Topics in Industrial Organization - JEB136

• Anglický název: Topics in Industrial Organization
• Zajišťuje: Institut ekonomických studií (23-IES)
• Fakulta: Fakulta sociálních věd
• Platnost: od 2021 do 2025
• Semestr: zimní
• E-Kredity: 3
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: zimní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: zimní s.:2/0, Zk [HT]
• Počet míst: 97 / neurčen (97)
• Minimální obsazenost: neomezen
• 4EU+: ne
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
• Stav předmětu: vyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu; při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
• Garant: PhDr. Jiří Schwarz, Ph.D.
• Vyučující: PhDr. Jiří Schwarz, Ph.D.
• Třída: Courses for incoming students
• Prerekvizity : {Skupina prerekvizit splnitelná buď JEB004 nebo JEM163}

Anotace

This course provides perspectives of top executives of important Czech firms on industrial organization. Every lecture, given by a different top executive, focuses on one specific industry and its market structure, pricing, regulation, and factors influencing market equilibrium. The course covers major industries such as real estate, energy industry, insurance, central banking, telecommunications, digital services, automotive, higher education, consumer electronics, or health care.

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (15.09.2025)

Cíl předmětu

The goal of this course is to have top executives of important Czech firms from various industries describe industry characteristics and market structure in which their firm operates. Lecturers will prepare their lectures in line with a given outline - it won’t be a "chat with a celebrity". It is expected that students already possess the needed theoretical background in microeconomics. Lecturers will only deal with the specifics of "their" industries.

The course requirements are: passing midterm and final test, reading one assigned article each week related to the industry dealt with during the corresponding lecture and critically summarizing it in reader’s diary.

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (15.09.2025)

Literatura

Readings will be listed in Moodle

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (15.09.2025)

Metody výuky

Use of Generative AI

Students are allowed to use generative AI tools in this course if and only if they are used correctly, ethically, and critically. In particular:

• ✅ You may use AI for inspiration, brainstorming, grammar checking, structuring, or exploring ideas. But always think critically about the output.
• ✅ Any use of AI must be declared (e.g. in a footnote or short note at the beginning of your work).
• ❌ Do not submit AI-generated text as your own without significant modification, your own contribution, and proper citation of original sources. Doing so is considered plagiarism.
• ❌ If AI tools are explicitly prohibited for a specific assignment or exam, you must follow that instruction.
• ⚠️ Violations may lead to disciplinary action under university rules.

For full details on the IES’s guidelines, see “AI tools when studying at IES” at the IES Guides & Manuals page.

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (26.09.2025)

Požadavky ke zkoušce

Read one article each week & summarize critically in a reader's diary ... 20%
Midterm assignment ... 20%
Final assignment ... 20%
Activity during lectures ... 40%

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (12.10.2022)

Sylabus

Market structure of an industry

• Type of structure (monopoly (natural versus administrative), dominant firm, cooperative/non-cooperative oligopoly, monopolistic competition, perfect competition)
• Barriers to entry into the industry
• Market share and market power
• Demand structure of the industry

Pricing

• Non-cooperative strategic decision making (predatory pricing, limit pricing, …)
• Cooperative strategic decision making (collusion)
• Price discrimination
• Price development and price forecast

Market equilibrium

• Information and information asymmetry
• Supply chain
• Advertisement, marketing
• Patent policy, trade marks, specificities of goods
• Incentives for innovations, technological progress (R&D)

Regulation

• National, EU and international regulation policy
• Antitrust legislation and its application in the industry
• Regulation of international trade (tariffs, subsidies, quotas, …)

Questions and discussion

The company within the industry

• Ownership and corporate governance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Cost curves, economies of scale
• Hierarchy of the company’s goals

 

Poslední úprava: Schwarz Jiří, PhDr., Ph.D. (15.09.2025)