UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

ECF5200 Game theory and business strategy

Faculty of Business and Economics

ECF5200 Game theory and business strategy is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2023 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It needs ECC5900, ECC2000, ECF5927 or ECF2731.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2023
Semester 1
Caulfield
Assessment
Exam 60%
and 1 other task
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2023 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

After ECF5200

No unit lists ECF5200 as a prerequisite in the 2023 handbook.

Enrolment rules

If you are enrolled in course B3701 or B6001, there is no prerequisite to undertake this unit.

Overview

Game theoretic analysis is fundamental to understanding modern business strategies and forms the basic infrastructure of strategy courses. The unit teaches the basic tools of Game Theory, and introduces a structured way to think about business interactions. Game theory originated in the middle of the twentieth century as the general study of strategic interactions and has found applications in a wide variety of contexts including economics, psychology, politics and evolutionary biology. It is this generality that is the source of its power. Accordingly, the unit develops game theory broadly with applications to strategic situations, including business as well as more general contexts.

Offerings in 2023

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterCaulfieldEvening

Assessment

  • Within semester assessment
    40%
  • Examination
    60%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    understand the basic principles of strategic analysis including solution concepts

  2. 2

    apply the abstract theory to concrete problems.

Workload and teaching

  • Lectures24 hours
  • Tutorials12 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning
  • Teaching approachProblem-based learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.

This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.

Learning resources

Required resources

Zhao, Xiaojian (2019). Notes on Game Theory and Applications in Psychology , unpublished lecture notes.

Belleflamme, Paul, and Martin Peitz (2015). Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies , 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press.

Where it fits

ECF5200 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2023 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Associate Professor Xiaojian Zhao

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for ECF5200?

You need ECC5900, ECC2000, ECF5927 or ECF2731 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.

When is ECF5200 offered?

In 2023, ECF5200 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.

How much work is ECF5200?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does ECF5200 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.

Which majors and minors include ECF5200?

ECF5200 is part of Business economics; and Economics and health.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Economics
Organisational unit
Department of Economics
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available