Menu costs, Managerial Economics

Assignment Help:

Menu Costs 

Why do firms not change their prices very  frequently? Obviously, the costs of changing prices at  frequent intervals and in small amounts must be more  than the benefits obtained from such a change. Firms prefer to wait before they make price changes in relatively large amounts and in the mean time absorb the losses that they would  suffer by not changing prices. This of course presumes that the firms  have  some monopolistic price setting power and  the  losses referred to above include lower profits  than would have been possible  if prices had been raised, and not necessarily actual out-of-pocket losses.

It  is  easy to understand  this  behaviour  of monopolistically competitive firms through the example of restaurants competing with each other. The term  'menu costs' immediately becomes meaningful as the costs that would be  incurred  in changing the menu cards every time there  is a change in the prices of items on the menu. These printing costs are surely negligible, but  the more  important costs are in terms of the loss of customers that a firm would face if it subjects its clientele to the 'irritability'  of continuous, small changes in prices. The concept  of menu costs in  a modem economy  is  indeed broad.  It  is  also widely applicable, given  the proliferation of automatic dispensers (e.g., coffee machines) and pay  telephones that operate on coins.  

It  is easy to  imagine  the cost that would be  incurred by  the suppliers if these ubiquitous machines were to be adjusted every time a price change is effected. The firms would rather not change their prices.  It  is  this idea  of weighing  the  costs  of  changing prices against the benefits obtained  from  changing prices that  is  formalised  in  the Mankiw model that we consider below.    


Related Discussions:- Menu costs

The central bank, The Central Bank These are usually owned and operate...

The Central Bank These are usually owned and operated by governments and their functions are: i.      Government's banker :  Government's need to hold their funds in an ac

#Profit as a business Objective, Write on one theory of profit. Profit as r...

Write on one theory of profit. Profit as rent of ability: one of the most widely known theories of profit was propounded by F.A. Walker. According to him profit is the rent of is t

Emergence of managerial economics, The emergence of managerial economics as...

The emergence of managerial economics as a separate course of management studies can be attributed to at least three factors: 1.      Growing complexity of business designs maki

Enumerate the scope of managerial economics, Enumerate the Scope of manager...

Enumerate the Scope of managerial economics The scope of managerial economics contains following subjects:  1. The Theory of demand 2. The Theory of production 3. The

Supply and demand, Discuss some of the effects of the economic downturn on ...

Discuss some of the effects of the economic downturn on supply, demand, inferior goods, complimentary goods, substitute goods, and price. words accepted#

Short-run equilibrium, SHORT-RUN EQUILIBRIUM All firms are assumed to ...

SHORT-RUN EQUILIBRIUM All firms are assumed to aim at maximizing profits or minimizing losses.  The monopolist controls his output or price, but not both. The monopoly maxi

Determine the negotiate a wage increase, Mark works for Maple Feel Inc., wh...

Mark works for Maple Feel Inc., which exports maple syrup to Slovakia. Currently, he generates $60,000 a year of net revenues for the firm and his salary is $60,000 per year. Mark

Budget Constraint line, 1. The price of a CD (PC) is $10 and the price of a...

1. The price of a CD (PC) is $10 and the price of a DVD (PD) is $20. Philip has his income (M) of $100 to spend on the two goods. Consider three consumption bundles: (C, D) = (2, 3

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd