Assignment:
A minimum of 100 words each question and References
1- Elasticity is related to a firm's total revenue and changes as you move up and down the demand curve. Suppose you are a marketing manager charged with deciding whether to increase the price of goods. The company's goal in considering that decision is to increase total revenue. If you were facing elastic demand, would a price increase be a good way to increase total revenue? If you were facing inelastic demand, would a price increase be a good way to increase total revenue? Since elasticity changes as you move up and down the demand curve, how can the marketing manager know whether demand for a product is elastic or inelastic?
2- Jane spends all her income on hot dogs and caviar. Her demand curve for caviar is inelastic at all prices for caviar. Unfortunately, the accident at Chernobyl has caused the supply of caviar to fall and the price to rise. What has happened to Jane's consumption of hot dogs? Explain. (Note: You should assume that the accident at Chernobyl had no effect on the price of hot dogs or Jane's preference for caviar.)
3- In February 2015, Wal-Mart announced that it would increase the pay rate for all its lowest paid workers. Is this wage increase a growth in fixed costs or variable costs? Would it be affected by output? If Wal-Mart's sales drop off, how might the store adjust its labor costs?
4- In fall 2013, Apple loaned its sapphire glass supplier $578 million to set up a manufacturing plant to produce the glass for the new iPhone 6. In November 2014, Apple's glass supplier lost the contract and promptly filed for bankruptcy. What happened to cause bankruptcy? How did the loss of the Apple contract affect fixed cost for the glass supplier? How might this have affected Average Total Cost (ATC)? Compare this situation to economies of scale?