Book cover for Economics

Economics

Michael Parkin

ISBN #9780133872279

12th Edition

839 Questions

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Summary

Learning Objectives

Key Concepts

Example Problems

Explanations

Common Mistakes

Summary

This section explores how firms organize production by evaluating their costs in both accounting and economic terms. It distinguishes between explicit costs and the broader concept of opportunity costs, illustrating how economic profit is a better barometer for a firm’s success than accounting profit. The chapter also examines decision-making processes including production methods—contrasting technological versus economic efficiency—and discusses how firms cope with various constraints such as technology, information, and market uncertainty. Additionally, the material covers the principal–agent problem and the use of different business organization forms and market structures, emphasizing the importance of coordination (via command systems, incentive systems, or market coordination) in maximizing profit.

Learning Objectives

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Key Concepts

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Example Problems

Example 1

One year ago, Jack and Jill set up a vinegarbottling firm (called JJVB). Use the following data to calculate JJVB's opportunity cost of production during its first year of operation: Jack and Jill put $\$ 50,000$ of their own money into the firm and bought cquipment for $\$ 30,000$ They hired one worker at $\$ 20,000$ a year. Jack quir his old job, which paid $\$ 30,000$ a year, and worked full-time for JJVB. : Jill kept her old job, which paid $\$ 30$ an hour, but gave up 500 hours of leisure a year to work for JJVB. I JVB bought $\$ 10,000$ of goods and services. The market value of the cquipment at the end of the year was $\$ 28,000$ ack and Jill have a $\$ 100,000$ home loan on which they pay interest of 6 percent a year.

Example 2

Joe, who has no skills, no job experience, and no alternative employment, runs a shoeshine stand. Other operators of shoeshine stands earn $\$ 10,000$ a year. Joe pays rent of $\$ 2,000$ a year, and his total revenue is $\$ 15,000$ a year. Joe spent $\$ 1,000$ on equipment, which he used his credit card to buy. The interest on a credit card balance is 20 percent a year. At the end of the year, Joe was offered $\$ 500$ for his business and all its equipment. Calculate Joc's opportunity cost of production and his economic profit.

Example 3

Four ways of laundering 100 shirts are: a. Which methods are technologically efficient? b. Which method is economically efficient if the hourly wage rate and the implicit rental rate of capital are (i) wage rate $\$ 1,$ rental rate $\$ 100$ (ii) wage rate $\$ 5,$ rental rate $\$ 50 ;$ and (iii) wage rate $\$ 50,$ rental rate $\$ 5 ?$

Example 4

Executive compensation, based on performance, can theoretically constrain pay, but companies are paying their top executives more and more. The median compensation of a CEO in 2013 was $\$ 13.9$ million, up 9 percent from 2012 Source: CNBC, April 28, 2014 What is the economic problem that CEO compensation schemes are designed to solve? Would paying executives with stock align their interests with shareholders?

Example 5

Sales of the firms in the tattoo industry are: Calculate the four-firm concentration ratio. What is the structure of the tattoo industry?

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