PRODUCTION, ECONOMIC RESOURCES AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION Flashcards
production
Production involves the use of resources to produce goods and services for consumption.
productivity
Productivity is the measure of the efficiency of output that can be obtained from using productive resources.
define “factors of production”
economic resources required to produce goods: (human and non-
human).
list the factors of production
land, labour, capital, enterprise
rewards of factors of production
land: rent
labour: wages and salaries
capital: interest
enterprise: profit
land
land refers to a range of natural resources.
Example: oil, water, farm land
characteristics of land
- it is not man-made
2. the quantity of land is not fixed
importance of land
all goods and services that society used involves some natural resources
define productivity of land
the productivity of land is a measure of output that can be produced by a given unit of land.
how is productivity of land measured?
- in terms of physical product that is how many units of output the land will produce
- in terms of revenue product that is the value of the physical product when it is sold
how can productivity of land be produced
- by altering its physical characteristics
2. by combining the land with more advanced forms of technology
labour
Labour refers to the physical and mental efforts made by workers in the production process
types of labour
- skilled labour
- unskilled labour
- physical labour
- mental labour
productivity of labour
the output per worker per unit of time
productivity of labour depends on….
- the quality of the other factors with which labour is working
- the amount of training and skills the labour has
ways to increase the productivity of labour
- increasing the wages of workers: workers are motivated to raise their productivity
- improving working conditions
- offering promotion opportunities: motivate workers to perform better at their jobs
- providing sufficient education and proper training opportunities to workers: training opportunities for workers to enhance their skills which would increase productivity
supply of labour
labour is supplies by the number of people in a country who are available for employment (labour
force)
division of labour
division of one task into smaller tasks
specialization
focusing on one task and becoming an expert at it
advantages of division of labour
- increase in output
- use of machinery: machines can be designed to help workers perform specific tasks
- increase in productivity: workers performing repetitive task soon become experts becoming more efficient
- employment opportunities: more jobs are created each requiring different skills
disadvantages of division of labour
- doing repetitive work might be boring and monotonous
- stifles creativity
- causes immobility of labour: workers can be easily immobilized if they are removed form their job due to technological advances. Finding another job may be difficult as their skills might not relevant for other jobs
capital
capital includes all items that are into producing other goods and services
characteristics of capital
- tend to be durable
2. tend to be very expensive and are usually funded by loans.
investment
the purchase of capital goods by a business
types of capital
- fixed capital: items that are durable and are used over a fairly long period of time
- working capital: items that must be replaced on a day to day basis after use
accumulation of capital
capital is accumulated by investment. as more and more capital is accumulated capital formation occurs. this refers to an increase in the amount of capital available for production. capital formation will eventually increase the productive capacity of the economy. if the business chooses to avoid interest payment charged by banks on investment they may opt to fund capital accumulation using their savings
importance as a substitute for
labour
some industries are labour intensive while others are capital intensive. Automatic machinery (capital) has replaced many workers. while this results in increased production. It is at the cost of many people loosing their jobs
entrepreneurial talent
brings all other factors of production. An entrepreneur decides how the other factors of production are going to be used to produce goods and services.
functions of entrepreneur
- takes risks and is responsible for all decisions that need to be taken