Concepts of Public Goods, Externalities, and Government Intervention

The competitive of the marketplace is very beneficial to the public in that it ensures that the very scarce resources are made available to the public in their highest values. Despite this benefit, there are certain limits to the marketplace. For instance, the production of a certain good that is economically important to both consumers and producers or even to the nation may be prohibited. In other cases, their production may either be below or above the average or required production. This situation is referred to as market failure which occurs when the marketplace fails in its allocation of resources meant for production of goods by either under allocating or over allocating the resources. When such cases occur, the government, then, comes in to play its economic role to the public. This is because the marketplace is considered a private sector of the economy rather than a public venture. However, the Continue reading

Telecommuting – Definition, Management, Benefits, and Drawbacks

Meaning and Definition of Telecommuting Telecommuting is the practice of working from one’s home, or at a satellite location near one’s home, where employees use communication and computer technology to interface with internal and external stakeholders. The advent of telecommuting has changed the profile of the global workforce dramatically. The workers are no longer confined within the walls of the office. They are becoming more technologically savvy and work on flexible timings at remote locations. Telecommuting has been defined in many ways, but all such definitions are based on two concepts: the office is not the only place where work can be conducted; and secondly, information technology (IT) is necessary for telecommuting. Telecommuting is also defined as the case in which an employee is paid for work conducted at an alternative worksite, so total commuting time is reduced. The success of telecommuting is seen in the fact that the total Continue reading

Real Options in Capital Budgeting

Real options refer to a relatively new financial analytical tool that helps investors and managers to select market valuations that reflect a blend of businesses that are already known together with the value of business opportunities that are likely to arise. The Black-Scholes model is one of the best known forms of financial option theory that is applied through real options. There is need for managers and investors to understand how to take advantage of rapid changes that are occurring in economic world. This need if fulfilled by real options which gives them requisite insights into strategic investments and businesses. Real options are viable where particular conditions are met. Managers who are keen on maintaining the status quo will certainly miss the opportunities availed by this analytical tool. Economic changes occurring from time to time are a fertile breeding ground for real options. Businesses with adequate capital, reputable and intelligent Continue reading

Private Equity Firms – Definition, History, Functions, and Advantages

A Private equity firm can be defined as a company that invest huge amounts of capital known as the private equity fund in the stakes of a private firms. In other words, private equity firms invest in classified equities of working companies through application of various investment strategies. From the definition, private equity means capital that is not traded in the stock exchange markets. In most cases, private equity firms raise private equity capital from institutional investors and devote the capital in public firms that face delisting from the stock exchange through buyouts. Private equity capital is normally used in the expansion of working capital of the acquired firm, make acquisitions, finance research and development as well as new technologies. In addition, the private equity capital can be invested in strengthening the balance sheet of an acquired company. As indicated, private equity firms are often institutional and recognized investors committed to Continue reading

There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch – Discussion

Economists make a statement that there is nothing like free lunch and this is a fact. It should be known that this is a popular adage that has been used to communicate economic aspects for a long period of time. In this case, economists are just saying that it is literally impossible for an individual to get something for free without giving out anything. This means that you can not expect to get something for nothing. There has been an argument that this phrase is the core of economics which is undisputable. The whole issue of free lunch can be evaluated and looked at from different perspectives depending on the prevailing situation. For instance, we can look at this aspect from an opportunity cost point of view whereby an individual will be expected to trade off one thing for the other. This means that a decision has to be made as Continue reading

Income and Substitution Effect Explained

Based on the law of demand, a change in price can be described in terms of income and substitution effect. The diagram presented below will be used to explain these effects. The two items that will be analyzed are commodity Y and X. According to the law of demand, a drop in the price of commodity Y will lead to an increase in quantity demand. The increase will cause the budget line to pivot from BC1 to BC2. Also, the indifference curve will shift from I1 to I2. This represents a movement to a higher indifference curve. The equilibrium position is the point of tangency between the budget line and the indifference curve. When the price of commodity Y falls, a consumer will be indifferent between consumption at point A and B because they lie on the same indifference curve. However, at point B, the consumer shall not have exploited Continue reading