ECON3810 – Incentives and motivation
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course presents theoretical and empirical research on work motivation and incentives. We start with the workhorse model of motivation in economics: the principal-agent model. We will discuss the strengths and limitations of this model and how it can be extended to include a broader set of concerns?- motivations?- that drive us to perform well.
Some of the central questions we will address are: To what extent does monetary incentives induce employees to work harder and smarter? How can we classify non-financial motivation? How important are these other sources of work motivation? How can non-financial motivation be stimulated (are there other incentives than money rewards for good work)? To what extent are non-financial drivers influenced?- crowded in or out?- by monetary incentives?
Learning outcome
Knowledge
You will:
- become familiar with models of incentives and moral hazard the work place;
- learn about classifications of different types of work motivation; and
- gain knowledge of empirical literature that attempts to test the strength of different motivations and how they are influenced by monetary incentives (performance pay).
Skills
You should be able to:
- know some basic results about what ticks our motivation and be able to critically evaluate these studies;
- understand central moral hazard problems in modern firms and how incentives can be designed to reduce these problems; and
- know and assess the empirical literature that estimates the possibility that monetary incentives drives out other motivations for doing well at work.
Competence
You should:
- increase your ability to critically access motivational schemes; and
- be able to read and understand project reports and journal articles that make use of the concepts and methods that are introduced in the course.
Admission to the course
Students at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
You can not attend this course if you have already passed specific ECON-courses at a higher level.
Recommended previous knowledge
- The course is based on prior knowledge in microeconomics, mathematics and statistics corresponding to ECON2220 – Mikro?konomi 2, ECON1100 – Matematikk I and ECON2130 – Statistikk 1. Students who do not have this prior knowledge, are advised not to take this course.
Teaching
Lectures and seminars.
Compulsory tuition activities
A compulsory term paper
The assignment deadline will be specified in Canvas. If you submit your answer to the assignment, but do not pass, you may get another attempt. The new attempt will have a short deadline.
When the compulsory term paper is approved, the result will be registered. The?approved compulsory term paper is valid for 9 semesters, starting with the semester in which it is passed.
See The Faculty of Social Sciences` rules regarding compulsory tuition activities.
Absence from compulsory tuition activities
If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory tuition activities, your absence may be approved or the compulsory activity may be postponed.
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?Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
At the start of the semester, the course reponsible can update the syllabus list by replacing up to 3 articles, without the scope and thematic content of the syllabus changing significantly.
The syllabus also includes any lecture notes that are made available during the semester.
Examination
This course has a 3-hour written school exam.
You must have passed the mandatory activities in order to sit for the exam.
Previously issued exam papers and grading guidelines
Exam papers with comments from examiner
Examination support material
Usage of a dictionary during the examination is allowed, subject to prior inspection by SV-info.?See guidelines for further details.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English. You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
Students who wish to retake an examination later, are not guaranteed that the course will be given with the same content and syllabus, or that it will be the same type of exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.