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MGTECON 200: Managerial Economics

MGTECON 200 is a base-level course in microeconomics. It covers microeconomic concepts relevant to management, including the economics of relationships, pricing decisions, perfect competition and the "invisible hand," risk aversion and risk sharing, and moral hazard and adverse selection.
Terms: Win | Units: 3

MGTECON 201: Managerial Economics

MGTECON 201 is one of two base-level courses in microeconomics. It covers microeconomic concepts relevant to management, including the economics of relationships, pricing decisions, perfect competition and the "invisible hand," risk aversion and risk sharing, and moral hazard and adverse selection. While the topics covered and the level of coverage are the same as in the second base-level course, MGTECON 200, MGTECON 201 is administered and graded differently: 15% of the final grade is based on participation (you can miss the class without affecting the grade up to 3 times), 35% is on the midterm, and 50% is on the final.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 3

MGTECON 203: Managerial Economics - Accelerated

MGTECON 203 uses the same math as 200 (derivatives and algebra, and not much more) but uses it more often. Previous economics is not necessary, but it does help to be comfortable with simple mathematical models. The business world has become more quantitative and economics-oriented in the last 30 years, but many of the key ideas in economics, relating to topics such as pricing, monopoly, imperfect competition, game theory, moral hazard and adverse selection, public choice, externalities, risk aversion, capital market pricing and equilibrium, and auction theory can all be usefully approached with this relatively small amount of math. The key is for students to develop the small number of intellectual tools that enables one to analyze a wide variety of economic problems.
Terms: Win | Units: 3

MGTECON 209: MSx: Economics

This course is an introduction to Microeconomics, focusing on microeconomic concepts relevant to managerial decision making. Topics include demand and supply, cost structure, price discrimination, perfect competition, externalities, and the basics of game theory. No prior Economics background is required but students who have not had courses in this area (or not had one in a very long time) may want to brush up on math prior to the start of classes.
Terms: Sum | Units: 3
Instructors: ; Oyer, P. (PI); Shaker, S. (GP)

MGTECON 300: Growth and Stabilization in the Global Economy

This course gives students the background they need to understand the broad movements in the global economy. Key topics include long-run economic growth, technological change, wage inequality, international trade, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and monetary policy. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and understand the discussions of economic issues in The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or the Congressional Budget Office.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 327: Business and Public Policy Perspectives on U.S. Inequality

This class will analyze the growth in inequality in the US over the last several decades and how that trend is likely to continue or change in the future. We will ask if and how public policy can affect inequality. We will also focus on business's role -- what are the responsibilities of private sector companies, how does inequality affect them, and how should the growth in inequality affect their strategies? We will look at inequality in income, some of its potential sources, and its effects in other areas. Specifically, we will look at education, housing, the social safety net, migration, and the job market. The class will be very interactive and will be based on readings drawn from academic research, case studies, news, and opinion readings. We will also have guest speakers from industry, government, and non-profits. The class will be co-taught by a GSB labor economist and an advisor to policy makers with decades of business experience.nnLOGISTICAL NOTE: The class will not meet on May 23 or May 25. Instead, there will be a mandatory, all-day class field trip to explore inequality issues in depth and in person on Wednesday, May 24. If you have an academic-related reason you cannot make the trip, we will assign alternative work. However, the trip is required unless you have a conflicting class or academic obligation.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 331: Health Law: Finance and Insurance

This course provides the legal, institutional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the US. Potential topics include: health reform, health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), medical malpractice and quality regulation, pharmaceuticals, the corporate practice of medicine, regulation of fraud and abuse, and international comparisons.
Terms: Win | Units: 3

MGTECON 334: The International Economy

The objective of this course is to give students an understanding of what international economic policy means for business leaders. To do this, students will have to understand the economic forces that determine the patterns and consequences of international trade. We will analyze trade policy tools used by governments (e.g., tariffs, subsidies, quotas, exchange rates), and examine the role of industry and politics at the domestic and global level in applying these tools. This course will combine lecture, case studies and group interaction.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | Units: 3

MGTECON 343: The Evolution of Finance

This course was originally designed to provide an overview of the crisis in financial markets that began in 2007, and of the various policies that were devised in response to the crisis' both short-term stabilization efforts and longer-term regulatory reform. However, as time goes on the course has evolved to spend less time on a historical review of those past events (though they are still significant and worth studying) and more time looking at the present and the future. We will be more focused on process --- thinking through the things we analyze --- rather than in making sure we cover a fully comprehensive set of topics. We have guest speakers for about half of the classes. The list changes from year to year, but here is 2016's list: Tanya Beder, Kevin Warsh, Ron Beck, David Booth, Jay Crandall, Tom Kempner, Katie Hall, Hal Varian, and Larry Summers.
Terms: Win | Units: 3

MGTECON 381: Contemporary Economic Policy

Economic issues permeate all that happens in government. This topics-based course will exam a variety of historic and current issues on the political agenda where economics is central to decision making. It is taught by faculty who served at the White House in either the Clinton or George W. Bush Administration.
Terms: Spr | Units: 4

MGTECON 383: Measuring Impact in Practice

This class will provide students practical skills for measuring impact in business and social enterprise, with a principal focus on evaluating, conducting, and analyzing experiments and quasi-experiments. How large is the impact of raising prices on sales? Is an advertising campaign working? Does a non-profit actually improve people's lives? Students will finish the course with the ability to design, analyze, and skeptically evaluate experiments that can rigorously answer questions like these. Students will learn: how to evaluate claims of causality; how to conduct and analyze experiments and quasi-experiments; the advantages and disadvantages of experiments; how to quantify uncertainty; and what can go wrong in experiments. Students will acquire a conceptual understanding of basic experimental statistics to inform these skills. Students will also be exposed to how leading companies, researchers, and social innovators strategically deploy experiments. Finally, students will conduct their own experiments on a topic of their choosing in small groups. The class will not assume any prior statistical or mathematical training. Completing short problem sets will require acquiring basic knowledge of R.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 513: Platform Competition in Digital Markets

This class will analyze the economics of digital platform markets. The class format will consist of lectures and guest speakers. Concepts will be presented in the context of leading examples of internet and technology platforms such as online advertising, computing technology platforms (e.g. mobile), marketplaces, social networks, cloud computing, and financial technology platforms. The course will begin with economic definitions of platform markets, and it will review the most important insights from recent research in economic theory and strategy. It will then consider the role of scale economies and network effects in determining the dynamics of platform competition and long-run industry structure. Next, the class will consider key strategic decisions for firms, including entry strategies, vertical integration and exclusive deals.
Terms: Aut | Units: 2

MGTECON 526: Inclusive Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries

Poverty rates have fallen markedly in countries around the world, as more households have joined the lower middle-class. Indeed, though U.S. income inequality has increased, inequality has fallen around the world. However, by developed country standards, poverty remains pervasive. What has caused the decline in rates of poverty and can we expect further decreases or can we act to accelerate the improvements? One answer is that countries that have experienced “inclusive growth”, in which the growth of the economy (i.e., GDP) has elevated the incomes of the poor, have done better at creating jobs for the poor, especially in the private sector. Therefore, the class will consider the evidence on the factors that have contributed to inclusive economic growth in developing countries. A second answer as to why poverty has fallen, but remains at high levels, is that governments and aid agencies and foundations have targeted programs to the poor. This course discusses macroeconomic policy, targeted government policies, aid, and entrepreneurship in developing countries. Examples will be given from Latin America, South Asia, and Africa. The course is co-taught by a Stanford economist and a World Bank consultant and will build on examples from recent experiences. The class is aimed at GSB students who are either intellectually curious about the topic or anticipate doing business in developing countries.
Terms: Win | Units: 2
Instructors: ; Shaw, K. (PI); Smeton, K. (GP)

MGTECON 527: Business and Public Policy Perspectives on U.S. Inequality

This class will analyze the growth in inequality in the US over the last several decades and how that trend is likely to continue or change in the future. We will ask if and how public policy can affect inequality. We will also focus on business's role -- what are the responsibilities of private sector companies, how does inequality affect them, and how should the growth in inequality affect their strategies? We will look at inequality in income, some of its potential sources, and its effects in other areas. Specifically, we will look at education, housing, the social safety net, migration, and the job market. The class will be very interactive and will be based on readings drawn from academic research, case studies, news, and opinion readings. We will also have guest speakers from industry, government, and non-profits. The class will be co-taught by a GSB labor economist and an advisor to policy makers with decades of business experience (see http://www.ppic.org/main/bio2.asp?i=431).
Last offered: Spring 2016 | Units: 2

