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Term Question Paper‐Managerial Economics
Suggested Answers
Q.No. Question Marks
1. A student has 30 hours for studying Economics and Finance for coming 8
examinations. Considering time as an important resource and grades as the
output, which Economics concept can be used for allocating time for the two
subjects in order to get best results? Explain with the help of suitable
diagrams.
Ans. The underlying economics concept is of PPF. Diagram of PPF with grades in
Economics on one axis and Finance on another axis. Refer Samuelson’s book
on Economics Page no. 14.
2. What happens to wheat farmers and the market for wheat when agricultural 8
university discovered a new wheat hybrid that is more productive than
existing varieties? Is it possible that good news for farming may be a bad
news for farmers? Explain your answer with the help of demand and supply
curves.
Ans. The Demand for wheat tends to be inelastic. With the increase in the supply of
wheat the market Price falls, so does Total Revenue. The student is expected to
explain how that research helps to increase the supply of wheat production and the
result in total revenue to the farmer with the following diagrams.
Rs.5
1
D
Shift of S dominates
S
Price
S’’
a
p
p’’ c
D’’
D
0 Q Q’’
Units per period
3. “For a normal good, a fall in its price increases the quantity bought, ceteris 15
paribus.” Prove this assertion by using your knowledge of substitution effect
and income effect.
Ans: Students are expected to explain decomposition of price effect into
substitution and income effect with the help of diagram/s. Please refer to pg.
no. 117 (Managerial economics, 6th ed., D. Salvatore) or pg no. 111
(Microeconomics, 7th ed., Pindyck) for diagram. Price effect is due to changes
in substitution effect and income effect both. It means as price of a good falls,
people buy more units of that good due to the substitution effect (people
now buy more units of relatively cheaper good) and income effect (as a result
of fall in price, real income of the consumers increase and therefore they are
able to buy more units of the good whose price has fallen).
4. Distinguish between the economies of scale and economies of scope. Explain 8
the different types of economies of scale.
Ans: The students should distinguish different types of economics of scale and
scope and why it arises. They have to discuss different types of economies of
scale (Economics of Scale Vs. Diseconomies of Scale, Internal economies of
scale Vs. Internal diseconomies of scale, External economies of scale Vs.
External dis‐economies of scale).
5. Demonstrate the nature of returns generated in agriculture sector in the 8
short‐run with appropriate diagrams.
Ans: An increase in some inputs relative to other fixed inputs will, in a given state of
technology, cause output to increase; but after a point the extra output
resulting from the same additions of extra inputs will become less and less”.
Assumptionss of the Law
A w of Diminishhing Marginaal Returns
• The state of teechnology iss assumed to
t be constaant. If theree is an
improvement in n technologyy, then margginal and aveerage product may
rise,, instead of d
diminishing..
• Onlyy one or few
w inputs are varied and o
other inputss in the prod
duction
proccess are held
d constant.
• o varying the proportions in
The law is based on the possibility of
which the varioous factors can be com
mbined in orrder to prod
duce a
giveen level of ou
utput.
EExplanation of the Law
T
The law of vaariable proportions can be explained with the ffollowing exaample.
S
Suppose theere is 4‐heectares land. The cultivator hass to identify an
a
appropriate production ffunction for the next gro owing seasoon. He has number
o
of fixed inpu ts such as laand, implemments, etc, to o which he w will add a number
o
of units of th
he variable ffactor (laborr). The cultivvator has to take a decission as
to how manyy laborers arre to be emp ployed to pro oduce maxim mum outputt.
S
Stage I: In th
his stage Total Product (TP), increases at an increasing ratte. The
stage comes to an end w when Averagge Product (A AP) is Maxim mum and alsso AP =
M
MP (Margina al Product). It is the stage of Increasiing Returns.
S his stage AP and MP fall but TP incrreases. This stage is called the
Stage II: In th
stage of Dimminishing Returns.
R In this stage a firm deccides its leevel of
p
production, w when MP = 0 0 and TP is MMaximum.
