Customer Reviews

Managerial Economics & Organizational Architecture

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This book was the best that I read in my MBA program. It is filled with great examples and is easy to read. At the same time it taught me important economic concepts. I had struggled with these concepts as an undergraduate but thanks to this text I now feel that I have them mastered. Unlike other economic texts this book focuses on real management problems.

This book has two real aspects.

First is is a good general introduction to economics that might be used at the upper undergraduate or MBA level. Note the title says that it is 'Managerial Economics.' This book is aimed at the student following a management track rather than a professional economics track. The concept of the book is to give an overview of all aspects of economic theory without a heavy concentration in any one particular area.

Second, this is the fourth edition of the book. This was made necessary because of the great changes that have occurred as a result of Enron, Arthur Anderson and the other companies that collectively made great changes in the business environment. One such change is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, discussed at length here even though it is still too new to realize its full implications.

The case studies that are included reflect these new times: Arthur Anderson, Barings Bank, Interwest Healthcare, Property Right Security in Russian Deprivatization, eBay.com, iTunes, Wal-Mart.com and others that could come directly off of today's headlines.

This is a new and up-to-date edition of a well received book.

I just finished a Managerial Economics MBA course that used this text. I found it to be very well written compared to textbooks I've read for other classes. I think it does a good job explaining supply and demand, intro to pricing, and intro to strategy and game theory. Examples are used to improve the reader's "economic" intuition. I talked to a friend who just finished a differnt MBA program who used this book. He recommended the book and especially liked the strategy segments and the prisoner's dilema.

I have read a lot of text books and this is the worst one i have ever read. The first chapter is the authors justifying the book and the practice. The information is completely disjointed and unorganized with questions and case studies in the book addressing concepts not yet presented. There are not nearly enough examples to help facilitate learning and understanding and it is so dry and monotous, it makes it very difficult to traverse.

This book is easy to read and navigate. It is filled with "managerial applications" and "academic applications" which help to break up the content. Chapters 20 and 23 are not included and can be downloaded from the web (link is provided). It does feel at times like it drifts towards organizational behaviour but that is to some extent expected (and appreciated) because the book is intended for business students who are not specializing in economics.

The book is a bit vague and takes a lot of research (for me) to fill in the missing links. It also repeats itself in the text and table descriptions, which I find a little annoying and redundant. The book has a nice layout though.

Text used for MBA class. No complaints, still working my way through it. Received used, in excellent conditon.

Rarely do I feel inspired to write about technical books, or my graduate school textbooks, but this one is so good that I just can't resist.

This book is all about the quality of the content rather than the flashiness of the typeset. Colors are few on these pages, but the instructional quality in the text is really superb. When I read this book, I feel like I'm getting a real, fundamental analysis of what a firm really is, and why the basic principles of microeconomics are so important and robust. Mathematical content is relatively thin (though not absent) in this book, the authors favoring a visual, conceptual approach to this highly technical topic. It works beautifully, especially for those of us who want to understand the concept of the firm but come from non-technical backgrounds. Potential readers should not get the idea that all this means that the book is "dumbed down" in any way. The three authors, all distinguished economists at the University of Rochester, maintain the highest standards of intellectual rigor. Chapter 3 is the most lucid summary of essential economic theory I have ever read. But keep in mind that this is a textbook, intended for student use. It is NOT a penetrating analysis of the leading edge of research in economic theory.

The whole thing comes off a bit like a "philosophy of the firm," with abundant historical context, modern minicases, and lucid behavioral insights. I waited almost two years in my MBA program to come across this one, and my confidence in the academic business literature is restored!

As you know and expect, this book is hideously expensive. It's worth the cost, but if you can find a way to buy it used or at a discount... But, by all means, get the latest edition. Books like this go out of date rapidly.

This book is very easy to follow and gets straight to the point. It has allow me to develop a very good understanding of how organizational makeup can impact the progress of an organization and its stakeholders.

I'm a consultant and this book is quite good in order to improve my performance during my job.