Test 1 Flashcards
What is revenue?
the total amount of money a business takes in during a given period by selling goods and services
What is standard of living?
The amount of goods and services people can buy with the money they have
What is profit?
Amount of money a business earns above and beyond what it spends for salaries and other expenses
What is quality of life?
The general well-being of a society in terms of its political freedom, natural environment, education, health care, etc. that add to the satisfaction and joy that other goods and services provide
What is risk?
The chance an entrepreneur takes of losing time and money on a business that may not prove profitable
How is risk related to profit?
With big risks can come big profits, but also major loss
What is a stakeholder?
All the people who stand to gain or lose by the policies and activities of a business and whose concerns the business needs to address
What is outsourcing?
Contracting with other companies (often in other countries) to do some functions of a firm, like production or accounting
What is insourcing?
the assignment of a project to a person or department within a company
What are some advantages of working for other people?
Job security, access to resources and benefits, collaboration and networking opportunities, structured environment and guidance
What benefits do you lose by being an entrepreneur?
Freedom to fail, no paid vacations, and no health insurance
What benefits do you gain by being an entrepreneur?
Freedom to succeed, make own decisions, and possible wealth
What are the five factors of production?
Land, Labor, capital, entrepreneurship, and knowledge
Which factors of production seem to be the most important for creating wealth?
Entrepreneurship and knowledge
What are four ways the government can foster entrepreneurship?
allowing private ownership of businesses, minimizing interference with the free exchange of goods and services, passing laws that enable business people to write enforceable contracts, and establishing a currency that’s tradeable in world markets
What is Effectiveness?
The degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result
What is efficiency?
The ability to achieve maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense
What is productivity?
The amount of output you generate given the amount of input (for example, hours worked)
What is empowerment?
Giving frontline workers the responsibility, authority, freedom, training, and equipment they need to respond quickly to customer requests
What are some of the major issues affecting the economy today?
War and terrorism
What major factor caused people to move from farming to manufacturing and from manufacturing to the service sector?
Technology and industrialization
What does the future look like for tomorrow’s college graduates?
Information and technology based global economy
What is macroeconomics?
The part of economics study that looks at the operation of a nation’s economy as a whole
What is microeconomics?
The part of economics study that looks at the behavior of people and organizations in particular markets
What does Adam Smith’s term “invisible Hand” mean?
The process that turns self-directed gain into social and economic benefits for all
What is better for an economy than teaching a man to fish?
Teach a man to start a business
How does the “invisible hand” create wealth for a country?
As people improve their own situation in life, they help the economy prosper through the production of goods, services, ideas, and charitable donations
What are four basic rights that people have under free-market capitalism?
The right to own private property, the right to own a business and keep all that business’s profit, the right to freedom of competition, the right to freedom of choice
How do business people know what to produce and in what quantity?
Consumers send signals about what they like and how they like it, and price tells companies how much of a product they should produce
How are prices determined?
By buyers and sellers negotiating in the marketplace, if the seller lowers the price, quantity demanded likely to increase
What are four degrees of competition, and what are some examples of each?
Perfect Competition ex. farmers market, Monopolistic competition ex. fast food restaurant, Oligopoly ex. Airline industry, and Monopoly ex. local utility provider
What led to the emergence of socialism?
the social and economic upheavals of the Industrial Revolution, critique of capitalist exploitation, and the rise of political movements advocating for workers’ rights
What are benefits of socialism?
Free education, health care, child care, and generous sick leave as well as shorter work weeks
What are drawbacks of socialism?
Few incentives for businesspeople to take risks, brain drain, and fewer inventions and less innovation
What countries still practice communism?
China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea
What are the characteristics of a mixed economy?
Coexistence of private and public sectors, as well as government enacting laws and regulations to protect consumers, workers, and the environment
Name the three economic indicators and describe how well the US is doing based on each indicator
GDP, Gross Output, and Unemployment Rate.