Technische Universität Ilmenau

Competition, Strategy, and Institution - Interactive curriculae of TU Ilmenau

The interactive curriculae provide information on the degree programmes offered by the TU Ilmenau.

Please refer to the respective study and examination rules and regulations for the legally binding curricula (Annex Curriculum).

You can find all details on planned lectures and classes in the course catalogue.

Please note that this page is no longer updated. All modules and study plans from PO version 2021 onwards (Bachelor and Master study programs) are now available on the Campus Portal.

module properties Competition, Strategy, and Institution in degree program Master Medienwirtschaft 2014
ATTENTION: not offered anymore
module number100766
examination number2500183
departmentDepartment of Economic Sciences and Media
ID of group 2541 (Economic Theory)
module leaderProf. Dr. Oliver Budzinski
term summer term only
languageEnglisch
credit points4
on-campus program (h)34
self-study (h)86
obligationelective module
examalternative examination performance
details of the certificate

2 essays, max 50 points each

Essays are written in form of open book examination, i.e. all available materials may be used

link to Moodle course https://moodle.tu-ilmenau.de/course/view.php?id=2886
teacher

Prof. Dr. Oliver Budzinski

signup details for alternative examinations

Dieses Modul enthält mindestens eine alternative semesterbegleitende Abschlussleistung. Bitte beachten Sie, dass diese in der Regel schon zu Beginn des Semesters, in dem diese angeboten wird, angemeldet werden muss.
Über die Details und Zeiträume dazu werden Sie vom Lehrenden und/oder dem Prüfungsamt informiert. Fragen Sie gegebenenfalls unbedingt beim Lehrenden nach.

This module contains at least one alternative exam part. Please note that this must usually be registered at the beginning of the semester in which it is offered.
The lecturer and/or the examination office will inform you about the details and time periods. If necessary, be sure to ask the lecturer.

maximum number of participants
previous knowledge and experience

Microeconomics

learning outcome

Strategic business behavior on competitive markets lies at the heart of any market economic system. This course aims at a deep understanding of competitive interaction in realistic market environments (oligopolies; presence of competition rules and regulatory institutional frameworks) as a precondition for analyzing the pros and cons of different business strategies from a social perspective. This framework is subsequently used to analyse and understand strategic business behaviour in complex (interactive) market environments, both in terms of applied theory and in terms of actual case studies. The purpose of this subject is to render the students capable of mastering the modern economics of competition, strategy, and institutions. It explicitly focuses on: (i) imparting knowledge about (a) the modern, state-of-the-art economics of competition, (b) the modern, state-of-the-art economics of strategy, (c) the modern, state-of-the-art economics of institutions, and (d) the interface between these three areas, (ii) enhancing skills in assessing theoretical and empirical problems in competition, strategy, and institutions on a high academic level, and (iii) qualifying students to master the scientific analysis of competition, strategy and institutions by applying advanced theories, concepts, tools and methods as well as to understand strategic business behavior in complex (interactive) market environments.

content
 
1. Introduction
2. The Economic Theory of Competition, Strategy, and Institutions
3. Unilateral Strategies with Strategic Interdependency
3.1 Predatory Pricing Strategies
3.2 Advertising and Brands
3.3 Bundling & Tying, Exclusive Dealing and Boycotts
3.4 Raising Rivals’ Costs
3.5 Unilateral Strategies – European Competition Policy
4. Cartels, Cooperation, Alliances and Networks
4.1 Types and Effects of Enterprise Cooperation
4.2 The Problem of Stability
4.3 Detection of Cartels
4.4 Cartels – European Competition Policy Framework
5. Mergers and Acquisitions
5.1 General Notes
5.2 Analyzing Mergers – European Competition Policy
6. The Global Dimension
6.1 Market Concentration Worldwide
6.2 International Antitrust Institutions
7. Public Interest Considerations in Competition Policy
7.1 Defining and Understanding Public Interest Considerations
7.2 Public Interest Considerations – German and European Competition Policy
media of instruction and technical requirements for education and examination in case of online participation
Work in groups; Case Studies; Project Work; Exercises; Presentation using digital tools.
Lecture slides and accompanying material are available via Moodle.
literature / references

• Bishop, Simon & Walker, Mike, The Economics of EC Competition Law, aktuelle Auflage, London: Sweet & Maxwell.

• Motta, Massimo, Competition Policy: Theory and Practice, aktuelle Auflage, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Kerber, Wolfgang & Schwalbe, Ulrich, Economic Principles of Competition Law, in: F. J. Säcker et al. (eds), Competition Law: European Community Practice and Procedure, London: Sweet & Maxwell 2008, pp. 202-393.

• Schwalbe, Ulrich & Zimmer, Daniel, Law and Economics in European Merger Control, aktuelle Auflage, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Kerber, Wolfgang, Wettbewerbspolitik, Vahlens Kompendium, Bd. 2, aktuelle Auflage, München: Vahlen. •Bagwell, K., The Economic Analysis of Advertising, in: Handbook of Industrial Organization, Vol. 3, Amsterdam: Elsevier 2007, 1703-1844. •Budzinski, O., Impact Evaluation of Merger Control Decisions, in: European Competition Journal 9 (1), 2013, 199-224.

•Budzinski, O., International Antitrust Institutions, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 1, Oxford: OUP 2015, 119-146.

•Choi, J.P. & Gerlach, H., Cartels and Collusion: Economic Theory and Experimental Economics, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 2, Oxford: OUP 2015, 415-441; Levenstein, M.C. & Suslow, V.Y., Cartels and Collusion: Empirical Evidence, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 2, Oxford: OUP 2015, 442-463.

•Elzinga, K.G. & Mills, D.E., Predatory Pricing, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 2, Oxford: OUP 2015, 40-61.

•Jayaratne, J. & Ordover, J., Coordinated Effects, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 1, Oxford: OUP 2015, 509-528.

•Keating, B. & Willig, R.D., Unilateral Effects, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 1, Oxford: OUP 2015, 466-508.

•Salinger, M.A., Vertical Mergers, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 1, Oxford: OUP 2015, 551-586.

•Salop, S.C. & Scheffman, D.T., Raising Rivals' Costs, in: The American Economic Review 73 (2), 1983, 267-271; Scheffman, D.T. & Higgins, R.S., Twenty Years of Raising Rivals' Costs: History, Assessment, and Future, in: George Mason Law Review 12 (2), 2013, 371-387.

•Tirole, J., The Analysis of Tying Cases: A Primer, in: Competition Policy International 1 (1), 2005, 1-25.

•White, L.J., Monopoly and Dominant Firms: Antitrust Economics and Policy Approaches, in: R.D. Blair & D.D. Sokol (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics, Vol. 1, Oxford: OUP 2015, 313-344.

•Budzinski, O. & Mendelsohn, J., Regulating Big Tech: From Competition Policy to Sector Regulation? In: ORDO, Vol. 72-73 (3), 2023, pp. 217-255.  à Bougette, P., Budzinski, O. & Marty, F., Self-Preferencing and Competitive Damages: A Focus on Exploitative Abuses, in: The Antitrust Bulletin, Vol. 67 (2), 2022, pp. 190-207.  à Podszun, R., From Competition Law to Platform Regulation – Regulatory Choices for the Digital Markets Act, in: Economics, 17(20220037), 2023, 1–13.  à Stöhr, A., Section 19a GWB as a measure of counter-power against “Under[1]takings with Paramount Significance for Competition across Markets", Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers, Vol. 29(196), 2024, 1-21.

evaluation of teaching