ECS3830 Competition and regulation
Faculty of Business and Economics
ECS3830 Competition and regulation is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2022 in Semester 1 and Summer B at South Africa. It needs ECB2731, ECS2731 or ECW2731.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2022
- Semester 1, Summer B
- South Africa
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 2 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
The 2027 handbook has no page for ECS3830. This is its 2022 entry, the latest one.
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Requisites
Before ECS3830
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ECS3830
No unit lists ECS3830 as a prerequisite in the 2022 handbook.
Overview
This unit considers market structures, conduct and performance from the business perspective; economic policy as it affects horizontal and vertical relationships in business, particularly in relation to its dealings with consumers; the variety of approaches to competition and regulation policies from a South African and international perspective; analysis of policies with respect to prices, monopolies, oligopolies and mergers, consumer protection and licensing, deregulation, privatisation and nationalisation.
Offerings in 2022
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester - South Africa | South Africa | On campus |
| Summer semester B | South Africa | Block on |
Assessment
- Semester Test25%
- Assignment15%
- Final ExaminationThreshold hurdle60%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
recognise differences in market structures and understand how those differences affect firms' competitive behaviour and performance
- 2
understand how and why competition causes changes in market structures by way of mergers, acquisitions, vertical integration and diversification
- 3
explain the economic rationale for competitive weapons utilised by business in contemporary competitive environment, such as barriers to entry, pricing and advertising strategies, product differentiation, and innovation
- 4
explain the rationale for regulation and merits of different theories of regulation
- 5
explain the arguments for and against privatisation
- 6
understand the main features of national competition policies in South Africa and other African nations compared to international experience
- 7
critically evaluate attempts to affect competition in particular industries, e.g. electricity and telecommunications.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures24 hours
- Tutorials12 hours
- Teaching approachActive 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.
The unit will include lectures, tutorials, video and audio presentations on Moodle. The ECS3830 Moodle site will provide weekly information to students as well as access to the subject discussion board.
Learning resources
Required resources
Lipczynski, J., Wilson, J. and Goddard, J. (2017) Industrial Organization: Competition, Strategy and Policy, Prentice Hall, Fifth Edition
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Ms Cynthia Bedwei-Majdoub
Common questions
When is ECS3830 offered?
In 2022, ECS3830 runs in Semester 1 and Summer B at South Africa.
How much work is ECS3830?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECS3830 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.