MG4A3      Half Unit
Incentives and Governance in Organisations

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Dr Catherine Thomas

Dr Pawel Dziewulski

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Management and Strategy. This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange and MSc in Marketing. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.

For full details on how to how apply for controlled access courses, the deadline for applications and who to contact with queries, please see the following webpages:

https://moodle.lse.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3840
https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/services/course-choice/controlled-access-courses
 

This course may be capped/subject to controlled access. For further information about the course's availability, please see the MG Elective Course Selection Moodle page (https://moodle.lse.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3840).

Requisites

Additional requisites:

A knowledge of Mathematics and Economics.

Course content

The course uses economic theory to gain insight into issues related to internal organisation, structure, and management of firms. The course will draw on various fields including management science, industrial organisation and microeconomics. The course deals with three main topics:

  • the provision of incentives in organisations;
  • the use of information in markets and firms, and;
  • the relationship between organisational structures and decisions.

A major theme concerns the question of how to provide incentives efficiently in organisations. Other important themes include efficiency, coordination, incompleteness of contracts and the use of the market versus internal exchange. The implications of asymmetric information are examined. Corporate governance is discussed in a principal-agent framework.

Teaching

30 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
2 hours of seminars in the Spring Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Indicative reading

Main text:

  • Roberts J (2004), The Modern Firm. Organizational Design for Performance and Growth, Oxford University Press, UK.

Assessment

Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period


Key facts

Department: Management

Course Study Period: Autumn Term

Unit value: Half unit

FHEQ Level: Level 7

CEFR Level: Null

Total students 2024/25: 71

Average class size 2024/25: 14

Controlled access 2024/25: No
Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills