Premium Essay

Discuss Why Some Firms Might Be Able to Continue to Make Supernormal Profit in the Long-Run.

In:

Submitted By Farhanazubir
Words 290
Pages 2
Supernormal profits are profits that exceed the level of normal profit, which is the minimum profit a firm must make to stay in business. In terms of perfect competition, which is when there is perfect knowledge in a market along with multiple other features, when a business gains information or makes innovative products that advances that perfect knowledge, it means that they make supernormal profits because they are the only firm with that knowledge. These advances could be anything from technological change to changes in the product itself.

In terms of the pharmaceutical industry however, perfect competition is not apparent, because perfect competition does not come into play in real life scenarios. In monopoly markets, the leading firm can also experience prolonged supernormal profits as there is no competition, but the pharmaceutical industry is actually an oligopoly. As of 2013, the leading pharmaceutical manufacturer was Pfizer, with just 9.9% market share. This means that the pharmaceutical industry is more of an oligopoly. Firms are still able to experience supernormal profits despite the higher level of competition.

Pfizer for example, would be able to patent new production techniques, technology and more importantly products so that they would be able to stay ahead of their rivals. So if they released another product, they would be able to ensure that other companies couldn’t copy it, meaning that they’d gain market share over time and allow them to reinvest to increase there level of research and development.

[insert supernormal profits diagram]

Firms achieve maximum profits when marginal revenue (MR) is equal to marginal cost (MC), that is when the cost of producing one more unit of a good or service is exactly equal to the revenue derived from selling one extra

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Koking

...Distinguish between positive and normative statements. TUTORIAL EXERCISES. Question 1 In a paper written by Bentley College economists Patricia M. Flynn and Michael A. Quinn, the authors state: We find evidence that Economics is a good choice of major for those aspiring to become a CEO. When adjusting for size of the pool of graduates, those with undergraduate degrees in Economics are shown to have had a greater likelihood of becoming an S&P 500 CEO than any other major. A list of famous economics majors published by Marietta College includes business leaders Warren Buffet, Donald Trump and Diane von Furstenberg. Why might studying economics be particularly good preparation for being the top manager of a corporation or a leader in government? Question 2 In a mixed economy, does the government decide what goods and services should be produced? Briefly discuss the reasons for your answer. 1|Page Question 3 Explain which of the following statements...

Words: 6560 - Pages: 27

Free Essay

Supply Chain Integration

...published June 22, 2009 Who profits from innovation in global value chains?: a study of the iPod and notebook PCs Jason Dedrick, Kenneth L. Kraemer and Greg Linden This article analyzes the distribution of financial value from innovation in the global supply chains of iPods and notebook computers. We find that Apple has captured a great deal of value from the innovation embodied in the iPod, while notebook makers capture a more modest share of the value from PC innovation. In order to understand these differences, we employ concepts from theories of innovation and industrial organization, finding significant roles for industry evolution, complementary assets, appropriability, system integration, and bargaining power. Downloaded from icc.oxfordjournals.org at University of Dhaka on June 19, 2011 1. Introduction The power of innovation to reward pioneers with exceptional profits is well known. Yet, as recognized in various strains of the business strategy literature, the value generated from the innovation is generally shared by the innovator with some combination of component suppliers, intellectual property owners, providers of complementary products and services, competitors, and consumers. This is all the more true as firms focus on a set of core activities and rely on a network of allies and suppliers to help them create and produce innovative products. In such innovation networks, a key question for managers and students of firm strategy is who captures the most...

Words: 15353 - Pages: 62

Free Essay

Ias Paper Format

...This ca be shown using the fact that under PC, relative prices which A is facing will be same as relative prices which B is facing and hence MRS x,y for both will be same. General Equilibrium of Production 1. We assume that all labor is homogenous, receives equal wages, total quantity of each factor (L and K) is fixed, the production function is continuous and twice differentiable and the technology is given which together with factor endowments limits the production possibilities. Naturally the equilibrium condition is (MRTS L,K)X = (MRTS L,K)Y. Show that in PC, General Equilibrium can exist file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/micro%20economy.html 1/134 7/7/2014 Evernote Export 1. This can be shown using the fact that in PC, both firms face same (w/r). General Equilibrium in Product Mix 1. @ equilibrium, (Px/Py ) = (MCx/MCy ) = MRTS x,y = (MUx/MUy )A = (MUx/MUy )B. This is the condition...