MGTECON 535: Statistical Experimentation in Businesses

Most statistical questions involving data ultimately are about causal effects. What is the effect of changing prices on demand? What is the effect of an advertising campaign on demand. In this course we discuss statistical methods for analyzing causal effects. We look at the analysis and design of randomized experiments. We also look at various methods that have been used to establish causal effects in observational studies. Students will develop the skills to assess causal claims and learn to ask the right questions and evaluate statistical analyses. You will carry out research projects and work with statistical software.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | Units: 2

MGTECON 536: Data Driven Decision Making

This is a short course on data driven decision making. The purpose of the course is to help students become intelligent consumers and producers of data analytics in the business context. Each class meeting will consider a different case/caselet involving data and statistical analyses. We will spend a lot of time on understanding the difference between correlation and causation, and measurement issues such as small sample problems and selection bias. By the end of the course students will have sharpened analytical skills, and will be more critical of data and statistical analyses. This is *not* a data/statistical methods course, but is rather an analysis course. The course requires only the tools learned in D&D.
Terms: Spr | Units: 2

MGTECON 541: Topics in International Macroeconomics and Finance

This course gives students a background to understand fundamental issues in international macroeconomics and finance. Key topics include international asset pricing, hedging exchange rate risk, the relation between interest rates and exchange rates, business cycle fluctuations in emerging markets as well as in developed countries, banking and currency crises. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and understand the discussions of these topics in a publication such as The Economist. Each week we will have one lecture on fundamental concepts and one that applies these to recent events.
Terms: Spr | Units: 2

MGTECON 591: Global Management Research

The course will review the results from a large management practices project involving Cambridge, Harvard, the London School of Economics, McKinsey & Company and Stanford. McKinsey have developed a basic management practice evaluation tool - detailing about 20 key practices - which has been used to evaluate about 20,000 organizations in manufacturing, retail, healthcare and education across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. These data provide a global insight into the basic management practices around monitoring, targets and talent management that firms adopt around the world. We will examine the link between management and performance, and the reasons for differences in management across firms, industries and countries. This will be supplemented with the results from more recent research with Accenture and the World Bank in India on change management interventions in a developing country context.n nThe course will focus on making students familiar with this research and in particular the scoring grid so that they can easily performance an initial overview of the management practices of any organization. For example, this would be ideal for an initial evaluation of the management practices in a target company for private equity investment or a preliminary evaluation ("diagnostic"€) of a potential client by a consulting firm. Interested students can look at some of the academic, business and media focused output from the research on: http://www.worldmanagementsurvey.com, including over dozens of articles in the New York Times, Economist, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Newsweek, Washington Post and the Financial Times.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 2

MGTECON 600: Microeconomic Analysis I

This course provides an introduction to the foundations of modern microeconomic theory. Topics include choice theory, with and without uncertainty, consumer and producer theory, dynamic choice and dynamic programming, social choice and efficiency, and fundamentals of general equilibrium.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3

MGTECON 601: Microeconomic Analysis II

This course studies the roles of information, incentives and strategic behavior in markets. The rudiments of game theory are developed and applied to selected topics regarding auctions, bargaining, and firms' competitive strategies; information economics; and contracting and market design.
Terms: Win | Units: 3
Instructors: ; Wilson, R. (PI)

MGTECON 602: Auctions, Bargaining, and Pricing

This course covers auction theory, matching, and related parts of the literature on bargaining and pricing. Key papers in the early part of the course are Myerson and Satterthwaite on bargaining, Myerson on optimal auctions, and Milgrom and Weber's classic work. We then turn to markets in which complicated preferences and constraints, limitations on the use of cash, or variations in contract details among bidders play an important role. Emphasis is on matching markets such as the National Resident Matching Program and asset auctions such as the spectrum auctions.
Terms: Spr | Units: 4

MGTECON 602: Auctions, Bargaining, and Pricing

This course covers mostly auction theory, bargaining theory and related parts of the literature on pricing. Key classic papers covered in the course are Myerson and Satterthwaite on dynamic bargaining, Myerson on optimal auctions, and Milgrom and Weber's classic work, the Coase Conjecture results. We also cover a few more recent developments related to these topics, including dynamic signaling and screening. In some years we also cover topics in matching theory.
| Units: 4

