Micro L4 - 7 Flashcards

1
Q

Constant returns to scale:

A

Output increases in the same proportion as all inputs

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2
Q

Increasing returns to scale:

A

Output increases by a lather proportion than all inputs

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3
Q

Decreasing returns to scale:

A

Output increases by a smaller proportion than all inputs

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4
Q

What does the long-run average total costs represent?

A

Lowest possible average cost

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5
Q

What is the relationship between SRATC and LRATC?

A

LRATC is a tangent to each of short-run cost curves

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6
Q

Economies of scale:

A

Decreases in long-run average costs of production as firm increases all its output

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7
Q

What do falling average costs mean for returns to scale?

A

There will be increasing returns to scale

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8
Q

Internal economies of scale (really fun mums try making pies):

A

1) Risk-bearing
2) Financial
3) Marketing
4) Technical
5) Managerial
6) Purchasing

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9
Q

How do technical economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient?

A
  • The larger the object, the lower the AC of storage
  • Some capital equipment is designed for large scale production
  • High overhead expenditures that may only be viable when a firm is large enough
  • Existing capital used more efficiently
  • Specialist machinery boosts productivity
  • Employ more workers as firm gets large to specialise
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10
Q

How do managerial economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient (+ evaluation)?

A
  • Can employ specialist managers, which leads to better decision making abilities + increased productivity
  • May experience diseconomies as AC may rise as firm is so large that management becomes difficult
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11
Q

How do marketing economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient?

A
  • Advertising is usually a fixed cost so it is spread over more units (bulk-buy) , meaning cost per unit is lower
  • Benefit from brand awareness of well-known brand
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12
Q

How do financial economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient?

A

Large firms may have the advantages of a strong rep such as negotiation of lower interest rates as banks think they are low risk

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13
Q

How do purchasing economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient?

A
  • Good deals can be negotiated when inputs are purchased in relatively large volumes (bulk-buying)
  • Costs can be spread across wider range of output
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14
Q

How do risk-bearing economies of scale make large-scale production more efficient?

A
  • Can diversify leading to more predictable demand
  • Can afford to take risks spread over more units
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15
Q

External economies of scale (involved in industry but outside firm):

A

1) Better transport infrastructure –> cheaper for transportation of supply
2) Component supplies may move closer –> cheaper for transportation of supply
3) R & D firms move closer –> improve tech, reducing costs

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16
Q

Diseconomies of scale:

A

Increases in long-run average costs of production as firm increases its output

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17
Q

MES:

A
  • Minimum efficient scale
  • Lowest level of output required to exploit full economies of scale
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18
Q

What part of the LRAC curve is each economy of scale? responsible for?

A
  • Downward sloping –> Increasing returns (economies of scale)
  • Horizontal section
  • Upward sloping –> Decreasing returns (diseconomies of scale)
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19
Q

What are the variations of LRAC curve?

A
  • Bucket shape (regular)
  • Positive quadratic (very rare) –> immediate switch from increasing to decreasing returns to scale
  • Decreasing concave up (natural monopoly) –> much higher output required for MES
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20
Q

Why do natural monopolies require much higher outputs for MES?

A

They have very high fixed costs

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21
Q

Reasons for diseconomies of scale (3Cs and a M):

A

All lead to growing inefficiencies:
- Control –> may decrease due to more workers
- Coordination and monitoring difficulties –> difficult for departments to work together
- Communication difficulties –> harder to communicate
- Poor worker motivation –> each worker feels their value is low

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22
Q

Profit formula:

A

profit ( π ) = total revenue - total costs

23
Q

What is the difference between accounting and economic profit?

