The law of returns to scale examines the relationship between output and the scale of inputs in the long-run when all the inputs are increased in the same proportion. This law of returns to scale in economics is based on the following assumptions; All factors are variable but the enterprise is fixed. There is no change in technology. Perfect competition prevails in the market. Returns are measured in physical terms. Three Phases of the Law of Returns to Scale Depending on whether the proportionate change in output exceeds, equals or decrease in proportionate to the change in both the inputs, the production is classified as increasing returns to scale, constant returns to scale and decreasing returns to scale. 1. Increasing Returns to Scale Increasing returns to scale arises due to the following reasons. Dimensional economies, Economies flowing from indivisibility, Economies of specialization, Technical economies, Managerial economies, Marketing economies. Alfred Marshall Continue reading
Economics Basics
Opportunity Cost – Definition, Advantages and Disadvantages
Opportunity cost analysis is an important part of a company’s decision-making processes, but is not treated as an actual cost in any financial statement. While the term opportunity cost has its roots in economics, it’s also a very important concept in the investment world. It’s a model that can be applied to our everyday decisions, as we’re faced with making a choice between the many options we encounter each day. It is a very powerful concept when someone has to make a decision to select a particular product or making a choice. In simple words, opportunity cost means choosing or making a best decision from different option. When one has to make a decision in between various actions to select only one particular work at a time is called opportunity cost. When faced with a decision, the opportunity cost is the value assigned to the next best choice. The Continue reading
Time Horizon in Forecasting
Business forecasts are classified according to period, time and use. There are long term forecasts as well as short term forecasts. Operation managers need long range forecasts to make strategic-decisions about products, processes and facilities. They also need short term forecasts to assist them in making decisions about production issues that span, only few weeks. Forecasting forms an integral part of planning and decision making, production managers must be clear about the horizon of forecasts. The three divisions of forecast are short range forecast, medium range forecast and long range forecast. Short range forecast: It is typically less than 3 months but has a time span of up-to 1 year. It is used in planning, purchasing for job schedules, job assignments, work force levels, product levels. Medium range forecast: It is typically 3 months to 1 year but has a time span from one to three years. It is used Continue reading
Setting a Reasonable Profit Target in Business
A business firm has various objectives to achieve. The survival of a firm depends on the profit it can make. So, whatever the goal of the firm may be, it has to be a profitable firm. The other goals of a business firm can be sales revenue maximization, maximization of firm’s growth, maximization of managers’ utility function, long-run survival, market share or entry-prevention. In technical sense maximization of profit, as a business objective, may not sound practical , but profit has to be there in the objective function of the firms for its survival. The firms may differ on the level of profit and the extent to which it is to be achieved by various firms. Some firms set standard profit as their objective, while some of them may set target profit and some reasonable profit as their objective to be achieved. A reasonable profit, as a business objective, Continue reading
Application of Economics to Business Management
Managerial economics is the discipline, which deals with the application of economic theory to business management. Managerial Economics thus lies on the margin between economics and business management and serves as the bridge between the two disciplines. The application of economics to business management or the integration of economic theory with business practice, as Spencer and Siegelman have put it, has the following aspects : Reconciling traditional theoretical concepts of economics in relation to the actual business behavior and conditions: In economic theory, the technique of analysis is that of model building. This involves making some assumptions and, drawing conclusions on the basis of the assumptions about the behavior of the firms. The assumptions, however, make the theory of the firm unrealistic since it fails to provide a satisfactory explanation of what the firms actually do. Hence, there is need to reconcile the theoretical principles based on simplified assumptions with Continue reading
The Circular Flow Model of the Economy
The circular flow model is used to represent the monetary transactions in an economy. It helps to show connections between different sectors of an economy. It shows flows of goods and services and factors of production between firms and households. The circular flow of income is a model that helps show the movement of income and spending throughout the economy. In the economy, households help provide firms with factors of production, e.g. labour. Organisations use these factors to provide goods and services to the household. The households will then spend their money on the goods and services provided by the firms. This money is use by the firms to pay the households for the work they provide, through wages. This process will repeat itself and then form the circular flow of income. There are two main flows within the model shown above, the flow of physical things, e.g. Good and Continue reading