Dr Jordi Blanes I Vidal MAR.6.08

This course is compulsory on the BSc in Management. This course is available on the BSc in Accounting and Finance. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

This course has a limited number of places (it is capped). Students who have this course as a compulsory course are guaranteed a place. Places for all other students are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Quantitative Methods (Mathematics) (MA107) or equivalent and Quantitative Methods (Statistics) (ST107) or equivalent

Simple and Multiple Regression; Hypothesis Testing; Mechanics and Limitations of OLS; Causality; Natural, Field and Laboratory Experiments. Panel Data and Fixed Effect Models. Instrumental Variables Regression.

The main aim of this course is to provide a thorough understanding of the quantitative techniques which guide evidence-based managerial decision-making. It seeks to develop a framework in which students can examine whether the predictions of managerial, social or economic theory are supported by empirical evidence. Particular emphasis is made on (a) illustrating the many ways in which evidence is abused in the academic or managerial debate, and (b) trying to establish causality in the relationship between variables. The approach is both formal, as the course makes extensive use of econometric theorems and techniques, and solidly grounded in intuition, as it provides numerous examples of tests of real-life relations. Many of these examples will be illustrated using the STATA software package, and the students will be expected to learn the basics of data manipulation and regression running. A solid base of introductory statistics and probability (equivalent to that provided by ST107) and introductory algebra and calculus (equivalent to that provided by MA107) will be expected.

Teaching hours will be commensurate with a usual full unit undergraduate course.

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of each term, in line with departmental policy.

Students will be expected to produce 1 problem sets in the AT and 1 problem sets in the WT.

There will be two formative assessments, one in the last week of each term. During lecture time, the students will be given a shorter exam and an hour to complete it. The lecturer will then discuss the answers in the second hour of the lecture. The exams will be marked and given back to the students.

The textbook for the course is:

• James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson, Introduction to Econometrics, Second Edition, Pearson, 2007.

Two other very useful (complementary) books are:

• Christopher Dougherty, Introduction to Econometrics, Third Edition, Oxford University Press, 2007;
• Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, Introductory Econometrics - A Modern Approach, Third Edition, South-Western, 2006.

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the spring exam period.