A
  • Economic profit –> Considers both implicit and explicit costs
  • Accounting profit –> Only explicit costs
24
Q

Normal profit:

A

Minimum reward necessary to keep factors of production in their present use

25
What are the conditions for normal profit?
- Total revenue = Total costs - Intersection of TR and TC - Zero economic profit
26
What are the conditions for supernormal profit?
- Total revenue > Total costs - Point where TC is furthest from TR - Positive economic profit
27
What are the conditions for subnormal profit?
- Total revenue < Total costs - Negative economic profit (loss)
28
When does shutdown occur for a firm?
When the firm is not covering average variable costs and therefore does not make a contribution to the fixed costs
29
What is the long-run shutdown point on a graph?
Where price < average cost
30
What is the short-run shutdown point on a graph?
When price < average variable cost
31
Shutdown or not formula:
1) Calculate TR (P x Q) 2) Calculate TVC (AVC x Q) 3) Calculate TC (TFC + TVC) 4) If TR - TC < TFC, stay open OR 1) Selling price - Variable cost per unit
32
Objectives of firms:
1) Profit maximisation 2) Satisficing (H Simon) 3) Revenue maximisation (W Baumol) 4) Managerial utility maximisation --> cut into profits for satisfaction of employees 5) Corporate Social Responsibility 6) Survival --> merely existing in hyper-competitive market (short-term) 7) Public sector organisation
33
Why is profit maximisation assumed to be the main objective of firms?
1) Reinvestment --> profit into new capital, R & D 2) Dividends for shareholders 3) Lower costs + lower consumer prices 4) Reward for entrepreneurship
34
At what point is profit maximised on a MC and MR graph?
When MC = MR
35
Reasons for not aiming for profit maximisation:
- Unaware of values for MC and MR - Under greater scrutiny - Key stakeholders harmed - Other objectives may be more appropriate
36
Profit satisficing (satisfy + sacrifice):
Sacrificing profit to satisfy as many key stakeholders as possible
37
Stakeholder meaning and examples:
- Anybody who has an interest in the performance of business Examples: - Shareholders - Managers - Consumers - Workers/TUs - Gov - Environmental grps
38
Out of key stakeholders, who is likely to be unhappy w/ profit maximisation and why?
- Consumers could suffer if excess prices are charged - Workers/TUs due to low wages from cost-cutting - Gov if excess prices charged for consumers + wages are low - Environmental grps if environment is negatively affected due to cost-cutting
39
Revenue maximisation and who proposed the idea:
- When MR = 0 - William Baumol
40
Reasons for aiming for revenue maximisation:
1) Economies of scale --> revenue quantity is greater than profit max quantity 2) Predatory pricing 3) Principal- agent problem --> managers may use revenue max as leverage for greater perks in job from shareholders
41
Predatory pricing
Undercutting rival and sacrificing profit to drive out competitors
42
Sales maximisation:
- Business wants to become as large as possible without making a loss - When AC = AR
43
Reasons for aiming for sales maximisation:
1) Economies of scale --> sales quantity is greater than profit + revenue max quantity 2) Limit pricing --> removes incentive of new firms entering market 3) Principal- agent problem --> managers may use sales max as leverage for greater perks in job from shareholders 4) Flood market --> Greater awareness from consumers
44
Aim of public sector organisation:
- P=MC (D = S) - Maximise social welfare
45
Corporate social responsibility:
Acting ethically to avoid revenues and profits decline due to consumers not agreeing w/ practices
46
Components of economic efficiency:
1) Allocative efficiency 2) Productive efficiency 3) X efficiency 4) Dynamic efficiency
47
Productive efficiency:
Minimum AC at which output can be produced
48
Allocative efficiency (welfare maximisation):
Whether an economy allocates its resources in such a way to produce a balance of goods and services that meet consumer preferences
49
How can allocative efficiency be measured?
S = D, MSB = MSC, A.R. = MC
50
X efficiency:
- Minimising waste - X inefficiency: When a firm operates above its AC curve - X efficiency: Production is on AC curve
51
Why do X inefficiencies occur?
1) Monopoly --> lacks competitive drive, leads to complacency 2) Public sector firm --> lack profit drive as they aim for social welfare, leads to inefficiencies
52
Dynamic efficiency:
- Reinvestment of long-run supernormal profit - Occurs over time
53
Static efficiency:
- Allocative, productive and X efficiency - Efficiencies that occur at one specific production point