Innovation, Behavior, Emergence and Markets

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1052

Course Objective

Innovation, Behavior, Emergence and Markets (IBEM) gives you the theory, tools and practical experience to understand and analyse health care as a complex, adaptive system. You will understand better how individuals and organizations react to changes and interventions and use that to design smarter interventions. You learn and apply recent system theories to find out why the health care system works as it does: the effects of privatization, survival mechanisms and the "abnormalities" in the health care system. You learn and experience in simulations how individual behavior leads to emergent system effects
- and why hidden barriers and unfair earning models obstruct innovation. You practice and integrate what you have learned in a field work exercise and by studying health care cases. And you experience during the lectures, in the form of small games/simulations, why you (too!) make irrational decisions. Learning objectives:
- Understand and analyse the general properties of complex adaptive systems.
- Get acquainted with innovation theories in a complex system context.
- Understand and analyze the interactions between individual behavior, economy and the (health care) system.
- Acquire knowledge on innovation, economic and business models against the challenge to improve the health care system.
- Gain insight in what determines the efficiency and effectiveness of health care systems from the viewpoint of a market.
- Improve communication skills in group exercises and presentations.
- Practice system analysis and modelling of health care issues in relation to innovation.
- Get a feeling how negotiations and decision making work in a complex environment. ---------
- "Viewing the health care system as a complex system makes a lot of sense " (student evaluation 2020) "I liked the Field Work Assignment and the Negotiation Gaming, a nice balance between theoretical work and fun simulations/assignments " (student evaluation 2020) "The practice exam was very nice ! The best practice exam this master. " (student evaluation 2020)

Course Content

IBEM’s lectures, exercises, field work and simulations cover topics suchas:
- The properties and general laws of complex systems and the mechanismsthat determine survival, innovation and cooperation between the actors in the system.
- The relation between ‘irrational’ behavior and emergent system effects: why customers, hospitals, patients and other actors react in different and unexpected ways, against the assumptions of classical economy.
- Innovation as an on-going, chaotic and competitive process that causes unexpected emergent effects in markets: how should companies, consultants and policy makers deal with this?
- Why network models of systems give insight in social structures and predict how innovations (and diseases!) spread. And explain why it is important to shake hands with Important People.
- Innovations need a ‘changeable’ environment: learn how to recognize resistance, work on projects at " the edge of chaos" and prevent perverse incentives.
- Companies that understand how the system works use smart strategies for their innovations. New business models, using the experiences of patients and social network models can be effective to support and implement innovations.
- Delivering affordable health to the global population is a real challenge. The World Health Organisation applies a complex system approach to improving helath care systems in developing countries. IBEM combines various scientific disciplines: theory of Complex Adaptive Systems, psychology and behavioral economy, game theory, some innovation theories and (social) network theory.

Teaching Methods

IBEM is a periode 3 course (50% work load in four weeks; 3 ECTS). Total study is 80 hours. Forms of tuition: lectures, self-study (animation, cases and literature), group exercises, gaming/simulation, presentations/discussions. Study general CAS theory: 12 hours Lectures: 12 hours Field work: 4 hours Gaming / simulation: 6 hours (of which contact hours/student: 2) Group exercise: 16 hours Study articles and cases: 4 hours Presentation/ innovation market: 4 hours Study for exam: 20 hours Exam: 2 hours

Method of Assessment

- Exam (T)(70%)
- Field work group exercise (Prac/V) (pass/fail)
- Case study group exercise (O) (30% of which report (V) 20% and thesis presentation (Pres) 10%). All three parts should be sufficient/passed
- no compensation possible. In case of not passing the exam, one resit opportunity is offered. For an insufficient field work exercise a substitute assignment can be given.

Literature

No text book needed. All articles and links to supportive educational materials will be available at Canvas before the course starts.

Target Audience

You're a master student (MPA, Innovation Sciences, Something with Business and/or Management, Health Care, Health Economy, Artificial Intelligence, ...) You have an interest in the interactions between innovation, markets and behavior. You're eager to understand how "things" work at the system level of health care. You like to have different, even headstrong perspectives to look at the health care system.

Additional Information

More information? Course coordinator / examinator: Dr. Th.P. Groen (Athena Institute; [email protected])

Recommended background knowledge

No specific requirements

Explanation Canvas

You're supposed to view introductory videos and animations preparing you for the lectures. Each course module has a discussion page for your questions and a round-off quiz A responsive mock exam is offered on Canvas which gives you individualized feed back on the status of your learning efforts and shows possible gaps in your preparation.