Introduction to Economics

level of course unit

first cycle, Bachelor

Learning outcomes of course unit

Students are able to
• name the essential components of a market model and discuss the market equilibrium as an interaction of supply and demand.
• identify the determinants of consumer demand and explain how they respond to external factors such as changes in income.
• explain both the potentials and the limitations of market models based on real-world markets, for example the housing or labor market, and to buttress abstract models with real-life examples.
• understand production decisions in companies and interpret the influences of market structures on price setting.
• examine and critically evaluate current developments on the basis of models.
• name the essential components and institutions of a national economy and explain how they function.
• identify macroeconomic indicators such as gross domestic product or consumer price index and explain their meaning.
• conduct independent research on indicators important for economic growth and inflation and to present current developments in this regard.

prerequisites and co-requisites

not applicable

course contents

Core topics:
• Economic thinking and marginal analysis
• Efficient allocation of scarce resources
• The market model and market equilibrium
• Macroeconomic variables (GDP, inflation, and unemployment) and their interrelationships

Selected macroeconomics issues:
• Elasticity and welfare
• Cost functions and optimal corporate production
• Price setting and market structures
• Short-term macroeconomic fluctuations: The business cycle
• Money, the ECB, and inflation
• Long-term economic growth
• International relations and trade

recommended or required reading

Blanchard, O. (2017): Makroökonomie. 7. Auflage. Pearson.
Mankiw, N.G. (2018): Grundzüge der Volkswirtschaftslehre. 7. Auflage. Schäffer-Poeschel.
Münter, M.T. (2018), Mikroökonomie, Wettbewerb und strategisches Verhalten. UTB GmbH
Natrop, J. (2012). Grundzüge der angewandten Mikroökonomie. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.Deutschland GmbH.
Pindyck, R. S., & Rubinfeld, D. L. (2018). Mikroökonomie. Pearson Deutschland GmbH
Varian, H. R. (2014). Grundzüge der Mikroökonomik. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.Deutschland GmbH.

Erweiterte Literatur:
Kahneman, D. (2012). Schnelles Denken, langsames Denken. Siedler Verlag.
Rifkin, J. (2014). Die Null-Grenzkosten-Gesellschaft: Das Internet der Dinge, kollaboratives Gemeingut und der Rückzug des Kapitalismus. Campus Verlag.
Thiel, P., & Masters, B. (2014). Zero to one: Wie Innovation unsere Gesellschaft rettet. Campus Verlag.

Fachzeitschriften:
Betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung und Praxis (BFuP); Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft (zfB); Schmalenbachs Zeitschrift für betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung (ZfBF); Journal of Business and Economics (JBE); Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Studium (WiSt); BC-Zeitschrift für Bilanzierung, Rechnungswesen und Controlling; Die Wirtschaftsprüfung (WpG); Zeitschrift Führung + Organisation (ZFO); Harvard Business Manager; Der Betriebswirt; Der Betrieb, Strategic Management Journal (SMJ)