MGTECON 603: Econometric Methods I

This is the first course in the sequence in graduate econometrics. The course covers some of the probabilistic and statistical underpinnings of econometrics, and explores the large-sample properties of maximum likelihood estimators. You are assumed to have introductory probability and statistics and matrix theory, and to have exposure to basic real analysis. Topics covered in the course include random variables, distribution functions, functions of random variables, expectations, conditional probabilities and Bayes' law, convergence and limit laws, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, maximum likelihood estimation, and decision theory.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4

MGTECON 604: Econometric Methods II

This course presents a comprehensive treatment of econometric methods used in economics, finance, marketing, and other management disciplines. Among the topics covered are: the classical linear regression analysis, linear simultaneous equations systems and instrumental variables techniques, panel data models, generalized method of moments, selection models, and limited dependent variable models. This course uses Matlab or similar computational software, but previous experience with such software is not a prerequisite. This course assumes working knowledge of undergraduate econometrics, basic linear algebra, basic probability theory, and statistics that are covered in MGTECON 603. Those who did not take MGTECON 603 or similar should see the instructor.
Terms: Win | Units: 3
Instructors: ; Yurukoglu, A. (PI)

MGTECON 605: Econometric Methods III

This course completes the first-year sequence in econometrics. It develops nonparametric, semiparametric and nonlinear parametric models in detail, as well as optimization methods used to estimate nonlinear models. The instructor will discuss identification issues, the statistical properties of these estimators, and how they are used in practice. Depending on student and instructor interest, we will consider advanced topics and applications, including: simulation methods and Bayesian estimators.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 608: Multiperson Decision Theory

Students and faculty review and present recent research papers on basic theories and economic applications of decision theory, game theory and mechanism design. Applications include market design and analyses of incentives and strategic behavior in markets, and selected topics such as auctions, bargaining, contracting, signaling, and computation.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3
Instructors: ; Wilson, R. (PI); Berg, S. (GP)

MGTECON 610: Macroeconomics

This course covers various topics in macroeconomics and is designed to expose students to macroeconomic methods, classic papers in the field, and the latest research at the frontier. The current focus is on economic growth. Using theoretical and empirical tools, we consider questions like: How do we understand long-run growth in per capita income? Why are some countries so much richer than others? Other topics include misallocation as a source of TFP differences, the direction of technical change, growth and the environment, the rise in health spending, patenting, and international trade.nnnThis course satisfies the GSB PhD macro requirement.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4

MGTECON 612: Advanced Macroeconomics II

Modern macroeconomics of aggregate fluctuations in advanced economies. Current research on sovereign debt, fiscal policy and financial flows, low growth and stagnation, low interest rates, financial crises, unemployment fluctuations, and other timely topics. The course will be organized around the detailed study of recent research papers. Some lectures will be given by visiting macroeconomists. Students enrolled in MGTECON 612 take the class for 4 units. Students develop a research proposal and present it to the instructors as the final exam. Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the economics department's core macro requirement or consent of the instructors.
Terms: Win | Units: 4

MGTECON 615: Topics in Market Design

This class will focus on several topics in market design and related areas. It is intended as a sequel to the more "standard" market/mechanism/auction design courses offered at the GSB and the Economics department (MGTECON 602 and Econ 285), and will assume that the students are familiar with the material in those courses. The goal of 615 is to bring students closer to doing independent research and introduce them to currently active research areas.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | Units: 4

MGTECON 616: Topics in Game Theory

This is an advanced game theory course and requires a basic background in game theory or an advanced applied game theory course. The course covers foundational topics such as type spaces, modeling reasoning and rationality, game forms, solution refinements and more. A collection of additional topics will be covered independently via problem solving assignments in workshop style meetings with student presentations.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 3

MGTECON 617: Heterogeneity in Macroeconomics

The goal of this course is to introduce students to frontier research in quantitative macroeconomics and finance with heterogeneous agents. We study models with imperfect financial markets and/or search frictions. We emphasize theory and numerical methods as well as tools to confront model predictions with both micro and macro data. Potential applications cover a wide range of topics in household finance, corporate finance and firm dynamics, asset pricing, housing and labor markets, business cycles and growth.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3

MGTECON 618: Public Finance and Taxation III

The course covers various topics relating to social insurance. The first half of the course covers the rationale for government interventions into private insurance markets, adverse selection, social insurance design and the intersection between social insurance and intra-family insurance. The second half of the course covers local public policy through the lens of social insurance, and includes topics such as spatial equilibrium, placed-based policies and housing policy.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 624: Dynamic Political Economy Theory

This course is intended to be an introduction to dynamic political economy theory. We will cover research at the frontier of this field and some useful tools. Tools will be primarily dynamic game theory - including Markov models and models of reputation. Topics covered will include dynamic legislative bargaining, dynamic coalition formation, endogenous institutions, endogenous policy formation, and policy experimentation.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 4

MGTECON 627: Empirical Applications of Dynamic Oligopoly Models in I.O.

