THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

VNU-HCM

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

(BA117IU)

INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS

COURSE GUIDELINE

Mar 2010

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CONTENT

1. COURSE STAFF.................................................................................................................31.2. Communication with Staff................................................................................................3

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE..........................................................................32.2. Teaching times and Locations..........................................................................................32.3. Units of Credit..................................................................................................................32.4. Perquisite and Parallel courses.........................................................................................32.5. Relationship of this course to other course offerings.......................................................32.6. Approach to learning and teaching...................................................................................4

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES.........................................................................43.2. Course objectives..............................................................................................................43.3. Student learning and outcomes.........................................................................................43.4. Teaching Strategies...........................................................................................................4

4. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT..........................................................54.1. Workload...........................................................................................................................54.2. Attendance........................................................................................................................54.3. General Conduct and Behavior.........................................................................................54.4. Keeping informed.............................................................................................................5

5. LEARNING ASSESSMENT...............................................................................................55.1. Assessment details............................................................................................................55.2. Assignment Submission Procedure..................................................................................75.3. Late submission................................................................................................................75.4. Assignment Format...........................................................................................................7

6. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM .................................................................7

7. STUDENT RESOURCES....................................................................................................87.1. Course Resources.............................................................................................................8

8. COURSE SCHEDULE.........................................................................................................8

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1. COURSE STAFFTeaching Staff: Dr. Vuong Hung CuongRoom:Phone: 09 48 39 96 69Email: vuonghungcuong@yahoo.comConsultant times: To be advised/ also by appointment

Tutor:Room:Phone:Email:Consultant times: To be advised/ also by appointment

1.2. Communication with StaffStudent are advised to contact staff during consultant times, or by arranging an appointment.

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE

2.2. Teaching times and Locations

Week Activity Day Time Room Note

1 – 7 Lecture

Tutorial

TueSat

1 – 4 pm8 – 11 am2 – 3 pm

201O709

GROUP AGROUP B

8 Mid-term

9 – 13 Lecture

Tutorial

TueSat

1 – 4pm 8 – 11 am2 – 3 pm

O709 GROUP AGROUP B

14 Reserve

15 Final Exam

2.3. Units of CreditUOC value for the course: 3

2.4. Perquisite and Parallel courses

Not applicable

2.5. Relationship of this course to other course offerings

This is core required course for all majors in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). It focuses on the basic principles of market economy.

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2.6. Approach to learning and teaching

The teaching and learning adopted in this course is learner-center, and consequently, requires active student participation and contribution. Through a range of interactive activities and teaching strategies, it seeks to engage students in the learning. It also seeks to facilitate independent learning through individual tasks and research, and fosters collaborative learning through a range of group activities. It considers prior learning through a range of group activities.

3. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

3.2. Course objectives

This course seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of basic economic concepts and scare resources, market in which supply, demand and prices are examined in connection with consumers as well as producer behavior. The students can also evaluate various types of market structures as well as the Government intervention into the market. The subject also provides the students with necessary abilities to evaluate economic variables of efficiency. All of the help students plan for a company’s short-run and long-run development more effectively with consideration of effects of the government’s policies.

3.3. Student learning and outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:- Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of economics, the allocation of scare

resources- Analyze and evaluate the factors that affect supply, demand, and price of a good in a

market and the elasticity- Demonstrate an understanding of the government intervention into the market of a

particular product such as price ceiling and floor, tax and subsidy. etc- Recognize and demonstrate and understanding of various kinds and market structures

and the strategies of firms in these market structures.

3.4. Teaching Strategies

The teaching and learning approach in this course is highly inter-active, requiring student participation and contribution. To this end, and prior to each class, students must:

- The weekly lecture and tutorial outline will be sent via emails. Pls. note that the Lecture Notes will be posted before each class.

- Prepare your weekly readings (from the textbook and other distributed course materials)

- Prepare your responses to set discussion questions and cases- Be prepared to participate in the class discussions, group work

The general format of classes in this course will be as follows (with some variations)- Lecture (3.0 hours): theories and conceptual framework, discussions and group

presentations- Tutorial (1.0 hours): case studies, group discussion, exercises and assignments

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4. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT

4.1. Workload

It is expected that you will spend at least 8 hours per week studying this course. This time should be made up of reading, working on exercises and problem, group assignment and attending class lectures and tutorials. In periods where you need to complete assignment or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater.

4.2. Attendance

Your regular and punctual attendance at lectures and related seminar (if any) is expected in this course. University regulations indicate that if students attend less than 80% of scheduled classes they may be refused final assessment. Regular attendance is essential for successful performance and learning in this course, particular in view of the interactive teaching and learning approach adopted. Please inform your lecture if you are unable to attend the class, and arrange for a classmate to collect any handouts.

4.3. General Conduct and Behavior

You are expected to conduct yourself with considerable and respect for the needs of your fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct that unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing, or talking on mobile phones, or chatting on internet, is nor acceptable and students may be asked to leave the class.

4.4. Keeping informed

You should take note of all announcements made in lectures, tutorials or on the course website. From time to time, the University will send important announcements to your through website, course website and/ or Announcement Board (of School of Business and/ or Academic Affair) without providing you with a paper copy. You will be deemed to have received this information.

5. LEARNING ASSESSMENT

5.1. Assessment details

To pass this course, student must:- attempt ALL FOUR assessment tasks- submit/ complete all assessment tasks on time- attain an overall pass mark of 50% in the course

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Assessment Tasks:

Tasks Marks Date/ Notes1. Assignment Group report + presentation (cases)

30% On the beginning of presentation date

2. Mid-term Test 25%3. Final Test 45%

1. Assignment & Group presentation: The group will include 3-4 members and will present the cases (that is specified in the Course schedule). Due to the large number of groups and the limited of time, the groups that have the same topic should prepare the presentation (Power Point file) and one group will be random selected for presentation. The presentation will be taken in 5 – 10 minutes, questions and discussions are in 10 minutes.

The requirements for this assignment are:- Present the case (and ensuring that you are well understanding that case).- Provide your own thinking about the case, for example: whether you like it or hate it

and why? Can you think about an extension ?... - Apply into Vietnamese economic context (you can find the appropriate example in

Vietnamese environment)The group is strongly recommended to consult with lecturer and tutor before make the presentation.

2. Mid-term TestThe midterm test will be 60 – 90 minutes in length and will be in the form of multiple choices questions and essay (problems). This is open book test.

3. Final TestThe final test will be 90 – 120 minutes in length during Final Exam Period. The paper will consist of 2 parts: the first part is multiple choices questions, that usually take 50 – 60%, and the second part is case study and/ or open questions. This is close book test.

GradingThe letter grade will be followed by the University suggested rule: 90-100: A+, 80-90: A, 70 – 80: B+, 65 – 70: B, 55 – 65: C+, 50 – 55: C, 30 - <50: D+, 10 - <30: D

5.2. Assignment Submission Procedure

It is essential that you submit all your assignment tasks on time via the appropriate procedures. You should submit your written assignment to the tutor or lecturer in the beginning of class that your group will present. Procedurei) Attach a copy of the Assignment Cover Sheet to be found at the end of this documentii) Make the copy of the assignment for safe keepingiii) Hand in your assignment to the tutor or lecturer iv) You may not submit assignment via email or by fax

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5.3. Late submission

Request for late submission of assignments or absent in the session that your group will present must be made in writing to the course lecturer. Extensions will be granted on medical grounds only, or on compassionate grounds under special circumstances. Medical certificates or other supporting documents may be required. Late submissions may incur a penalty of 5% of the assignment mark per day.

5.4. Assignment Format

See page 10

6. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM *

The University regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct, and has very strict rules regarding plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own. Examples include:

- direct duplication of the thoughts or work of another, including by copying work, or knowingly permitting it to be copied. This includes copying material. Ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other written document (whether published or unpublished), composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, web site, Internet, other electronic resource, or another person’s assignment without appropriate acknowledgement;

- paraphrasing another person’s work with very minor changes keeping the meaning, form and/ or progression of ideas of the original;

- piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole;- presenting an assessment item as independent work when it has been produced in

whole or part in collusion with other people, for example, another student or a tutor;

The inclusion of the thoughts or work of another with attribution appropriate to the academic discipline does not amount to plagiarism.

Students are also reminded that careful time management is an important part of study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism is poor time management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting and the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items.

7. STUDENT RESOURCES

7.1. Course Resources

The following text and references are essential for the course.

