Polecon 682 Applications of Formal Models (PhD)
This course critically surveys empirical applications of formal models of collective-choice institutions. It is explicitly grounded in philosophy of science (e.g., Popperian positivism and Kuhn’s notions of paradigms and normal science). Initial sessions address the meanings and roles of the concept of institutions in social-science research. Historically important works of political science and/or economics are then considered within a framework called Components of Institutional Analysis (or CIA), which provides a fully general way of evaluating research that is jointly empirical and formal theoretical. The course concludes with contemporary instances of such bridge-building. The over-arching objectives are to elevate the explicitness and salience of desirable properties of research and to illustrate the inescapable tradeoffs among the stipulated criteria. Although this is a core course in the GSB Political Economy PhD curriculum, its substantive foci may differ across years depending on the instructor. For Professor Krehbiel’s sessions, the emphasis is on legislative behavior, organization, and lawmaking, and on inter-institutional strategic interaction (e,g, between executive, legislative, and judicial branches in various combinations). Students should have taken POLECON 680 and POLECON 681. Also listed as Political Science 351C.
GSBGEN 259 Ethics (MSx)
With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical duties faced by managers and organizations. It combines analytical frameworks with the latest findings on human behavior to inform a wide range of ethical decisions and strategies. Readings include case studies, insights from experimental psychology and economics, and excerpts from or about major works of moral philosophy. Through online and in-class exercises, discussions, and personal reflection, you will reveal and assess your ethical intuitions, compare them with more explicit modes of ethical thought, and learn how to use ethics in business settings. A diverse set of ethical viewpoints will be considered with an emphasis on not only their implications for ethical behavior but also on the social and cognitive pitfalls that undermine the ability of business leaders to fulfill their ethical duties.
Polecon 230, 239 Strategy in the Nonmarket Environment (MBA, Sloans/MSx)
This course develops techniques and tools to use in firms’ strategic interactions beyond the market environment. We will examine firms’ interactions with stakeholders, constituents, and institutions, including interest groups, legislatures, regulatory agencies, courts, international organizations, and the public. Topics covered in the class include: intellectual property, health care reform, carried interest in private equity, strategic corporate social responsibility, and beyond market strategy for start-ups. The goal is to develop integrated strategies for optimal firm performance that combine strategies within and beyond markets.