Teaching
BE 401 - The Economics of Sustainability
This course is for undergraduate students in either the Ross School of Business or the Program in the Environment. The goals of the course are three-fold: 1) to give students a solid foundation in the economics of the environment and sustainability that can be used in consulting, in the business world, in government or in the non-profit sector; 2 to give students the skills to apply economic fundamentals to crucial sustainability issues of climate change and energy policy; and 3) to help students critically assess the business case for sustainability, and the place of sustainability within corporate strategy. The course has three main sections. The first develops the basic economic tools for understanding the environment and sustainability, especially discounting and cost/benefit analysis. The second applies economic analysis to several crucial aspects of the sustainability challenge: protection of renewable resources such as fisheries, the transition to renewable electricity, the transition to sustainable transportation, and climate policy. The third explores how the foundation of sustainability economics connects to business strategy. In this section we read a variety of articles from both scholarly and popular sources, and make substantial use of business school case studies.
NRE 510 - Environmental Governance
BE 527 - Energy Markets and Energy Politics
The goal of this course is to give students a solid grasp of the environmental and social impacts of, and the institutions that govern, energy use, so that you can play a more effective role in shaping future policy or business decisions. We will begin with basic scientific and technological facts regarding the major uses for and sources of energy. We will then study energy markets (including spot and future markets), and what they are capable of accomplishing; we will also study the ways energy markets may fail. This will lead into an overview of the role of government in influencing energy decisions, starting with a high-level perspective, and then working with a series of case studies that examine in depth what government has accomplished in the area of energy policy. The course will wrap up with several current policy/business issues such as renewable portfolio standards, markets for renewable energy credits, and integrating the transportation sector into a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.
BE 555 - Non-Market Strategy: Shaping the Rules of the Game
Most business courses teach you how to play the game of business within the rules. This course is about the rules themselves, their creation and their enforcement. While a firm's competitive advantage is created in large part through developing exploiting difficult-to-imitate capabilities and resources in the market environment, the non-market environment in which the firm operates also presents important risks and opportunities for business leaders. Many barriers to imitation derive from legal rules or public policies that favor certain capabilities over others. These policies are not exogenously given. They are instead the outcome of competition between businesses and other groups within public institutions. In many industries, corporate activity in the policymaking and judicial process is a key element in creating or maintaining a company's competitive advantage. This course has four main goals: 1) Create awareness of the broad range of ways in which the non-market environment - especially government policy - affects business. 2) Give an understanding of the process through which business and other groups create and change the rules of the game. 3) Gain a mastery of a set of conceptual tools and frameworks for developing and implementing non-market strategies. 4) Provide opportunities to practice formulating integrated strategies that function skillfully in the non-market arena.
2019_TomLyon_BE555_NonmarketStrategy_Pitch.mp4BE 580 - Competitive Tactics and Policy
This course focuses on two main questions: How do firms develop and maintain profits in the face of competition, and how do governments use antitrust and competition laws to set limits on the degree to which firms exercise market power? This course applies analytical tools of economics and basic game theory to understand the effects of firm tactics and strategies on the firm's customers and rivals, and their likely reactions, and to see how policies designed to promote competition affect the feasibility of various actions firms might want to take. Antitrust laws have spread globally: this course compares the U.S. approach to antitrust policy with that of other countries, and draws implications for business. The dimensions of competitive strategy covered include horizontal mergers, cooperative pricing, product differentiation, strategies to deter entry, predatory practices, strategic commitment, vertical relationships with suppliers and distributors, and vertical restraints. The concepts in the course will be developed using a mix of lectures, business cases, and antitrust case material.
BE 889 - Political Economy of Regulation
Like everything else lately, government regulation is often viewed through a polarized lens, with progressives calling for greatly increased regulatory oversight to address market power, environmental pollution, and social justice while conservatives call for regulatory relief for companies unduly burdened by red tape and argue that government failures outweigh market failures. The need for evidence-based regulatory policy has never been greater. This course focuses on policies implemented through “independent” regulatory agencies, which covers a broad swath of government activities under the banner of “regulation,” including controlling monopoly prices, preventing collusion, granting broadcast licenses, ensuring workplace safety, certifying the safety and efficacy of new medicines, and protecting the natural environment. What ties the foregoing diverse government functions into a coherent area of research are functional, structural and behavioral features common to administrative agencies.