Saint Leo University

Graduate Business Studies

MBA 540
Managerial Economics
Course Description:
This course explores the concepts of economic optimization, the estimation of demand and cost
and pricing analysis. An introduction to economic forecasting and decision-making under
conditions of risk and uncertainty is also included.
Prerequisites:
Undergraduate course in microeconomics strongly recommended.
Textbook:
Looseleaf edition:

eBook edition:

Brickley, J., Smith, C., & Zimmerman, J. (2016). Managerial economics

and organizational architecture (6th ed.). New York:
McGraw Hill/Irwin. Special softcover version for Saint Leo: ISBN:
978-1-308-59318-0.
Brickley, J., Smith, C., & Zimmerman, J. (2016). Managerial economics
and organizational architecture (6th ed.). New York:
McGraw Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 978-1-308-59319-7.

Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
Develop a clear understanding of economic theory as it relates to managerial decisionmaking.
Identify variables that can influence the demand for and supply of a firm's product or
service.
Describe the relevant costs that a firm faces in its decision-making.
Differentiate between the four different market structures in a market economy.
Discuss the role that managerial economics plays in the development of a firm's
business strategy.
Evaluate a firm's organizational architecture for its strengths and its weaknesses.
Discuss the relevance of Responsible Stewardship in the context of economic analysis
and organizational architecture.
Assessment of the Learning Outcomes:
Learning
Outcome
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Assessment Methods
Discussions,
Discussions,
Discussions,
Discussions,
Discussions,
Discussions,
Discussions,

Case Assignments, Exams, Term Paper

Case Assignments, Exams
Case Assignments, Exams
Case Assignments, Exams
Case Assignments, Exams, Term Paper
Case Assignments, Exams, Term Paper
Case Assignments, Exams, Term Paper

Core Value:
Responsible Stewardship: Our Creator blesses us with an abundance of resources. We foster a
spirit of service to employ our resources to university and community development. We must be
resourceful. We must optimize and apply all of the resources of our community to fulfill Saint
Leo University's mission and goals.
Discussions:
Each module will include a discussion assignment (Module 1 will also include an additional
Introduction topic). For each discussion topic, you are required to post an initial response to
the question, as well substantial responses to at least two classmates. Discussions will count for
14% of your final grade.
Evaluation:
Case Assignments:
All questions should be answered for each case study. If calculations would enhance your
commentary, it is strongly urged that you include these calculations. The length of a case study
is determined by how well you include the requested information.
Succinct, complete answers that show that you have prepared your writing with thought and
reflection are preferable to answers that ramble and are not reflective of the course content. A
complete, well-developed response can be given in one paragraph, several paragraphs or a
page depending on the question and your ability to articulate your answer. If it requires more
than one page that is acceptable as well. The written assignments will be critiqued on the
technical part of your answer, the clarity and logical sequence of your response, and grammar
and spelling.
You are encouraged to use textbook concepts as you attempt to explain in your own words the
answers to the assignments. Word choice and sentence structure that is suitable for graduatelevel work is expected. When you have completed this assignment submit this assignment to
the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. The Case Assignments count for 24% of
your final grade.
Exams:
There is a mid-term exam that is due in Module 4 and a final exam that is due in Module 8.
These two exams contain short-answer questions. In addition the mid-term contains two
problems. Exams are essay questions and each exam will count for 20% of your final grade.
Term Paper:
A final paper that focuses on the course content applied in the setting of your current or past
employer will be due in Module 7. In this paper you will focus on the following:
Provide a description of the company that you work for. As part of your description
include a discussion of the type of organizational structure.
Describe an agency problem within the firm and discuss what you think is causing the
problem and how the problem might be better controlled.
Describe the job dimensions of the firm and discuss whether or not you believe the
current design is appropriate for the firm. Discuss any suggestions you might have for
improving the job design; for example grouped by function or by product or geography or
a matrix organization? Provide a diagram if helpful to illustrate. Is this organization
effective?

Describe the compensation package for executives and employees within the firm.
Discuss whether or not you believe that the compensation package is effective and any
suggestions that you might have for improving the compensation package.

While these questions focus on the latter half of the course, you should remain mindful of the
economic concepts that were developed in the beginning of the course. An A paper will
demonstrate a thorough understanding of the relevant topics, completely discuss each of the
four points of the paper, use terminology appropriate to the topic, and use word choice, spelling,
and sentence structure appropriate for graduate-level work. This paper is worth 22% of your
final grade.
Specific Formatting Instructions:
All assignments must be completed as Word documents. If you do not have Word you
can use Microsoft WordPad and use the rich text format (.rtf extension).

All assignments must be prepared in the APA format, including references.

Cover page. Use a single cover page that contains the title of the assignment and your
name.

Margins. All page margins should be the default margins for your word processing
program. Use only the LEFT margin justification setting.

Page numbering. Please use page numbering for all pages except the cover page.

Spacing/Font. All papers should be single spaced only (this includes spacing between
paragraphs) and a 12 point font.

Direct quotes/ paraphrasing. Direct quotes and paraphrasing MUST be referenced

and cited using APA guidelines. Although there is no limit on how many citations are in
the paper, there is a limit of 15% for quotations and 25% for unoriginal wording for this
course. When more than one quarter of a paper seems to be unoriginal, it usually
indicates a problem. Even if sources are properly cited and some of the words are
changed, it raises the question of how much original thinking went into the paper. There
is a big difference between starting with a blank page and writing your own thoughts,
and building the paper around quotes, paraphrased sources, and the altered wording of
another author. You are encouraged to use textbook concepts as you attempt to explain
in your own words the answers to the assignments rather than relying heavily on quoted
material. Try to think about how you would explain your answer to someone who has not
taken a managerial economics class. High scores on the originality report in Turnitin.com
are not just a result of plagiarism; they can also result from an incorrect quotation/citation
methodology or from using words that have been rearranged from your sources. If you
use someone elses work you must cite and reference it appropriately.

References. You must include a separate References page in APA format with each
paper. Any source that is used to develop your paper must be included in this section.

File Name. To facilitate the grading process, when submitting this assignment to the
Dropbox, please save your file name as lastname_assignment name (e.g.
caldwell_chapter 1 case study) for grading purposes.

Grading Scale:
A = 95-100%
A- = 90-94%
B+ = 86-89%
B = 83-85%
B- = 80-82%
C = 75-79%
F = Below 75%
Grade Weighting:
Discussions
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Case Assignment
Term Paper

14%
20%
20%
24%
22%

Course Schedule:
Module 1

Introduction to the Role of Economics in Decision-Making

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Identify and evaluate the importance of each of the three legs of the
stool of organizational architecture.
Explain and compare the economic approach to behavior using
simple choice models against alternative models of behavior.
Define and apply the concept of opportunity cost.
Explain how a market system differs from a centrally planned
economy.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Post introduction to the class
Read assigned materials

Due no later than:

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Submit Case Assignments

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 2

The Foundations of Demand and Supply

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Identify the variables that can influence the demand for a firms
product.
Utilize the various measures of elasticity to describe how much the
demand for a firm's product can be affected by those variables.
Determine how a firm chooses its optimal mix of inputs to produce its
output.
Explain the relevant costs that a firm faces in its decision-making.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials

Due no later than:

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

View NBC News Archive video

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Submit Case Assignments

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 3

The Importance of Market Structures

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Compare and contrast the four different market structures.
Explain what it means for a firm to have market power.
Evaluate different pricing strategies used by firms to make pricing
decisions.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials
View NBC News Archive Videos

Due no later than:

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Submit Case Assignments

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 4

The Economics of Strategy

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Compare and contrast creating value and capturing value.
Appraise the use of game theory in practice.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials

Due no later than:

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Submit Case Assignment

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete Midterm exam

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 5

Incentive Conflicts, Contracts, and Organizational Architecture

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Identify potential sources of incentive conflicts within firms.
Evaluate the use of contracts to control incentive conflicts.
Outline the determinants of a successful organizational architecture.
Explain how corporate culture enhances communication and helps set
employee expectations.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials
Post an initial response to the discussion question

Due no later than:

Post response to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Continue work on Term Paper
Submit Case Assignments

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 6

The First Leg of the Stool Decision Rights

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Critique the costs and benefits of centralization versus
decentralization in establishing decision rights.
Formulate a rationale for the use of teams in a decision-making
process.
Evaluate the benefits of specialized versus broad task assignments.
Compare the costs and benefits of alternative organizational
structures.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials

Due no later than:

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Questions
Continue work on Term Paper
Submit Case Assignments

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 7

The Second Leg of the Stool Methods of Reward

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Explain how employers can use pay level to attract, retain, and
motivate employees.
Critique the basic economic model of employment and wages and its
extensions on the implications in human capital, compensating
differentials, internal labor markets, and the choice between salary
and fringe benefits.
Appraise the practice of incentive compensation and its costs and
benefits.

Assignments
Items to be Completed:

Due no later than:

Read assigned materials

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Answer Reflection Questions

Submit Case Assignment

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Submit Term Paper

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Module 8

The Third Leg of the Stool Performance Evaluation

Objectives

When you complete this module, you should be able to:

Contrast the use of relative, subjective, and objective performance
measures to evaluate employee performance.
Identify methods for evaluating team performance.

Items to be Completed:
Read assigned materials

Due no later than:

Post an initial response to the discussion question

Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Post responses to at least two classmates

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Review Terminology
Complete Practice Quiz
Answer Reflection Question
Submit Case Assignment

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

Complete Final Exam

Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT