This course covers some major topics in the field of industrial and managerial economics. The course focuses mainly upon the theory of the firm and the industry, with an emphasis upon imperfect competition, asymmetric information and incentives. Of special interest is firms’ strategic behaviour including oligopoly pricing and production, product differentiation, strategic delegation and managerial incentives. The effects of firms’ conduct on economic welfare and feedback effects on market structure are examined.

Acquired competencies and abilities will permit students to understand how price and non-price competition among firms, strategic behaviour in oligopolistic markets, as well as agency issues deriving from separation of firm’s ownership from management affect economic welfare and market structure. The knowledge that the student will derive from the course is useful to understand firm and management behaviour and markets functioning.