Introduction, Basic Principles and Methodology The central themes of Managerial Economics: Identify problems and opportunities Analyzing alternatives from which choices can be made Making choices that are best from the standpoint of the firm or organization

Not true that all managers must be managerial economists But managers who understand the economic dimensions of business problems and apply economic analysis to specific problems often choose more wisely than those who do not.

Some Economic Principles of Managers 1. Role of manager is to make decisions. Firms come in all sizes but no firm has unlimited resources so managers must decide how resources are employed

Decisions are always among alternatives. Decision alternatives always have costs and benefits Opportunity cost = next best alternative foregone. Marginal or incremental approach 4. Anticipated objective of management is to increase the firm’s value

Maximize shareholder’s wealth Negative impact = principal-agent problem Firm’s value is measured by its expected profits Time value of money, discount rates 6. The firm must minimize cost for each level of production

The firm’s growth depends on rational investment decisions Capital budgeting decisions 8. Successful firms deal rationally and ethically with laws and regulations

Macroeconomics & Microeconomics Economists generally divide their discipline into two main branches: Macroeconomics is the study of the aggregate economy. National Income Analysis (GDP) Unemployment Inflation Fiscal and Monetary policy Trade and Financial relationships among nations

Microeconomics is the study of individual consumers and producers in specific markets. Supply and demand Pricing of output Production processes Cost structure Distribution of income and output Microeconomics is the basis of managerial economics

Methodology, data and application Methodology- is a branch of philosophy that deals with how knowledge is obtained. How can you know that you are managing efficiently and effectively? You need some theory to do some analysis. Without theory, there can be no good analysis

Microeconomics (probably more than other disciplines) provides the methodology for managerial economics Managerial Economics is about both methodology and data You need data to plug into some model to do some analysis. This gives you the information to manage Managerial Economics lends empirical content to the study of effective management

Review of Economic Terms Resources are factors of production or inputs. Examples: Land Labor Capital Entrepreneurship

Managerial Economics The study of how to direct scarce resources in the way that most efficiently achieves a managerial goal.

Managerial economics is the use of economic analysis to make business decisions involving the best use (allocation) of an organization’s scarce resources.

Relationship to other business disciplines Marketing: Demand, Price Elasticity Finance: Capital Budgeting, Break-Even Analysis, Opportunity Cost, Economic Value Added Management Science: Linear Programming, Regression Analysis, Forecasting Strategy: Types of Competition, Structure-Conduct-Performance Analysis Managerial Accounting: Relevant Cost, Break-Even Analysis, Incremental Cost Analysis, Opportunity Cost

Questions that managers must answer: What are the economic conditions in a particular market? Market Structure? Supply and Demand Conditions? Technology? Government Regulations? International Dimensions? Future Conditions? Macroeconomic Factors?

Questions that managers must answer: Should our firm be in this business? If so, what price and output levels achieve our goals?

Questions that managers must answer: How can we maintain a competitive advantage over our competitors? Cost-leader? Product Differentiation? Market Niche? Outsourcing, alliances, mergers, acquisitions? International Dimensions?

Questions that managers must answer: What are the risks involved? Risk is the chance or possibility that actual future outcomes will differ from those expected today.

Types of risk Changes in demand and supply conditions Technological changes and the effect of competition Changes in interest rates and inflation rates Exchange rates for companies engaged in international trade Political risk for companies with foreign operations

Because of scarcity, an allocation decision must be made Because of scarcity, an allocation decision must be made. The allocation decision is comprised of three separate choices: What and how many goods and services should be produced? How should these goods and services be produced? For whom should these goods and services be produced?

Economic Decisions for the Firm What: The product decision – begin or stop providing goods and/or services. How: The hiring, staffing, procurement, and capital budgeting decisions. For whom: The market segmentation decision – targeting the customers most likely to purchase.

Three processes to answer what, how, and for whom Market Process: use of supply, demand, and material incentives Command Process: use of government or central authority, usually indirect Traditional Process: use of customs and traditions

Profits are a signal to resource holders where resources are most valued by society So what factors impact sustainability of industry profitability? Porter’s 5-forces framework discusses 5 categories of forces that impacts profitability

Entry Power of input sellers Power of buyers Industry rivalry Substitutes and Complements

Entry: Heightens competition Reduces margin of existing firms Ability to sustain profits depends on the barriers to entry: cost, regulations, networking, etc. Profits are higher where entry is low

Power of input suppliers: Do input suppliers have power to negotiate favorable input prices? Less power if inputs are standardized, not highly concentrated alternative inputs available Profits are high when suppliers power is low

Power of buyers: High buyer power if buyers can negotiate favorable terms for the good/service Buyer concentration is high Cost of switching to other products is low perfect information leading to less costly buyer search

Industry rivalry: Rivalry tends to be less intense in concentrated industries high product differentiation high consumer switching cost Profits are low where industry rivalry is intense

Substitutes and complements: Profitability is eroded when there are close substitutes Government policies (restrictions e.g. import restriction on drugs from Canada to US) can affect the availability of substitutes.

The Five Forces Framework Sustainable Industry Profits Power of Input Suppliers Supplier Concentration Price/Productivity of Alternative Inputs Relationship-Specific Investments Supplier Switching Costs Government Restraints Buyers Buyer Concentration Price/Value of Substitute Products or Services Customer Switching Costs Entry Entry Costs Speed of Adjustment Sunk Costs Economies of Scale Network Effects Reputation Switching Costs Substitutes & Complements Price/Value of Surrogate Products or Services Price/Value of Complementary Products or Services Industry Rivalry Timing of Decisions Information Concentration Price, Quantity, Quality, or Service Competition Degree of Differentiation

Market Interactions Consumer-Producer Rivalry Consumers attempt to locate low prices, while producers attempt to charge high prices. Consumer-Consumer Rivalry Scarcity of goods reduces the negotiating power of consumers as they compete for the right to those goods.

Producer-Producer Rivalry Scarcity of consumers causes producers to compete with one another for the right to service customers. The Role of Government Disciplines the market process.