edition Michael Baye & Jeff Prince Hardcover with access card, Required Tools: calculator, pencils, pens, and paper CORE COMPETENCIES EMPHASIZED Economic Concepts for Managers stresses the following core competencies: solid foundation in business, critical and analytical thinking, written & oral communication skills, ethics, and understanding-- the Global aspects of business, computer proficiency, understanding and motivation for lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, and knowledge and understanding of the dynamic environment. These competencies are achieved by applying economic theory and methods to business and administrative decision making. Solid Foundation in Business The course emphasizes the role of economics in business and administrative decision making. The course is designed to equip students with adequate skills to make management decisions using sound economic reasoning. A key feature in this course is the depiction of the firm as a cohesive, unified organization. The basic valuation model is constructed and used as the underlying economic model of the firm. Each topic in the course is then related to an element of the value maximization model. In this manner, effective management is seen to involve an integration of accounting, finance, marketing, personnel, and production functions. Analytical Expertise and Skills The basic analytical techniques of managerial economics are identifying problems and opportunities, analyzing alternatives and making optimal choices. These techniques include reasoning, calculus-based economic optimization, and model predictions which are applied to business decisions in finance, marketing, productions, and accounting. - 2 -Economics Concepts for Managers COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE LEARNING GOALS: The learning goals for Managerial Economics are as follows: • to develop a clear understanding of economic theory • to acquire a framework for understanding the nature of the firm as an integrated whole • to recognize the interrelationship between the firm and society • The key role of business as an agent of social and economic welfare. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES The course is designed to equip students with adequate skills to make management decisions using sound economic reasoning. Students master the following: • the ability to understand economic optimization and its application to business decision making, • the ability to understand the forces of supply and demand that establish prices and quantities observed in the markets for goods and services, • the ability to calculate and interpret elasticities and their applications to business decisions, • the ability to analyze production and cost analysis as a means for understanding the economics of resource allocation and employment, • the ability to understand market structures and how they affect business decisions under perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly, • the ability to analyze pricing techniques under a variety of demand and cost conditions, and The ability to analyze data using statistics (e.g., hypothesis testing, regression estimation and correlations) in order to make sound business decisions GRADING POLICY Evaluation will be based entirely upon