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Managerial Economics
Principles
v. 1.0
This is the book Managerial Economics Principles (v. 1.0).
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics ....................................................... 1
Why Managerial Economics Is Relevant for Managers..............................................................................2
Managerial Economics Is Applicable to Different Types of Organizations..............................................4
The Focus of This Book.................................................................................................................................. 5
How to Read This Book.................................................................................................................................. 6
Chapter 2: Key Measures and Relationships................................................................... 7
Revenue, Cost, and Profit.............................................................................................................................. 8
Economic Versus Accounting Measures of Cost and Profit.....................................................................10
Revenue, Cost, and Profit Functions.......................................................................................................... 12
Breakeven Analysis...................................................................................................................................... 16
The Impact of Price Changes ...................................................................................................................... 18
Marginal Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 22
The Conclusion for Our Students............................................................................................................... 25
The Shutdown Rule...................................................................................................................................... 26
A Final Word on Business Objectives......................................................................................................... 28
Chapter 3: Demand and Pricing....................................................................................... 30
Theory of the Consumer.............................................................................................................................. 31
Is the Theory of the Consumer Realistic?..................................................................................................34
Determinants of Demand............................................................................................................................ 36
Modeling Consumer Demand...................................................................................................................... 39
Forecasting Demand.................................................................................................................................... 41
Elasticity of Demand.................................................................................................................................... 43
Consumption Decisions in the Short Run and the Long Run ..................................................................47
Price Discrimination.................................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 4: Cost and Production....................................................................................... 51
Average Cost Curves.................................................................................................................................... 52
Long-Run Average Cost and Scale.............................................................................................................. 55
Economies of Scope and Joint Products.....................................................................................................60
Cost Approach Versus Resource Approach to Production Planning......................................................62
Marginal Revenue Product and Derived Demand ....................................................................................64
Marginal Cost of Inputs and Economic Rent.............................................................................................67
Productivity and the Learning Curve ........................................................................................................ 69
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Chapter 5: Economics of Organization........................................................................... 72
Reasons to Expand an Enterprise............................................................................................................... 73
Classifying Business Expansion in Terms of Value Chains......................................................................74
Horizontal Integration ................................................................................................................................ 76
Vertical Integration..................................................................................................................................... 77
Alternatives to Vertical Integration .......................................................................................................... 78
Conglomerates.............................................................................................................................................. 80
Transaction Costs and Boundaries of the Firm.........................................................................................81
Cost Centers Versus Profit Centers............................................................................................................ 83
Transfer Pricing........................................................................................................................................... 84
Employee Motivation................................................................................................................................... 86
Manager Motivation and Executive Pay....................................................................................................89
Chapter 6: Market Equilibrium and the Perfect Competition Model...................... 91
Assumptions of the Perfect Competition Model.......................................................................................92
Operation of a Perfectly Competitive Market in the Short Run .............................................................93
Perfect Competition in the Long Run ........................................................................................................ 96
Firm Supply Curves and Market Supply Curves.......................................................................................98
Market Equilibrium.................................................................................................................................... 100
Shifts in Supply and Demand Curves....................................................................................................... 102
Why Perfect Competition Is Desirable..................................................................................................... 108
Monopolistic Competition ........................................................................................................................ 112
Contestable Market Model........................................................................................................................ 113
Firm Strategies in Highly Competitive Markets.....................................................................................115
Chapter 7: Firm Competition and Market Structure ................................................ 117
Why Perfect Competition Usually Does Not Happen .............................................................................118
Monopoly.................................................................................................................................................... 120
Oligopoly and Cartels................................................................................................................................. 122
Production Decisions in Noncartel Oligopolies ......................................................................................124
Seller Concentration.................................................................................................................................. 127
Competing in Tight Oligopolies: Pricing Strategies ...............................................................................129
Competing in Tight Oligopolies: Nonpricing Strategies........................................................................132
Buyer Power............................................................................................................................................... 136
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