Words: 63611 - Pages: 255

Premium Essay

Economics

...Question 1. How does the theory of the firm provide an integrated framework for the analysis of managerial decision making across the functional areas of business? Discuss. Answer. Contribution of theories of the firm to the concept of the business model The advantage of the Chesbrough and Rosenbloom approach to the business model concept is that its functions or components provide a comprehensive structure by which to analyse different sources of value in firms. Compared for instance with Amit and Zott’s (2001) approach its functions or components are generic, rather than specific sources of value for a particular type of business. However the Chesbrough and Rosenbloom business model is still more of a framework than a theory (Teece 2006). By itself is does not enable predictions to be made of the behaviour of firms, although it has attempted to identify the key factors that may make such predictions possible. At the same time there are theoretical underpinnings that could be incorporated into many of the components of the business model to increase its capacity to be used as a predictive model. As with Amit and Zott’s (2001) development of the business model, this analysis suggests that there is no single applicable theoretical framework, but that an integration of the various theoretical frameworks is useful in examining the value creation potential of the firm’s business model. The approach adopted here is to enrich the concept of the business model with the various...

Words: 9884 - Pages: 40

Premium Essay

Supply and Demand

... ( Before reading on, how would you define scarcity? Must goods be at least temporarily unattainable to be scarce? See page 2 of text for a definition of scarcity. Goods need not be unattainable to be scarce. Because people’s incomes are limited, they cannot have everything they want from shops, even though the shops are stocked full. If all items in shops were free, the shelves would soon be emptied! ( If we would all like more money, why does the government not print a lot more? Could it not thereby solve the problem of scarcity ‘at a stroke’? The problem of scarcity is one of a lack of production. Simply printing more money without producing more goods and services will merely lead to inflation. To the extent that firms cannot meet the extra demand (i.e. the extra consumer expenditure) by extra production, they will respond by putting up their prices. Without extra production, consumers will end up unable to buy any more than previously. 5 ( (Box 1.1) What is it that makes each one of the above news items an economics item? Each one of the items has something to do with production, consumption or exchange, and/or the money incomes and expenditures involved. 6 ( Which of the following are macroeconomic issues, which are microeconomic ones and which could be either depending on the context?...

Words: 89665 - Pages: 359

Premium Essay

Anirudh

...performance in light of the 10%–12% return typical of industry in general. A second and equally important contributor to Berkshire’s outstanding performance is a handful of substantial holdings in publicly traded common stocks such as The American Express Company, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wells Fargo & Company. As both manager and investor, Buffett looks for ‘‘wonderful businesses’’ with outstanding economic characteristics: high rates of return on invested capital, substantial profit margins on sales, and consistent earnings growth. Complicated businesses that face fierce competition or require large capital investment and ongoing innovation are shunned.1 Buffett’s success is powerful testimony to the practical usefulness of managerial economics. Managerial economics answers fundamental questions. When are the characteristics of a market so attractive that entry becomes appealing? When is exit preferable to continued operation? Why do some professions pay well, whereas others offer meager pay? Successful managers make good decisions, and one of their most useful tools is the methodology of managerial economics. T HE M ANAGERIAL D ECISION -M AKING P ROCESS Managerial economics Applies economic tools and techniques to...

Words: 11588 - Pages: 47

Premium Essay

Test Book

...Determination 205 11 229 Monetary Policy 12 Fiscal Policy 247 iii Chapter 1 Nature and Scope of Economics Introduction Economics is a social science which deals with human wants and their satisfaction. It is mainly concerned with the way in which a society chooses to employ its scarce resources which have alternative uses, for the production of goods for present and future consumption. Political economy is another name for economics. “Polis” in Greek means a State. The early writers used the term “Political Economy” for the management of the State. A person who runs a family is expected to make the best use of the income of the household. Similarly, the State is expected to get the maximum benefit for the society. Hence the term “Political Economy”. The existence of human wants is the starting point of all economic activity in the world. Unless we make efforts, we cannot satisfy wants. Hence, wants, efforts and satisfaction form the circle of economics. We may say economics is the science of wants. But in the real world, the means which satisfy our wants are limited, that is, there is scarcity of the means which satisfy our wants. Time and money are limited. And land, labour and capital which are used in...

