Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Economics

Definition of Economics

Wealth Definition, Welfare Definition, Scarcity Definition, and Growth Definition

Managerial economics focuses on applying business principles and methodologies to decision-making within a firm or organization, particularly under uncertainty. It aims to establish rules and principles that help achieve desired economic outcomes related to costs, revenue, and profits, which are crucial for both business and non-business entities. Managerial economics explores how to effectively allocate scarce resources to achieve managerial goals.

Objectives

The primary objective of managerial economics is to analyze and solve economic problems faced by businesses. Other key objectives include:

1. Integrating economic theory with practical business

The Tourist Demand

Evolution of Tourist Demand

1948: The U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights declared travel as a human right. This has led to the concept of Responsible Tourism we see today.

History: Tourist demand has consistently increased over time. Leiper's Outbound Region model highlights that tourist demand is the outcome of activities and decisions made by individuals in the generating region.

Studies on the Evolution of Tourist Demand

UN (1948): Declared everyone has the right to "relief and leisure, including (...) some periodic paid holidays".

UNWTO (1980): The Declaration of Manila stated the ultimate aim of tourism is "the improvement of the quality of life and the creation of better life standards for all nations." This marked...

Singapore Taxable Benefits

• Accommodation: Fully taxable till YA2019
• Furniture & Fittings: Partially taxable
• Company car: Taxable based on cost and usage
• Rental: Interest deductible, royalties taxable
• Premium: Taxable

Non-Taxable Benefits

• Profits from operation of Singapore ships
• Interest from approved banks and finance companies
• Singapore dividends, CPF withdrawals, Government pensions
• Various distributions and annuities
• Overseas income of individuals

Allowable Deductions

• Interest, Rent, Repairs, Salaries, CPF, Medical expenses
• Professional fees, Foreign exchange loss

Special Deductions

• Patenting cost, R&D, Renovations, Trade fair participation
• Royalty payments, PHV & taxi deductions

Capital Allowances

• Depreciation rules and allowances for equipment
• Replacement

MANAGING INPUTS

Optimal production process: Right mix of input+Efficient procurement +Optimal usage = Firm operates on the cost function and not above it.

Transaction costs => Excess costs on the actual amount paid to the input supplier. Play a crucial role in determining optimal input procurement.

Include: Costs of searching for a supplier, Costs of negotiating, Other expenditures

Transaction costs à General in nature – Eg. Transportation costs

Specialized investment – an investment that cannot be recovered in another trading relationship.

Specialized investments increase transactions costs because they lead to: Costly bargaining, Underinvestment, Opportunism

Spending on machine to test some device.

Types of specialized investments: 1. Site...

Types of Taxes

• Income Tax: A percentage of individual earnings filed with the federal government.

• Corporate Tax: A percentage of corporate profits taken as tax by the government to fund federal programs.

• Sales Tax: Taxes levied on certain goods and services.

• Property Tax: Based on the value of land and property assets.

• Tariff: Taxes on imported goods, imposed to strengthen domestic businesses.

• Estate Tax: A rate applied to the fair market value of a property at the time of death.

Understanding Tax Fraud

Tax fraud involves failing to pay the government (e.g., town council, provincial government) the taxes corresponding to income or benefits obtained during a specific period.

• Tax Evasion: Involves concealing income (either domestically or in other countries,

TOPIC 7: INTRODUCTION TO OPTIONS AND FUTURES

1. INTRODUCTION TO DERIVATIVES

Definition: financial instrument whose payoffs and values are derived from / depend on something else. Goals:

• To illustrate the economic function/application of derivatives
• Understand how derivative markets are organized
• Be aware of the main derivative markets

Risk: The chance that an investment's actual return will be different than expected. Risk includes the possibility of losing some or all of the original investment.

Types:Market risk: Change in the value of an asset due to changes in exchange rates, interest rates, inflation rates, bond prices, equity prices, or commodity pricesCredit risk: The other party fails to meet the agreed conditions (payments and dates). Example:...

Chapter 3

1- Define The marketing environment? Includes the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing management’s ability to build and maintain successful relationships with customers.

2- Define Micro environment?

A microenvironment consists of the actors close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers, the company, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customer markets, competitors, and publics.

1. The Company: In designing marketing plans, marketing management takes other company groups into account. These interrelated groups form the internal environment.
2. Suppliers: Are those firms and individuals that provide resources needed by the company and its competitors to produce goods and services. Suppliers provide

Cost Leadership

Requires a set of interrelated tactics, including:

• Aggressive construction of efficient-scale facilities
• Pursuit of cost reductions from experience
• Tight cost and overhead control
• Avoidance of marginal customer accounts
• Cost minimization in all activities in the value chain, such as R&D, service, sales force, and advertising
• Parity in differentiation with competitors

PITFALLS: lack of parity in differentiation, reduced flexibility, obsolescence

PRIMARY: EFFECTIVE

SECONDARY: todo lo que reduzca coste.

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

• Basic business systems that serve the organization's operational level
• Input: transactions (invoice, order, payroll), events
• Processing: Sorting, listing, merging, updating
• Output: detailed reports, lists,

Depreciation

Decline in value of long-term tangible assets such as buildings, furniture, or equipment. It is systematically recognized by accountants as depreciation expense over the useful lives of the affected assets.

Accrued Expense

Expenses that are recognized before cash is paid. An example is accrued salaries expense.

Book Value

Historical (original) cost of an asset minus accumulated depreciation to date.

Callable Bond

Bonds that the issuer, at its option, may pay off prior to maturity.

Amortization

(1) Systematic and periodic allocation of the costs of intangible assets to expense over their useful lives; (2) periodically transferring the discount on a note or a bond to interest expense.

Cash Equivalent

Investments securities that are for short-...

Function Utilization and OSHA Standards

Function utilization is calculated as the system rate divided by the function's potential production. OSHA standards cover various aspects of forestry operations, including hand and portable power tools, machines, vehicles, tree harvesting, and training. It's important to note that men are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than women in this industry.

OSHA Incident and Lost Workday Rates

The OSHA incident rate is calculated as the number of injuries multiplied by 200,000, then divided by the total hours worked. Similarly, the lost workday rate is calculated as the number of lost workdays multiplied by 200,000, then divided by the total hours worked.

Workers' Compensation and Safety Records

Maintaining...