| Unit name | Organisations and Incentives |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ECONM0033 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Maija Halonen-Akatwijuka |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Economics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This unit applies economic thinking to address two key questions facing managers in real-world organisations:
There is growing evidence that incentives and organisational design play a key role for firms’ productivity, even comparable to R&D and IT. This unit explores the main economic models of incentives and organisational design to gain understanding of their effect on firms’ performance and innovations. Furthermore, in each topic we apply the principles of economic models to real-word applications. This enables the students to learn skills that are valuable in their future careers.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Organisations and Incentives builds on microeconomics learnt in TB1 Economics.
An overview of content
This unit covers the main economic models of incentives and organisational design and their empirical evidence. It examines how monetary incentives can be designed to motivate employees as well as the role trust and intrinsic motivation plays in organisations. We explore when delegation of control rights leads to the best decisions and how firms can overcome free-riding in teamwork.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will develop understanding of the key role incentives play in organisations and have the ability to apply economic models to address incentive issues.
Learning outcomes:
The unit is delivered via a combination of live lectures and live tutorial classes. Tutorials will cover both exercises and applications of models to real-world organisations.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A set of questions for each workshop/tutorial based on the readings. Students’ answers are discussed in the workshop/tutorial
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Two pieces of summative coursework: 1000-word essay 40% and 1500-word essay 60% of total mark.
Coursework tests students’ understanding of economic models of incentive pay and organisational design as well as their ability to apply the models in real-world applications (ILOs 1-3). Each piece of coursework has a selection of questions (of which students choose one), some of which focus on theory with an element of application, while in other questions theory and application have an equal weight. Both pieces of summative coursework test ILOs 1-3.
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ECONM0033).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
