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

Strategic planning setting long-term goals that may extend 5 to 10 years into the future. Long-term loosely detailed budgets are often created to reflect expectations for these long-term goals. After the goals are set, management designs key strategies for attaining these goals. Companies usually prepare a budget for every month of the fiscal year.

·A rolling budget is a budget that is continuously updated so that the next 12 months of operations are always budgeted.

Who is Involved in the Budgeting Process?

·Participative budgeting involves the participation of many levels of management. It helps create more realistic budgets and it has more acceptance by managers. It also has some disadvantages, such as higher complexity and it involves more... Continue reading "Strategic Planning and Budgeting Process" »

International Marketing Concepts

Sovereignty

Sovereignty refers to the powers exercised by a state in relation to other countries and the supreme powers exercised over its own members.

Conciliation

Conciliation is a nonbinding agreement between parties to resolve disputes.

Ownership Under Common Law

Under common law, ownership is established by use and registration.

Litigation in International Disputes

When all else fails in an international commercial dispute, litigation is the final recourse.

Cybersquatting

Cybersquatters buy and register descriptive nouns, geographic names, names of ethnic groups and pharmaceutical substances, and other similar descriptors and hold them until they can be sold at an inflated price.

Islamic Law

Islamic law is known as... Continue reading "International Marketing Strategies: A Comprehensive Guide" »

Understanding Incentive Types & HR Strategy

This document explains various types of incentives: individual, group, and organizational incentives, and their integration with HR strategy. It also touches upon specific elements of a compensation package.

Individual Incentives Defined

Individual incentives are rewards based on the personal performance of employees. They are directly linked to individual performance behaviors and outcomes.

Group Incentives Defined

Group incentives are rewards based on the collective performance of teams or an entire organization.

Common Approaches to Base Pay

Two basic methods are commonly used to determine base pay:

• Point Systems

  Each job is evaluated within a range of points, and base pay is set at a higher level for

The elasticity of demand refers to the degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded of a commodity to a change in its price or any other factor).
The concept of elasticity of demand is of great importance to producers, farmers, workers, and the Government. Lord Keynes considered this concept to be the most important contribution of Alfred Marshall.
The importance of elasticity of demand can be explained with the help of the following points:
1. Importance to a Producer: Every producer has to decide the price of his product at which he has to sell it. The concept of elasticity of demand becomes important for this purpose. If the producer is producing a commodity whose demand is relatively inelastic, then he can set a high price for it. Similarly,... Continue reading "Importance of Elasticity of Demand in Economics" »

Vertical Integration

The process in which several steps in the production and/or distribution of a product or service are controlled by a single company or entity, in order to increase that company's or entity's power in the marketplace.

Horizontal Integration

Much more common and simpler than vertical integration, Horizontal integration (also known as lateral integration) simply means a strategy to increase your market share by taking over a similar company. This take over / merger / buyout can be done in the same geography or probably in other countries to increase your reach.

Merger

An agreement by shareholders and managers of two businesses to bring both firms together under a common board of directors with shareholders in both businesses owning... Continue reading "Business Strategies: Integration, Mergers, Acquisitions & More" »

Network Economics and the Information Sector

Network Effects

Network effects occur when the value of a network increases as the number of users increases. A prime example is Facebook. Networks consist of nodes (e.g., firms, individuals) connected by links (e.g., roads, railway lines, cables).

Network Externalities

Network externalities arise when a decision-maker doesn't bear the full cost or receive the full benefit of their actions within a network. This leads to sub-optimal market outcomes.

The Choice of Standards

Autarky Value

Autarky value refers to the value a customer derives from a product when no one else uses it, meaning there's no network effect.

Synchronization Value

Synchronization value is the additional value gained when a product format... Continue reading "Network Economics and the Information Sector: A Comprehensive Guide" »

Capital Budgeting: Valuing Investment Projects

Capital budgeting is the process by which investors determine the value of a potential investment project. Selecting the right projects is crucial for long-term financial health. The three most common approaches to project selection are the Payback Period (PB), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Net Present Value (NPV).

Net Present Value (NPV)

The Net Present Value approach is the most intuitive and accurate valuation approach to capital budgeting problems. NPV reveals exactly how profitable a project will be in comparison to alternatives.

The NPV rule states that all projects which have a positive net present value should be accepted, while those that are negative should be rejected. If funds are... Continue reading "Capital Budgeting Methods: NPV, IRR, and Payback Period Analysis" »

International Trade Fundamentals

Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP)

Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments.

Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP)

Exports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services provided to the rest of the world.

The Scope of International Trade and Government Regulation

The role of governments in regulating international trade and investment is substantial.

Types of International Trade

There are two primary types of trade:

• Interindustry Trade: Depends on differences across countries

The Gold Standard: A Historical Overview

The gold standard is a monetary system in which money is freely convertible into a fixed amount of gold. It evolved from the variety of commodity money there was before the development of paper money and fractional reserves banking. It started to function in 1871. As we know, this century was characterized by globalization and an increase in international trade. Therefore, all trade imbalances between nations were settled with gold. The main priorities of the government were to maintain gold reserves and exchange rate stability.

The Trilemma of the Open Economy

If you had the Gold Standard you had fixed exchange rates and unrestricted capital mobility but Not Monetary Autonomy. As a result, countries always... Continue reading "The Gold Standard: History, Impact, and Challenges" »

T1: Economic Choice and Behavioral Models

The fundamental economic problem involves limited resources and unlimited wants.

Principles of Economic Choice

• Marginal Analysis
• Cost-Benefit Analysis

Models of Behavior

Behavioral models often contrast:

• Monetary Compensation (Only money matters)
• Intrinsic Motivation (Happy is productive)

Risky Outcomes and Utility

Individuals react differently to risk, defined by their utility function:

• Risk Averse
• Risk Neutral
• Risk Lover

T2: Market Economies Versus Central Planning

The Market Economy Framework

Key components of a market economy include:

• Property Rights: Alienable rights and use rights.
• Organization: Composition, social rules, and gains from trade.
• Generalization: Demand curve, supply curve, and the market-clearing price.