This course will provide an overview of recent advances in, and applications of, dynamic oligopoly models in I.O. We will start by introducing a simple framework for dynamic oligopoly in the context of a dynamic investment model. We will move on to other applications and extensions of the framework, including dynamic entry models and dynamic mergers, with a discussion of antitrust issues. We will cover an empirical model of dynamic network adoption and participation. We will learn alternative econometric approaches to the identification and estimation of dynamic oligopoly models, including a discussion of serially correlated unobserved shocks. Finally, we will discuss methods for computing counterfactuals and welfare, and then speculate about some unresolved issues and the potential for future work in this area.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | Units: 2

MGTECON 628: Reading Group in Industrial Organization

This course meets weekly on Tuesdays at Noon. The primary purpose of the course is to read and discuss current working papers in Industrial Organization and related fields (e.g., Econometrics, Marketing, and Labor). Students are required to present papers once per quarter and both students and faculty may also present their own working papers.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr | Units: 1 | Repeatable 12 times (up to 12 units total)

MGTECON 629: Microeconomics Workshop

Each week, a different economics faculty member will discuss his or her important and /or current research. The course is an important introduction to PhD level research topics and techniques. Attendance is mandatory.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 3 | Repeatable 10 times (up to 30 units total)

MGTECON 632: Topics in Continuous Time Dynamics

This seminar-style course studies a selection of micro-economic models in dynamic settings, and explores the use of continuous-time methods to solve them. Topics to be covered include experimentation games, social learning, principal-agent problems, career concerns/market-agent models, security design and strategic trading. For every topic discussed, the class introduces gradually the set of relevant mathematical tools: dynamic programming and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations, Pontryagin's maximum principle, Euler-Lagrange equations, Brownian and Poisson processes, Bayesian inference and linear filtering, change of measure, martingale representation, Malliavin derivatives, stochastic maximum principle, expansions of filtrations. nnThe course emphasizes high-level intuition rather than mathematical rigor. It is targeted at those who seek to become familiar with the literature on continuous-time dynamics and want to understand the functioning of these models, either by general interest or to apply these techniques. nn
Last offered: Winter 2016 | Units: 3

MGTECON 634: Machine Learning and Causal Inference

This course will cover statistical methods based on the machine learning literature that can be used for causal inference. In economics and the social sciences more broadly, empirical analyses typically estimate the effects of counterfactual policies, such as the effect of implementing a government policy, changing a price, showing advertisements, or introducing new products. Recent advances in supervised and unsupervised machine learning provide systematic approaches to model selection and prediction, methods that are particularly well suited to datasets with many observations and/or many covariates. This course will review when and how machine learning methods can be used for causal inference, and it will also review recent modifications and extensions to standard methods to adapt them to causal inference and provide statistical theory for hypothesis testing. Applications to the evaluation of large-scale experiments, including online A/B tests and experiments on networks, will receive special attention. We will also consider topic modeling, Bayesian methods, and a brief overview of textual analysis.
Terms: Spr | Units: 2

MGTECON 640: Quantitative Methods for Empirical Research

This is an advanced course on quantitative methods for empirical research. Students are expected to have taken a course in linear models before. In this course I will discuss modern econometric methods for nonlinear models, including maximum likelihood and generalized method of moments. The emphasis will be on how these methods are used in sophisticated empirical work in social sciences. Special topics include discrete choice models and methods for estimating treatment effects.
Terms: Aut | Units: 3

MGTECON 652: Personnel Economics

This seminar will examine applications of labor economics to business issues and firms' practices. Material will include both theoretical and empirical work, and the syllabus will range from classics in Personnel Economics to current (unpublished) research. Some of the topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, compensation practices, assignment of decision rights, organizational structure, attracting, retaining, and displacing employees, and workplace practices (such as team-based organization, profit sharing, etc.)
Terms: Spr | Units: 3

MGTECON 691: PhD Directed Reading (ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691)

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-15 | Repeatable for credit

MGTECON 692: PhD Dissertation Research (ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692)

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum | Units: 1-15 | Repeatable for credit
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