Teaching Activities

Since joining MU in 2008, I have taught the following classes:

Agr. Econ. 9510: Economics of the Agribusiness Firm

This is a required course for Ph.D. students in the Agribusiness Management field. The course builds on Agr. Econ. 8050: Economics of Institutions and Organizations, and applies transaction cost, agency and property rights theories to the study of the internal organization and the boundaries of the agribusiness firm. The course also examines alternative institutional arrangements in the global agrifood system – such as contracts, alliances, joint ventures, cooperatives and other hybrids – through the lenses of New Institutional Economics. Special emphasis is put on empirical applications to help students in selecting and developing a dissertation topic for their doctoral research. Click here for a copy of the syllabus.

Agr. Econ. 3286: Economics of Managerial Decision Making

This is a required course for Agribusiness Management majors.  The course applies modern organization economic theories and concepts to managerial problems facing decision makers inside organizations.  These managerial problems include the allocation of decision rights, the design of incentive systems and the development of performance measures to evaluate team members’ performance. Emphasis is placed on applying organization economic reasoning to the analysis of real world problems facing agribusiness managers. Click here for a copy of the syllabus.

Agr. Econ. 4972: Agribusiness and Cooperative Management

This capstone class for Agribusiness Management majors introduces a conceptual framework for the analysis of firms operating in the global agrifood sector. The conceptual framework comprises the interrelationships between the business environment wherein the firm operates; its choices regarding strategy, organizational architecture and ownership structure; and their impacts on firm performance. The conceptual framework is applied to a specific form of organization that plays an important economic role in the agrifood sector – the farmer-owned cooperative. Students work in a team research project focusing on a specific cooperative firm. The goal is to help students develop critical-thinking, analytical and teamwork skills that will be of value in their professional careers.  Click here for a copy of the syllabus.

In my previous appointments at Insper Business School (Brazil) and Washington State University, I have taught the following courses: