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suppose the marginal product of labor is 8 and the marginal product of capital is 2. If the wage rate is $4 and the price of capital is $2, then in order to minimize costs the firm should use:
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more labor and less capital
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If a firm's production function is Leontief and the wage rate goes up the:
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cost minimizing combination of capital and labor does not change
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if the last unit of input increases total product, we know that the marginal product id
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positive
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Total product begins to fall when:
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marginal product is zero
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The combination of inputs that produce a given level of output are depicted by:
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isoquants
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Isoquants are normally drawn with a convex shape because
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inputs are not perfectly complementary
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The absolute value of the slope of the isoquant is the
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marginal rate of technical substitution
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The Leontief production function implies
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L-shaped isoquants
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Changes in the price of an input cause:
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parallel shifts of the isocost line
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Costs that change as output changes are:
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variable costs
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Which curve(s) does the marginal cost curve intersect at (their) minimum point?
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Average total cost curve and average variable cost curve
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What is implied when the total cost of producing Q1 and Q2 together is less than the total cost of producing Q1 and Q2 separately?
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Economies of scope
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Which of the following cost functions exhibits cost complementarity?
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-4q1q2+ 8q1
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The long run is defined as
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the horizon in which the manager can adjust all factors of production
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It is profitable to hire labor so long as the
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VMPL is greater than wage
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As isoquant denies the combination of inputs that yield the producer:
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The same level of output
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Economies of scale exist whenever long-run average costs:
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decrease as output is increased
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Two firms producing identical products may merge due to the existence of:
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Economies of scale
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Often owners of firms who hire managers must install incentive or bonus plans to ensure that the:
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manager will work hard
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Which of the following forms of payment is NOT an incentive plan?
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Flat salary for a plant manager
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Long-term contracts become longer
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when specialized investment becomes more important
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When relationship-specific exchange occurs in complex contractual environments, the best way to purchase inputs is through:
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vertical integration
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Spot exchange can be inefficient in the presence of:
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opportunism
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The disadvantage of vertical integration is that
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firms no longer specialize in what they do best
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In the absence of worker incentives:
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there is a natural tendency for workers to not give their maximum effort
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A drawback of separating ownership from control by creating a firm is:
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the principal-agent problem
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Shirking can take the form of
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sleeping at work, long lunch hours, and leaving work early
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Which of the following plans does NOT give an incentive to manager to stop shirking?
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Flat salary regardless of firm profits
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An example of a job that usually involves a revenue-sharing plan would be:
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insurance agents, waiters and waitresses, car salesmen
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In order for spot checks to be effective, they must be:
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Random in nature
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The LEAST risky payment plan from the viewpoint of the worker is:
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Hourly wage
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Transaction costs refer to:
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costs of exchange unrelated to production costs.
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Long-term contracts:
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Can reduce opportunistic behavior
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Suppose a new contracting environment that requires greater specialized investments is considered. This new contract will result in:
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An increase in the marginal benefit and a longer optimal contract
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General Motors purchased Fischer Auto Body to produce bodies to place on a chassis. This transaction is best described as:
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vertical integration
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The industry elasticity of demand for gadgets is −2, while the elasticity of demand for 47) an individual gadget manufacturer's product is −2. Based on the Rothschild approach to measuring market power, we conclude that:
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there is a significant monopoly power in this industry
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A herfindahl index of 10,000 suggests:
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monopoly
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The concentration and Herfindahl indices computed by the U.S. Bureau of Census must be interpreted with caution because:
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Both they overstate the actual level of concentration in markets saved by foreign firms and they understate the degree of concentration in local markets, such the gasoline market are correct
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A Lerner index of 0 suggests
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perfect competition
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When economies of scale are large, firms can reduce their average total cost by:
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merging into even larger firms
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In the 1960s, each firm in the computer industry was able to make extremely large profit margins, some as high as 50 to 60 percent. The margin decreased to 20 to 40percent in the 1970s and to 10 to 20 percent in the 1980s. We conclude that:
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the industry evolved from oligopolistic to more competitive industry in the two decades
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according to the "feedback critique"
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-the conduct of firms in an industry may affect the firm's performance.
-the conduct of firms in an industry may affect the market structure.
-market structure may affect the firm's conduct.
-the conduct of firms in an industry may affect the market structure.
-market structure may affect the firm's conduct.
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The Dansby-Willig index measure the potential for a change in
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firm's profit
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Which of the following integration types exploits economies of scope?
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Horizontal integration
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An electronics company purchases a food company. This is an example of:
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Conglomerate integration
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Which of the following integration types aims at reducing transaction costs?
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vertical integration
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Which of the following may transform an industry from oligopoly to monopolistic competition?
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Entry
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Which of the following is true under monopoly?
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P > MC
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Which of the following is true?
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In the short run, a monopoly will shut down if P<AVC
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If a monopolistically competitive firm marginal cost increases, then in order to maximize profits, the firm will:
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reduce output and increase price
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In the long run, monopolistically competitive firms produce a level of output such that:
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- P=Atc
-Atc> minimum of average cost
-P>Mc
-Atc> minimum of average cost
-P>Mc
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A monopoly has produced a product with a patent for the last few years . The patent is going to expire. What will happen after the patent expires
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Some firms will enter the industry
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A firm has a total cost function of c(q)= 75+25q1/2. The firm experiences:
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economies of scale
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Which of the following formulas correctly measure the profit of a monopoly
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ii= Tr-Tc and ii=(p-atc)q