Slides 14 Flashcards
(90 cards)
What are economies of scale?
Economies of scale occur when the average production cost of a good declines as the number of units produced increases.
What happens to average costs as production increases?
Average costs decline up to the minimum efficient scale (MES) of production.
Define minimum efficient scale (MES).
A firm’s average costs (AC) will decline as fixed costs are spread across increasing production.
What do total costs (TC) represent?
The total costs that a firm accumulates during a year.
What are variable costs (VC)?
Costs that fluctuate with the quantity of products manufactured, e.g., raw materials, labor hours, utility costs.
What are fixed costs (FC)?
Costs that do not fluctuate with quantity, e.g., land, buildings, and equipment.
How is average cost (AC) calculated?
Average cost (AC) = Total Costs (TC) / Quantity (Q).
What is the significance of fixed costs in economies of scale?
Fixed costs are the most common source of economies of scale and arise when there are indivisibilities in the production process.
What is an example of an indivisible fixed cost?
Factory buildings, factory machines, and delivery vehicles.
What are product-specific fixed costs?
Costs that require unique, non-variable expenses for the manufacturing and sale of a specific product, e.g., R&D costs.
What happens to average costs when capacity constraints are met?
Average costs will continue to decrease until capacity constraints are met.
What characterizes capital-intensive industries?
Industries where a significant percentage of total costs are fixed costs, requiring larger initial investments.
What characterizes materials or labor-intensive industries?
Industries where most production costs go to variable raw materials or labor.
What are advertising economies of density?
Cost savings that arise due to a greater geographic density of customers.
What is the learning curve?
Advantages that flow from accumulating experience and know-how.
List some benefits of the learning curve.
- Better understanding of customer preferences
- Ways to make product higher quality
- Ways to reduce damage during shipping
True or False: Economies of scale are less powerful in capital-intensive industries.
False.
Fill in the blank: Strategy can be defined as the determination of the basic long-term goals and objectives of the enterprise, and the adoption of a course of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals. – _______
Alfred Chandler
Who defined competitive strategy as about being different?
Michael Porter
What are the five most important concepts of strategic management?
- Value Proposition
- Key Activities
- Core Competencies
- Resource Constraints
- Principal-Agent Issues
What is a value proposition?
Something that solves a customer’s problem or satisfies a customer’s need.
What are key activities in strategic management?
The most important operations a company must perform in order to make its business work.
What are core competencies?
Unique strengths that allow a company to perform its key activities better than its competitors.
What do resource constraints refer to?
The limitations on strategic actions due to the amount of money, time, natural resources, and technical skills a company possesses.