* Used with kind permission from the University of New South Wales

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Textbook:N. Gregory Mankiw (2004 or new edition), Principles of Economics, 3rd edition, Thomson South-Western

References:David Begg, Economics, Stanley Fischer Paul A. Samuelson & William D. Nordhaus, Economics, 14th Edition, Mc.Graw-Hill, Inc.

Lecture Notes:Will be distributed by Dr. Vuong Hung Cuong via email

Useful Websites:

1. Open Courseware, Fulbright Economics Teaching Program: http://ocw.fetp.edu.vn/index.cfm

2. Mankiw Xtra! Website: http://mankiwxtra.swlearning.com

(Username: MaiphuongPassword: quynhmai)

3. Vietnam Economic Times: http://vneconomy.vn/home.htm

4. Dominique Salvatore, Managerial Economics Website http://www.swlearning.com/economics/salvatore/salvatore5e/salvatore5e.html

5. ECO 100 Online

http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reak/eco100/

The students are encouraged to add more reference resources into this list

8. COURSE SCHEDULE

Wk Topic Date Readings: Mankiw Case study (Textbook: Mankiw)

1 - Course Introduction- Basic Concepts of the

Economics

A:30 Mar/B: 3 Apr

Chapter 1 Reading: Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 (Textbook)

2 Basic Concepts of the Economics (con’t)

A: 6 Apr/ B: 10 Apr

Chapter 1Reading : Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 (Textbook)

Case 1: Who has a comparative advantage in producing lamp, p.54

3 Supply – Demand & Market Prices

A: 13 Apr/ B: 17 Apr

Chapter 2-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 4, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 (Textbook)

Case 2:- Two ways to reduce the quality of smoking demanded, p.70

4 Supply – Demand & A: 20 Apr/ Chapter 2-Lecture Notes/ Case 3:

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Market Prices (con’t) B: 24 Apr Chapter 4, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 (Textbook)

Lines at the gas pump, p.116,Case 4:Rent control in the Short run and Long run, p.117

5 Elasticity and Its Applications

A: 27 Apr

B: OFF

Chapter 3-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 5 (textbook)

Case 5: Should there be a market in organs, p.152

Case 6:- Pricing Admission to a Museum, p.98

6 Elasticity and Its Applications

A: OFFB: 8 May Chapter 3-Lecture Notes/

Chapter 5 (textbook) Case 5: Should there be a market in organs, p.152

Case 6:- Pricing Admission to a Museum, p.98

7 Theories of Consumer Choice

A: 11 May/ B: 15 May

Chapter 4-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 21 (Textbook)

Case 7:Income Effect on Labor Supply: historical trends, Lottery winners and the Carnegie conjecture, p. 472

8 MID-TERM 304 – 19/59 BREAK10 Production and the Cost

of production A: 1 Jun/B: 5 Jun

Chapter 5-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 13 (Textbook)

Case 8:True profit versus fictitious profit, p. 271

11 Perfect competitive market

A: 8 Jun/ B: 12 Jun

Chapter 6-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 14 (Textbook)

Case 9:- Near-empty restaurants and off-season miniature golf, p. 298Case 10: The DeBeers diamond monopoly, p.315

12 Monopoly A: 15 Jun/ B: 19 Jun

Chapter 7-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 15 (textbook)

Case 11:Monopoly drugs versus Generic drugs, p.324Case 12:Advertising and the

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price of eyeglasses, p. 382

13 Monopolistic competition & Oligopoly

A: 22 Jun/ B: 26 Jun

Chapter 8-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 16, 17 (textbook)

Case 13:OPEC and the world oil market, p.353 Case 14The Prisoner’s dilemma tournament, p. 362

14 Monopolistic competition & Oligopoly (Cont’)

A: 29 Jun/ B: 3 Jul

Chapter 8-Lecture Notes/ Chapter 16, 17 (textbook)

Case 15The Microsoft case, p.366

15 Final Exam

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THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYVNU-HCM

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS

GROUP REPORT

Group members:

Student Number Surname Given Name1.2.3.

Student Name Responsibility in Assignment Participation % *1.2.3.

* Please ensure that you discuss this % as a group and that the mark is fairly allocated. If your group has any problem, please discuss with the course lecturer

Signatures:a. ____________________________________

b. ____________________________________

c. ____________________________________

Date Submitted: _________________________

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