Key Points:
- coverage of syllabus
- topics addressed in personnel economics
Chapter 1
ECN 4890 - TOPICS IN LABOR ECONOMICS
Objectives:
At the end of the semester, students should understand how to use economics to solve practical personnel problems such as:
Required Textbook:
Lazear, Edward P. Personnel Economics for Managers. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998.
Grading:
Grades will be determined using a 10-point scale. There will be no "curve". Final grades for undergraduate
students will be comprised of:
Final grades for graduate students will be comprised of:
Please note:
If you have a documented disability and wish to receive academic accomodations, please contact me and the Coordinator of Disability Services (581-6583) as soon as possible.
Policies:
Homework
We will have several homework assignments throughout the semester. These will be given at the end of class
and will be due at the BEGINNING of the next class period. If you aren't in class, you need to make
sure that you hand in the homework ahead of time. Since we will have many assignments,
I will drop your lowest homework grade in determining your final homework average. Therefore, no late
homework assignments will be accepted (regardless of whether the absence is excused or not). If you miss class when
an assignment is given, it is your responsibility to get a copy of the assignment and complete it
by the due date. No late homework assignments will be accepted at any time - no excuses! Should I say it again?
Answers to Homework Problems:
Attendance
Regular attendance is necessary for you to understand the material covered in this course. While I will
not make attendance an explicit part of your grade, I will be keeping track of attendance every day. Keep in mind
that it will be used in determining the final grade for a student whose average is near a
borderline. I reserve the right to raise or lower your final grade average by 1 to 2 points at
the end of the semester based on your attendance record.
Exams
All exams will consist of short-answer essay questions and problems. The final exam is NOT cumulative.
However, the last unit exam will be given during the final exam time. If you miss an
exam and provide me with a legitimate (and properly documented) excuse BEFORE the exam,
you will have the option of
increasing the
weight of your remaining exams, or taking a make-up exam (which must be taken before or during the next
class period following the exam).
If you miss an exam and do not provide me with a legitimate excuse beforehand, you will receive
a grade of zero for that exam.
Exam Dates:
Thursday, February 9th
Thursday, March 23rd
Wednesday, May 3rd (2:45-4:45)
Review Questions for Exam:
Writing Assignments (for Graduate Students only)
Each graduate student is required to choose 5 of the journal articles listed on the syllabus. The student must write a 2-4
page paper summarizing each article and tying it to the material covered in class and the material in the textbook.
Paper Due Dates:
Tuesday, January 31st
Thursday, February 16th
Thursdayday, March 9th
Tuesday, April 4th
Thursday, April 27th
Course Outline (all chapter numbers refer to the Lazear text):
I. Introduction
Key Points:
Readings:
Chapter 1
II. Hiring Standards
Key Points:
Bollinger, Christopher R. and Julie L. Hotchkiss. "The Upside Potential of Hiring Risky Workers: Evidence from the Baseball Industry"
Journal of Labor Economics 21(2003), pp. 923-944.
III. Hiring the Right People
Key Points:
Ichino, Andrea and Giovanni Maggi. "Work Environment and Individual Background: Explaining Regional Shirking
Differentials in a Large Italian Firm," Quarterly Journal of Economics 115(August 2000), pp. 1057-1090.
IV. Learning a Worker's Productivity
Key Points:
Lazear, Edward P. "Salaries and Piece Rates," Journal of Business
59(July 1986), pp. 405-31.
V. Variable Pay or Straight Pay?
Key Points:
VI. Human Capital
Key Points:
VII. Turnover, Layoffs, and Buyouts
Key Points:
Readings:
Chapter 2
Readings:
Chapter 3
Readings:
Chapter 4
Readings:
Chapter 5
Readings:
Chapter 6
Readings:
Chapter 7