recall: long run: period in which quantities of all resources used in an industry can be adjusted. ...
TRANSCRIPT
Recall: Long Run: period in which quantities of all resources
used in an industry can be adjusted. Thus, inputs that were fixed in the short term (e.g.
machinery, buildings, cultivated land) can be adjusted in the long run
Since all inputs can be varied, the law of diminishing marginal returns no longer applies
4.4 Production & Costs in the Long Run
Increasing Returns to Scale: A situation in which a percentage increase in all inputs
causes a larger percentage increase in output Three basic causes for this:
Division of Labour Specialized Capital Specialized Management
Increasing Returns to Scale aka Economies of Scale
Division of Labour Performing fewer tasks allows workers to become more
efficient at their jobs Specialized Capital
Specialized machinery, such as in car manufacturing, will have more specialized function so that it performs fewer tasks more efficiently
Specialized Management Along with an enlarged scale of production, more
managers hired to specific areas of expertise implies more efficient performance
Increasing Returns to Scale aka Economies of Scale
Constant Returns to Scale: A situation in which a percentage increase in all inputs
results in an equal percentage increase in output Decreasing Returns to Scale:
aka “Diseconomies of Scale” A situation in which a percentage increase in all inputs
causes a smaller percentage increase in output; 2 major reasons for this: Management Difficulties Limited Natural Resources
Constant & Decreasing Returns to Scale
Management Difficulties Continuing to expand scale of production will
eventually make managers face coordinating problems because the scale is too large
Limited Natural Resources In primary industries (fishing, forestry), there may only
be a limited supply of easily available natural resources
Decreasing Returns to Scale aka Diseconomies of Scale
The first 1/3 of the Long Run AC Curve has a negative slope – increasing returns to scale
The second 1/3 is horizontal, so a constant cost per unit The third 1/3 has a positive slope – decreasing returns to
scale
Returns to Scale and Long-Run Costs