1.6 Flashcards
Economies of scale
When average costs of a business decrease as output increases. When a business expands and produces greater quantity, fixed costs are spread over a greater quantity of units produces, reducing average costs. Uses growth as an opportunity to decrease average costs.
Diseconomies of Scale
When average costs increase as output increases. When a business expands and grows and experiences inefficiencies which cause average costs to increase such as communication issues.
Internal Economies of Scale
Technical
Managerial
Financial
Marketing
Purchasing
Risk bearing
Internal Economies of Scale: Technical
Bigger units of production can reduce costs because of the law of variable proportions (the increase in varible costs are spread against a set of fixed costs).
E.g. A truck will be cheaper to operate than two or three smaller vehicles.
Internal Economies of Scale: Managerial
A bigger business can afford to have managers specialising in one job rather than having to do multiple roles.
E.g. Instead of having a general manager, they can be hired by functions; marketing, finance.
Internal Economies of Scale: Financial
Bigger businesses tend to be less risky than smaller businesses.
E.g. Banks are most likely to give loans to big companies rather than sole traders.
Internal Economies of Scale: Marketing
Bigger businesses can direct more effective marketing campaigns.
E.g. Large businesses have better advertisement opportunities.
Internal Economies of Scale: Purchasing
Big businesses can gain discounts through bulk buying.
E.g. Walmart buys large quantities of food at very low prices from farmers.
Internal Economies of Scale: Risk bearing
Big businesses can afford to produce a bigger product range and spreading the risk of one product failing.
External Economies of scale
Improved infraestructure
Agglomeration
Research and development
Relocation of component suppliers
External Economies of Scale: Improved infraestructure
- Improved telecommunications makes it easier to communicate globally
- Improved road networks make it faster to deliver products
External Economies of Scale: Agglomeration
When lots of similar businesses locate within close proximity to each other, it makes working together easier.
External Economies of Scale: Research and development
Advancements in technology or a particular field mean all firms benefit from this development.
External Economies of Scale: Relocation of component suppliers
If suppliers are closer to business, main operation deliveries arrive faster and its cheaper.
Internal Diseconomies of Scale
Co-ordination and monitoring difficulties
Communicatin difficulties
Poor worker motivation
Purchasing
Financial
Technical
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Co-ordination and monitoring difficulties
The larger the business the more difficult it is to coordinate stages in production, leading to shortages and wastage.
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Communication difficulties
- As the business expands, communicating between different departments along the chain of command can be hard.
- There are more layers in the hierarchy that can distort messages due to a wider span of control for managers (less clear instructions for workers).
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Poor worker motivation
- Workers can feel more isolated and less appreciated in larger businesses.
- This can lead to lower employee motivation, damaging output and quality.
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Purchasing
Large businesses often buy too much stock and it may need to be sold off at a loss.
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Financial
Large firms with huge amounts of surplus can make poor investment decisions.
Internal Diseconomies of Scale: Technical
An airplane may be too big to land in a smaller airport.
External Diseconomies of Scale
Scarcity of land
Increasing rents
Higher recruitment costs
Higher wages
Transportation problems
External Diseconomies of Scales: Scarcity of land
Very high demand for businesses to relocate their headquarters to the center of the city.
External Diseconomies of Scales: Increasing rents
Too many businesses wishing to locate their offices/factories in a certain area, increasing rent prices.
External Diseconomies of Scales: Higher recruitment cost
Since workers have greater choice from a large number of employers in the same area, it may take companies longer to sign new employees.