COURSE NUMBER: MBA 211.1

COURSE TITLE:  Game Theory

UNITS OF CREDIT:  3 Units

INSTRUCTOR:  John Morgan

E-MAIL ADDRESS: morgan@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL):

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME:  Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

PREREQUISITE(S):  None

CLASS FORMAT: The class consists of strategy and negotiation exercises, case studies, discussion, and lectures.

REQUIRED READINGS: The course will have a course reader, use the book Thinking Strategically, and various exercises.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE:

25% Class Participation and problem sets

25%  Mid semester project including in-class presentation

50% Term project including in-class presentation

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

This course is a survey of the main ideas and techniques of game-theoretic analysis related to competitive strategy, bargaining, conflict, and negotiation. As such, the course emphasizes the identification and analysis of archetypal strategic situations frequently occurring in bargaining situations. The goals of the course to provide students with a foundation

to:

Apply game-theoretic analysis, both formally and intuitively, to competitive strategy and bargaining situations. Recognize and assess archetypal strategic situations in complicated negotiation settings. Feel comfortable in the process of negotiation.

The course has a strong experiential component. Students will repeatedly participate in a variety of strategic situations thereby developing the ability to translate their analyses into practice.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

John Morgan is a Professor at the Haas School of Business School and the Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley. He won the Cheit Award in the Day MBA Program in 2007 for the Game Theory course.

Morgan is the Gary and Sherron Kalbach Chair in Entrepreneurship. He is also the Founding Director of Xlab, Berkeley's laboratory for economic experiments, Co-director of the Fisher Center for the Strategic Use of Information Technology, and Principal of Nash-equilibrium.com, a website devoted to the study of e-retailing.

Prior to joining Haas, Dr. Morgan was at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Professor Morgan holds a Ph. D. in Economics from The Pennsylvania State University and is a CPA. He is an alumnus of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Professor Morgan's research concerns three questions central to many businesses

-How should firms optimally price and advertise in the online marketplace?

-How should a firm organize so those with authority possess the necessary information to make good decisions?

-How can a firm successfully compete in auctions?