Prospectus

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Ethical and Legal Issues in Pricing Management

Course
2020-2021

Toegangseisen

Toegelaten tot HC Law

Beschrijving

This course is all about consumer issues that arise from the pricing decision-making of companies. You will learn about the latest trends in pricing management, why psychological pricing has become so popular, and how companies increasingly seek new forms of indirect price discrimination. You will analyze and evaluate a legal or ethical pricing problem from a consumer or regulatory perspective and learn to write and publish about it.

Over the past two academic years, two topics were addressed: deceptive pricing and price discrimination. This resulted in a critical analysis of MediaMarkt's 'VAT away with it' campaign, which was brought to the attention of ‘Reclame Code Commissie’, and which resulted in two student publications (“Beware of psychological pricing) in NOVUM in 2019. Moreover, a book review (“Value Pricing: Alternative to Alternative Fee Arrangements?” was published by students in the ‘Advocatenblad’, as part of an investigation of why and how law firm pricing is changing, and whether, for example, hourly billing can be perceived as unethical. Following the ruling by the ‘College van de Rechten van de Mens’ that different hairdressing awards for men and women are discriminatory, students of this course also collaborated on two recent NOVUM-publications in 2020.

In 2020-2021, under the guidance of Prof. Jean-Pierre van der Rest and with the help of external experts, you will go to the bottom of a new issue and provide a legal or ethical analysis about it, resulting in the writing of one or two articles (which will be published).

Leerdoelen

  1. To summarize the main trends in pricing management;
  2. To identify consumer pricing issues in a real-world business context;
  3. To evaluate pricing practices and appraise ethical or legal concerns;
  4. To argue how these pricing issues can best be resolved.

Onderwijsvormen

You will have five weeks of classes. All classes will be interactive. In a workshop mode of teaching there will be theory explanations and exercises, presentations, and real-world case discussions. You will participate in a fieldwork study and carry out a part of the article writing and publication.

Periode

Classes will probably / in principle take place from 17.15 - 19.00 on the Tuesdays in the period / weeks from 1 February to 19 March 2021.

Toetsing

  • Participation weekly = 15%

  • Group assignment = 20%

  • Individual assignment = 20%

  • Field study assignment = 45%

Brightspace

This course will use Brightspace.

Literatuur

All learning materials will be provided via Brightspace.

Aanmelden

Registration (or questions) via the Honours College Law honours@law.leidenuniv.nl.

Minimum en maximum aantal deelnemers

12-24

Contact

  • Course co0rdinator: Prof. dr. J.I. van der Rest

  • Address: Steenschuur 25 te Leiden

  • Available: ma-vr (9.00 - 17.00 uur)

  • Telephone: 071-5276135

  • E-mail: j.i.van.der.rest@law.leidenuniv.nl
    Any questions about or regarding this course before the course has started should be directed to the HC Law, honours@law.leidenuniv.nl.

Instituut/afdeling

  • Institute: Economics and Tax Law

  • Department: Business Studies

  • Address: Steenschuur 25 te Leiden (B2.26)

  • Opening times: every working day (except Wednesday) from 9.00 to 17.00.

  • Telephone: 071-5277851