Grade 10 - Intro To Business Flashcards
What is perfect competition?
Many consumers buy a standardized product from numerous small businesses (no seller is big or influential enough to affect price). Sellers accept the growing price.
What are the functional areas of business?
Management, operations, marketing, accounting, finance
Supply
The quantity of a products sellers are willing to cell at various prices
Demand
The quantity of a product that buyers are willing to purchase at various prices
Equilibrium price
The price at which buyers are willing to buy exactly the amount that sellers are willing to sell
Monopolistic Competion
Many sellers supply differentiated products (different in quality, style, convenience, location, and brand name - however similar purpose)
Ex. Coke & Pepsi
Oligopoly
A few sellers supply a large portion of all the products sold in the market place.
- starting a business in this industry is usually expensive, therefore number of businesses entering it is low
- large scale enterprises: automobile and airlines
- competition usually has similar promotions
Monopoly
Only one seller supplying products at regulated prices
- Natural: due to the industry’s importance to society, one seller is permitted to supply product without competition (electricity and gas)
- legal: one seller supplies a product or technology which holds a patent (Polaroid)
What are the world main economic goals?
Growth, high employment, price stability
How do you measure economic growth?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
How can you see if there is a high employment?
Unemployment rate should be low
How do you measure price stability?
Consumer price index (measure of inflation - price keeps increasing)
What does it means if there is a low GDP? What is the result?
Low GDP= recession
Therefore start losing jobs (high unemployment) and consumers do not spend as much
How long does the business cycle typically run?
3-5 years
What are the 4 phases of the business cycle?
Prosperity, recession, recovery, depression
Explain prosperity
Economy expands
- low unemployment
- income rises
- consumers buy more products
- businesses increase production & offer new and better products
Explain recession
Slow down in economic activity
Explain recovery
Economy starts growing again
Explain depression
Severe long lasting recession
What is GDP
Markets values of all good and services produced by the economy in a given year; includes goods and services produced domestically
What do changes in GDP show?
GDP goes up (after adjusting inflation) - economy is growing
GDP goes down - economy is contracting
What is the unemployment rate?
Percentage of labour force that is unemployed and actively seeking work
What is price stability?
Occurs when the average of the prices for goods and services doesn’t change or changes very little (shouldn’t change by more than 1-3%)
Inflation
When overall price level goes up
Deflation
When price levels go down
What is CPI?
Consumer price index- measures the rate of inflation by determining price changes
What is interest?
The cost for borrowing money
Lagging economic indicators
Statistical data that measures economic trends after the overall economy has changed (few months in the past)
Leading economic indicators
Predicts status of economy 3-12 months in the future
Monetary policy
Efforts exerted by the federal reserve system (bank of Canada) to regulate the nations money supply
What is a contractionary policy? When is it used?
When inflation is a problem
- decrease money supply
- and raise interest rates
- less demand for goods, therefore prices will also decrease
What does it mean when interest rates are high? When would this be?
Used during inflation (contractionary policy)
- borrowers have to pay more money for the money they borrow
- banks are more selective when giving loans
- less demand for goods, therefore prices will also decrease
What would banks do to counter a recession (deflation)?
The will use the expansionary policy to increase money supply and reduce interest rates
- cheaper to borrow money
- banks are more willing to lend it
- encourage businesses to expand production
- encourage consumers to buy more goods & services
- help economy escape recession
Fiscal policy
Governmental use of taxation and spending to influence economic conditions
What would the government do when there is a recession?
Government wants to increase spending or reduce taxes (or both)
- put more in the hands of businesses and consumers (encourage businesses to expand and consumers to buy)
National debt
Total amount of money owed by federal government
Budget surplus
Takes in more than it spends
Budget deficit
Spends more than it takes in
Ethical dilemma
Have to select between 2 or more acceptable, but opposing alternatives that are important to different groups
- “right vs right”
Ethical Decision
Choose between right (ethical) and wrong (unethical) choice
- “right vs wrong”
Ethical lapse
Make a decision that is unmistakably unethical or illegal
Corporate Social Responsibility
Approach that an organization takes in balancing its responsibilities towards different stakeholders when making legal, economic, ethical, and social decisions
- actions taken by a company to make a positive impact on society
Stakeholders
Owners, employees, customers, and the communities in which the business operator
- affected by the activities of the business
Conflict of interest
Choose between the promotion of your personal interest and the interest of others
Conflicts of loyalty
Decide between being loyal to either your employer or to a friend or family member
Whistle blower
Someone that exposes illegal or unethical behaviour in an organization
Why is CSR important?
- consumers and other groups examine not only the quality and price of a firm’s product, but it’s character as well
How can a company be socially responsible?
Financial contributions
Volunteer
Supporting social causes
When does a nation have an Absolute advantage
- only source of a particular product
- make more of a product using the same or fewer resources
When does a nation have a comparative advantage?
- produce a product at a lower opportunity cost compared to another nation
Opportunity cost
Products that a country must decline in order to produce something else
Balance of trade
Value of exports - value of imports
Trade surplus
Sells more than buys
Trade deficit
Buys more than sells
Balance of payment
Difference over a given period of time, between total flow coming in and total flow going out of a country
What are the 5 main ways to participate in International business
Importing and exporting Licensing and franchising Outsourcing Strategic alliance and joint venture Foreign direct investment
Importing
Practice of buying products overseas and reselling them in ones own country
Exporting
Practice of selling domestic products to foreign countries
Licensing
Allows a foreign company to sell the products of a producer or use its intellectual property - ideas (such as patents, trademarks, or copyright) in exchange for royalty fees
Franchising
A company grants a foreign company the right to use its Brand’s name and to sell its products or services
Outsourcing
Contract with a local company in a foreign country to manufacture one if its products, however, retain of product design and development and puts its own label on the finished product
Strategic alliance
An agreement between two companies (or a company and nation) to pool resources in order to achieve business goals that benefit both parties
External forces that influence business activities
Government - monitoring laws
Economy
Consumer trends
Public pressure to be good corporate citizen
Joint venture
Alliances in which the partners find a separate entity to manage their joint operation
Foreign Direct Investment
Establishments of business operations on foreign soil
Offshoring (FDI)
Setting up facilities in foreign counties that replace manufacturing facilities to produce goods that will be sent back to the home country for sale
*** cheap labour
Foreign subsidiary
An independent company owned by a foreign firm
Sole proprietorship
Business owned by only one person
Partnership
Business owned jointly by two or more people
Corporation
A legal entity separate from the parties who own it
Advantages of sole proprietorship
Easiest and cheapest Few government regulations Complete control Get all earned income No special taxes
Disadvantages of sole proprietorship
Death = dissolution (when you die so does the business)
Your own resources and financing
Unlimited liability
Advantages of partnership
Relatively easy & inexpensive Shared responsibility & talent Financing is easier Continuity is not an issue No special taxes
Disadvantages of partnerships
More complex than SP Disputes among partners Unlimited liability including for partners action Shared decisions Share profits