S
Stage III: In this stagge TP startss falling and
d slope of TTP curve becomes
n
negative. MPP becomes negative. Th his stage is called the stage of Ne
egative
R
Returns.
6. Analyze the o
A outcome of governmen
nt intervention in the fo
orm of taxes in the 8
c
competitive market.
Ans: TTheoreticallyy, if left alon
ne, a markett will naturally settle intto equilibrium, the
e
equilibrium p price ensure es that all seellers who aare willing to o sell at that price
a
and all buyer rs who are w willing to buyy at that price will get w what they waant. At
e
equilibrium, supply is exxactly equal to demand. However, in some case es, the
g
government will interferre with the market, puttting in pricce ceilings or price
floors, chargging taxes, or
o using other measurres to correect the marrket or
reshape the eeconomy.
One way of government intervention to alter the market is through taxes.
Suppose if the government would like to discourage the sale and use of any
commodity, they would charge a tax on products/commodities. In most
cases, sellers pass as much of the added cost on to buyers as possible.
Because the sellers don't want to lose any profits, they have to increase their
selling price in order to maintain the same profit margin, since they had to
pay an extra tax when obtaining the products for resale. In such cases, the
supply curve will shift vertically by the exact amount of the tax. Finally this
will lead to rising prices and deadweight/welfare loss. (Students can analyze
the same with an example like imposition of taxes on tobacco products)
7. What are the major entry barriers into a monopoly industry that foster the 15
success of the monopoly business? Do you think any such entry barrier(s)
which is (are) socially desirable? If so Explain.
Ans: Point out and briefly explain the major sources of entry barriers that fosters
the success of the monopoly business‐ Patents, Limit Pricing, Cost
advantages(economies of scale), consumer loyalty, R & D Expenditure,
presence of sunk cost, trade restrictions, government policy (consumer
loyalty, exclusive license), natural or legal barriers, natural monopoly.
Explain whether these barriers are socially desirable or not. Make an
explanation for Economies of scale, natural monopoly, patent, licenses and
legal barriers to some extent desirable and many such cases undesirable as
well. Students may cite examples in some of the real life cases.
8. Why does price rigidity occur in an oligopolistic market? Explain with the help 15
of suitable examples and diagram.
Ans: Price rigidity is the basis of the kinked demand curve model of oligopoly.
Oligopolistic firms often have a strong desire for price stability. This is why
price rigidity can be a characteristic of oligopolistic industries. Even if costs or
demand change, firms are reluctant to change price. If costs fall or demand
declines, they fear that lower prices might send the wrong message to their
competitors and set off a price war. And if costs or demand rises, they are
reluctant to raise price because they are afraid that their competitors may
not raise theirs. Kinked demand curve model is one of the oligopolistic
models in which each firm faces a demand curve kinked at the currently
prevailing price: at higher prices demand is very elastic, whereas at lower
prices it is inelastic.
Students are supposed to give suitable examples. The price rigidity prevailing
in the news paper industry could be one example from Indian context.
Students are supposed to draw the Kinked demand curve (example Figure
11.7 in Microeconomics by Pindyck et al, or Fig 9‐2 in Managerial Economics
by Dominic Salvatore and Srivastava.
Ans: A market failure is a situation in which an unregulated competitive market is
inefficient because prices fail to provide proper signals to consumers and
producers. An externality is defined as action taken by either a producer or a
consumer which affects other producers or consumers but is not accounted for by
the market price. Therefore, externalities result in excess‐production (Negative
externalities) or under‐production (Positive externalities) causing
misallocation of resources. Since resources are scarce and wants are limited,
excess production of one product has opportunity costs in the form of under‐
production of another and vice‐versa. Positive and negative externalities can
arise in both production and consumption.
Examples:
3. Positive consumption externality: Consumption of vaccines by several
people in a locality can have benefits for the society at large
4. Negative consumption externality: Waste generated in consumption
(Eg. plastic littering) has costs for others.
Each of these examples results in misallocation of resources.