Words: 39159 - Pages: 157

Premium Essay

Business

...EAA Equivalent annual annuity EAR Effective annual rate, EFF% EBIT EBITDA EPS EVA F Earnings before interest and taxes; operating income Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization Earnings per share Economic value added (1) Fixed operating costs (2) Flotation cost FCF Free cash flow FVN Future value for Year N FVAN g GAAP HVN I IFRS IPER I/YR INT IP IPO IRR LIBOR ln(P/X) Future value of an annuity for N years Growth rate in earnings, dividends, and stock prices U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Standards Firm’s horizon value at t ¼ N Interest rate; also referred to as r International Financial Reporting Standards Periodic interest rate Interest rate key on some calculators Interest payment in dollars Inflation premium Initial public...

Words: 199840 - Pages: 800

Premium Essay

Managerial Microeconomics

...This page intentionally left blank Managerial Economics Managerial economics, meaning the application of economic methods in the managerial decision-making process, is a fundamental part of any business or management course. This textbook covers all the main aspects of managerial economics: the theory of the firm; demand theory and estimation; production and cost theory and estimation; market structure and pricing; game theory; investment analysis and government policy. It includes numerous and extensive case studies, as well as review questions and problem-solving sections at the end of each chapter. Nick Wilkinson adopts a user-friendly problem-solving approach which takes the reader in gradual steps from simple problems through increasingly difficult material to complex case studies, providing an understanding of how the relevant principles can be applied to real-life situations involving managerial decision-making. This book will be invaluable to business and economics students at both undergraduate and graduate levels who have a basic training in calculus and quantitative methods. N I C K W I L K I N S O N is Associate Professor in Economics at Richmond, The American International University in London. He has taught business and economics in various international institutions in the UK and USA, as well as working in business management in both countries.    Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge...

Words: 75065 - Pages: 301

Premium Essay

Managerial Economics

...Managerial Economics MBA First Year Paper No. 2 School of Distance Education Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641 046 Author: Atmanand Copyright © 2007, Bharathiar University All Rights Reserved Produced and Printed by EXCEL BOOKS PRIVATE LIMITED A-45, Naraina, Phase-I, New Delhi-110028 for SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Bharathiar University Coimbatore-641046 CONTENTS Page No. UNIT-I Lesson...

Words: 36898 - Pages: 148

Premium Essay

Diamond Essay

...policy, and economic growth and structural change. He has also prepared research reports for Canadian industry and government agencies and authored numerous working papers. He completed his PhD at McGill University, and has held visiting appointments at the University of Cambridge and the University of York in the United Kingdom. His current research interests are monetary and fiscal policy rules, and the relationship between economic growth and structural change. He is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and Sessional Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario Ian Irvine is a specialist in microeconomics, public economics, economic inequality and health economics. He is the author of some thirty research papers in these fields. He completed his PhD at the University of Western Ontario, has been a visitor at the London School of Economics, the University of Sydney, the University of Colorado, University College Dublin and the Economic and Social Research Institute. His current research interests are in tobacco use and taxation, and...

Words: 118779 - Pages: 476

Premium Essay

Aggregate Demand

...Unit 3 Managing the economy Steve Margetts CONTENTS Aggregate Demand (AD) Aggregate Supply Equilibrium Between Aggregate Demand And Aggregate Supply Consumption And Savings Investment Government Spending Exports and Imports Objectives Of Government Macroeconomic Policy Inflation Unemployment Economic Growth Balance of Payments Conflicts Between Macro Economic Objectives Demand Management or Supply Side? 2 4 9 11 17 25 29 31 34 50 71 80 84 87 Page 1 Unit 3 Managing the economy Steve Margetts AGGREGATE DEMAND (AD) Aggregate demand (AD) is the total demand for goods and services produced in the economy over a period of time. DEFINING AGGREGATE DEMAND Aggregate planned expenditure for goods and services in the economy = C + I + G + (X-M) C Consumers' expenditure on goods and services: This includes demand for durables & non-durable goods. I Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation - i.e. investment spending by companies on capital goods. Investment also includes spending on working capital such as stocks of finished goods and work in progress. G General Government Final Consumption. i.e. Government spending on publicly provided goods and services including public and merit goods. Transfer payments in the form of social security benefits (pensions, jobseekers allowance etc.) are not included as they are not a payment to a factor of production for output produced. A substantial increase in government spending would be classified as an expansionary fiscal policy...

Words: 24295 - Pages: 98

Premium Essay

Marketing Channel Distribution

...Marketing Channel Strategy This page intentionally left blank Eighth Edition Marketing Channel Strategy Robert W. Palmatier University of Washington’s Foster School of Business Louis W. Stern Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Adel I. El-Ansary University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montréal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editor in Chief: Stephanie Wall Acquisitions Editor: Mark Gaffney Program Manager Team Lead: Ashley Santora Program Manager: Jennifer M. Collins Director of Marketing: Maggie Moylen Executive Marketing Manager: Anne Fahlgren Project Manager Team Lead: Judy Leale Project Manager: Thomas Benfatti Operations Specialist: Nancy Maneri Cover Designer: Suzanne Behnke Creative Director: Jayne Conte Digital Production Project Manager: Lisa Rinaldi Full Service Vendor: Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. Full Service Project Manager: Anandakrishnan Natarajan/Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Courier/Westford Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Text Font: 10/12, ITC Garamond Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text (or on page xix). Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice...

Words: 236095 - Pages: 945

Premium Essay

Business Law

...ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We gratefully acknowledge permission to quote from the past examination papers of the following bodies: Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination Board (KASNEB); Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA); Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). We also wish to express our sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Mr. Geoffrey Ngene MBA, B.COM (Finance), CPA (finalist), CFA (East Africa). He is a senior lecturer at Strathmore University, School of Accountancy. He has generously given his time and expertise and skilfully co-ordinated the detailed effort of reviewing this study pack. INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS This study guide is intended to assist distance-learning students in their independent studies. In addition, it is only for the personal use of the purchaser, see copyright clause. The course has been broken down into eight lessons each of which should be considered as approximately one week of study for a full time student. Solve the reinforcement problems verifying your answer with the suggested solution contained at the back of the distance learning pack. When the lesson is completed, repeat the same procedure for each of the following lessons. At the end of lessons 2, 4, 6 and 8 there is a comprehensive assignment that you should complete and submit for marking to the distance learning administrator. Submission Procedure 1. After you have completed a comprehensive assignment clearly identify...

Words: 79613 - Pages: 319

Premium Essay

Proton Supply Chain Challenges

...GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN Term Paper : Proton Supply Chain Challenges Table of Contents 1.0 Company Background 1-4 2.0 Problem Statement 5-7 3.0 Significant of Study 8-10 4.0 Proton Supply Chain Weaknesses 11-18 5.0 Recommendation 19-29 6.0 Conclusion 30 7.0 References 31-32 1.0) Company Background First national car, Proton Saga project was formed embark from the Look East Policy. Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sendirian Berhad (PROTON) was formed in 1983 as a company of national car to manage the operation of the national car project. "The Proton Saga is more than just a quality automobile. It is a symbol of Malaysians as a dignified people" quoted by Tun Mahathir Mohammad during the launched of the first model of national car, Proton Saga in 1985. Anyhow, PROTON facing the downfall when Perusahaan Otomobile Kedua Sendirian Berhad (PERODUA) launched in 1993, producing minicars and superminis models which target the different market segments as Proton. For example in 2002, Proton become the 1st of the car supplier in Malaysia, acquired 49.43% of the market share. Anyhow, in 2006, Perodua overtake Proton as the 1st car supplier in Malaysia with 42% of market share, and Proton was 10% behind it. This trend maintain consistently until latest statistic in 2011, Perodua still become the 1st supplier in Malaysia acquired 34% of the market share while Proton maintain the 2nd place with 33% market...

Words: 7705 - Pages: 31