1.5 Flashcards

1
Q

Economies of scale

A

lower average cost of production as a firm operates on a larger scale due to an improvement in its productive efficiency
- help businesses gain a competitive cost advantage because lower average costs can mean a combination of lower prices being charged to customers and higher profit margin earned on each item sold.

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2
Q

Average Cost (AC)

A

cost per unit of output. dividing total costs (TC) by the quantity of output)

AFC (average fixed costs)
AC = TC / Q

AVC (average variable costs)
AVC = TVC / Q

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3
Q

Internal Economies of Scale

A

EOS that occur within a firm
- Technical economies; using machinery and capital to mass produce products, reducing average cost of production.
- Financial economies; large firms can borrow large sums of money to lower rates of interests.

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4
Q

External economies of scale

A

cost saving benefits of large-scale operations arising from outside the business due to the favourable location or general growth in the industry .
- Technological progress
- improved transportation networks
- abundance of skilled labour
- regional specialisation

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5
Q

diseconomies of scale

A

result of a higher unit costs as a firm continues to increase in size, AVG cost of production increases

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6
Q

Internal diseconomies of scale

A
  • lack of coordination as the span of control increases slowing decision making
  • Poorer working relationships
  • lower productive efficiency
  • bureaucracy
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7
Q

External diseconomies of scale

A

occur once there is an increase in the average cost of production when a firm
- higher rents
- pay higher pay and financial rewards to employees
- traffic congestion

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8
Q

Internal growth

A

occurs when a business grows organically using its own capabilities and resources to increase the scale of its operations and sales revenue.
can happen through;
- Changing price
- improved promotion
- improving products
- improving availability of products
- Credit
- increased capital expenditure (investment spending)
- improved training and developemtn

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9
Q

Pros and Cons or internal growth

A

PROS
- better control and coordination
- relatively inexpensive
maintains corporate culture
- less risky

CONS
- Diseconomies of scale
- need to restructure
- dilution of control and ownership due to growth
- Slower growth than external

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10
Q

External growth

A

occurs through dealings with outside organizations rather than from an increase in the organisation’s own business operations.
- mergers and aquisitions, takeovers, joint ventures, strategic alliances, or franchinesing

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11
Q

Pros and Cons of Extenral growth

A

PROS
- Quicker than Internal Growth
- Synergies, can benefit from a greater pool of skills, knowledge and the expertise of external parties
- reduced competition -
- economies of scale
- spreading of risks

CONS
- more expensive than internal growth
- Greater risks (inadequate knowledge of new markets and greater uncertainties of eg)
- Regulatiory barriers - aquisitions and mergers can be blocked by governments if the move is deemed to be anti competitive.
- potential diseconomies of scale
- culture clash

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12
Q

generic benefits of external growth

A
  • EcOfSc due to operating on a larger scale
  • Lower prices offered to customers
  • Brand recognition –> sell to wider market
  • brand reputation (more trust)
  • Value added services
  • Greater choice
  • customer loyalty
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13
Q

Mergers and Aquisitions (External Growth Methods)

A

consolidation or integration of two or more businesses to form a single company. Create synergy creating greater output and improved efficiencies.

Merger takes place when two or more firms agree to create a new company with its own legal identity
Aquisition occurs when a company buys a controlling interest in another firm with the permission and agreement of its board of directors to do so.

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14
Q

Horizontal integration

A

occurs when there is an amalgamation of the firms operating in the same industry. aquires larger market share rather than growth in industry

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15
Q

Vertical Intergration

A

businesses that are at different stages of production merge.
forward VI –> considlation of businesses that head towards the final stage of production
Bakcward VI –> MorA of a business towards an earlier stage of production

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16
Q

lateral integration

A

MorA’s between firms that have similar operations but do not directly compete with each other.

17
Q

Conglomerate M&As

A

amalgamation of businesses that operate in distinct or diversified markets

18
Q

PROS AND CONS OF M&As

A

PROS
- Greater market share
- EOS
- Synergy
- Survival
- Diversification
- Gain entry into new markets

CONS
- redundancies
- Conflict
- Culture clash
- Loss of control
- Diseconomies of scale
- Regulatory problems

19
Q

Takeovers

A

occur when a company buys a controlling stake in another company without the permission and agreement of the company or its Board of Directors

20
Q

Joint Ventures

A

two or more businesses split the costs, risks, control and rewards of a project set up a new legal business entity.
Allows;
- Synergy–> pooling of experiences, skills and of the collaborating firms in the JV .
- spreading costs and risks
- entry to foreign markets
- relatively cheap
- competitive advantage
- exploitation of local knowledge
- high success rate

21
Q

Strategic alliances

A

two or more businesses cooperate in a business venture for mutual benefit, firms share the costs of product development and operations and marketing.
However, affiliated businesses remain independent organisations and do not form a new legal business entity.
four key stages to formation of strategic alliance;
- feasibility study; investigate and establish the rationale, objectives and feasibility of the SA.
- Partnership assessment
-contract negotiations
- implementation

22
Q

Franchising

A

is a form of business ownership whereby an individual or business buys a license to trade using another company’s products, name logos brands and trademarks.