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17.Two leading design firms, Astro Studios of San Francisco and Hers
Experimental Design Laboratory,Inc. of Osaka, Japan, worked with Microsoft to
design the Xbox 360 video game console. IBM, ATI, andSiS designed the Xbox
360s hardware. Two firms, Flextronics & Wistron, and Celestica, manufacturethe
Xbox 360 at their plants in China and Taiwan.a.Describe the roles of market
coordination and coordination by firms in the design, manufacture, andmarketing of
the Xbox 360.Microsoft entered the market to hire various firms, Astro Studios and
Hers Experimental DesignLaboratory to design the Xbox 360 and then entered the
market again to hire IBM, ATI, and SiS todesign the hardware of the Xbox 360.
Finally, Microsoft once again entered the market to hireFlextronics and Wistron,
and Celestica to produce the Xbox 360. Once Microsoft had contractedwith these
firms, the design, manufacture, etc. takes place within the firm.b.Why do you think
Microsoft works with a large number of other firms to bring the Xbox to market,
ratherthan performing all the tasks at its headquarters in Seattle?Microsoft works
with a large number of firms rather than doing everything in-house because it is
lessexpensive for Microsoft to work with other firms. These other firms have
specialized in various tasksand so have gained economies of scale that Microsoft
does not possess. Therefore it is cheaper forMicrosoft to enter the market and hire
the expertise it needs than to do it all itself.c.What are the roles of transactions
costs, economies of scale, economies of scope, and economies ofFirmMarket
share(percent)Mayfair, Inc15Bond, Inc10Magic, Inc20All Natural, Inc15Truffles,
Inc25Gold, Inc15
12. Lee is a computer programmer who earned $35,000 in 2007. But on January 1,
2008 Lee opened a body board manufacturing business. At the end of the first year
of operation, he submitted the following information to his accountant: He stopped
renting out his cottage for $3,500 a year and used it as his factory. The market
value of the cottage increased from $70,000 to $71,000. He spent $50,000 on
materials, phone, utilities, etc. He leased machines for $10,000 a year. He paid
$15,000 in wages. He used $10,000 from his savings account, which earns 5
percent a year interest. He borrowed $40,000 at 10 percent a year from the bank.
He sold $160,000 worth of body boards.7 Normal profit is $25,000 a year. a.
Calculate Lees opportunity cost of production and economic profit.
Lee has costs of $50,000 paid for materials, phone, utilities, etc; $15,000 for
wages; $10,000 paid for the machine lease; $4,000 paid for interest expense on
the loan; $3,500 of forgone rent for the cottage plus $1,000 for the depreciation
of the cottage (the cottage actually appreciated); $500 in forgone interest from the
savings account; and, $25,000 for normal profit. These give a total opportunity cost
of $107,000. Lees economic profit is the total revenue, $160,000, minus the total
opportunity cost, $107,000, for an economic profit of $53,000. b. Lees accountant
recorded the depreciation on his cottage during 2007 as $7,000. According to the
accountant, what profit did Lees make? Lees accountant will include Lee has
costs of $50,000 paid for materials, phone, utilities, etc; $15,000 for wages;
$10,000 paid for the machine lease; $4,000 paid for interest expense on the loan;
and, 7,000 of depreciation expense for a total opportunity cost of $86,000. The
total profit according to the accountant will equal total revenue, $160,000, minus
total cost, $86,000, for a profit of $74,000
13. In 2007, Toni taught music and earned $20,000. She also earned $4,000 by
renting out her basement. On January 1, 2008, she quit teaching, stopped renting
out her basement, and began to use it as the office for her new Web site design
business. She took $2,000 from her savings account to buy a computer. During
2008, she paid $1,500 for the lease of a Web server and $1,750 for high-speed
Internet service. She received a total revenue from Web site designing of $45,000
and earned interest at 5 percent a year on her savings account balance. Normal
profit is $55,000 a year. At the end of 2008, Toni could have sold her computer for
$500. Calculate Tonis opportunity cost of production and economic profit in 2008.
Toni has costs of $1,500 for the lease of a Web server; $1,750 for high-speed
Internet service; $55,000 for normal profit; $20,000 of forgone earnings from
teaching; $4,000 of forgone rent from renting her basement; $100 of forgone
interest from her saving account; and $1,500 for the depreciation of her computer
(which equals the $2,000 paid for it minus the $500 for which she could have sold
it). These various costs sum to a total opportunity cost of $83,850. Tonis economic
profit is her total revenue, $45,000, minus her total opportunity cost, $83,850, for
an economic loss of $38,850.
18.The Colvin Interview: ChryslerThe key driver of profitability will be that the focus
of the company isnt on profitability. Ourfocus is on the customer. If we can find a way to
give customers what they want better thananybodyelse, thenwhat can stop us?Fortune, April 14,
2008
a.In spite of what Chryslers vice chairman and co-president claims, why is Chryslers
focusactually on profitability?Chryslers actual focus is on its profit because if Chrysler
continues to incur losses Chrysler eventuallywill shut down.
b.What would happen to Chrysler if they didnt focus on maximizing profits, but instead
onlyfocused their production and pricing decisions to give customers what they want?In general
customers want very elaborate, very costly automobiles sold for an exceptionally low price.In
particular, customers want to pay the lowest price possible regardless of the companys profit.
IfChrysler focused on only giving customers want they want, Chrysler would continue incur a
loss andultimately would either close or be purchased by another company.
19
20.Where Does Google Go Next?He made full use of his 20% time, that
famous one day a week that Google gives itsengineers to work on
whatever project they want . He and a couple of colleagues did
whatmany of the young geniuses do at Google: They came up with a
cool idea. At Google, whatyou often end up with instead of resource
allocation is a laissez-faire mess Fortune, May 26, 2008
a.Describe Googles method of organizing production with their software
engineers.In some sense Google is using a command system because
Google orders its engineers to use the 20percent time. But in a
larger sense Google is using an incentive system. If one of the engineers
comes up with a wildly profitable idea, the engineer will benefit by
gaining stature and probably income withinGoogle.
b.What are the potential gains and opportunity costs associated with this
method?The potential gain is that the creative people working for Google
will apply their creativity to develop newand better products for Google.
The potential drawback is the principal-agent problem. The
engineersmight use their 20% time for on-the-job leisure rather than for
new, cutting edge research.
23
a. What are the products that Google and Yahoo! sell? Yahoo! and Google provide search
services for consumers. b. Howdo Internet searchengine providers generate revenueandearn a
profit? Yahoo! and Google generate revenue from advertising. c. What is the distinction between
paid search advertising and display advertising? What types of firms use the latter? If a
consumer clicks on an advertising search link, the company doing the advertising pays the
Internetsearch provider. This payment is called paid search advertising. Google specializes in
paid search advertising. Display advertising refers to advertisements that appear on the web
page of the Internet search provider. Yahoo! specializes in display advertising. Large, well known
companies, such as Ford Motor, tend to use display advertising. d. Why do you think Google
has bought YouTube? How will this purchase enable Google to increase its revenue and
profit? Google purchased YouTube because Google wanted to gain advertising revenue from
display advertising on YouTubes web site. Google also wanted to attract new users and gain
new technologies for advertising. Such technologies might become increasingly important
because big companies often use online video advertising.