Readers Question: What are the major determinants of price elasticity of demand? Elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in price. Inelastic demand means a change in price causes a smaller % change in demand. It means people are unresponsive to changes in price. Inelastic demand will have some or all …
Readers Question: What is the name of a type of good that only has value to someone if no one else possesses it? A snob or ostentatious good is a good where the main attraction is related to its image of being expensive, exclusive and a symbol of social status. These goods will have restricted …
Readers Question: Endangered rain forests, wild fish, elephants and more are examples of the tragedy of the commons. What would economists recommend to save, rain forests or fish stocks? Firstly, the tragedy of the commons is a situation where there is overconsumption of a particular product / service because rational individual decisions lead to …
Private label brands (or own brand labels) are products sold by a retailer with its own packing, but manufactured by a third party. For example, Tesco sell ordinary branded items, such as Heinz baked beans, but also sell their own ‘Tesco Value’ baked beans. Tesco will license a manufacturer to produce baked beans and then …
Containerisation is a system of standardised transport, that uses a common size of steel container to transport goods. These containers can easily be transferred between different modes of transport – container ships to lorries and trains. This makes the transport and trade of goods cheaper and more efficient. The container was invented in 1956 by …
The paradox of toil states that under certain conditions if people wish to work longer hours, this can cause falling real wages and rising unemployment. The paradox is that individuals have an incentive to work longer, but if everybody wants to work longer hours, it can actually cause unemployment. The paradox of toil only works …
In a follow up to the previous post on the Luddite Fallacy. What would happen if we developed the ‘perfect – all-powerful robot’? Rather than looking at what happens if we start with no technology and increase, what if we start at the other end of the spectrum? Suppose technological advances lead to a robot …
Definition of Capital Expenditure. Capital expenditure is when a firm buys something that cannot be counted as a cost of a business, but reflects an expansion in a firms assets. Examples of capital expenditure include: The purchase of existing business. Purchase of capital goods from other suppliers, e.g. machines, computers, lighting systems. For tax purposes, …