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

Elasticity of demand, a. Explain why the demand for a particular brand is m...

a. Explain why the demand for a particular brand is more elastic than the demand for all cigarettes. If Lucky Strike raised its price by 1% in 1918, was the price elast

Inelastic supply, Inelastic Supply Supply is said to be price inelasti...

Inelastic Supply Supply is said to be price inelastic if changes in price bring about changes in quantity supplied in less proportion.  Thus, when price increases quantity sup

Analysis of consumer demand, Part A : Select one of the following economic...

Part A : Select one of the following economic issues and discuss how it impacts on your organisation. Analysis of consumer demand Cost analysis Market structure and

Explain the importance of managerial economics, Explain the importance of M...

Explain the importance of Managerial economics Managerial economics bridges the gap among 'theoria' and 'pracis'. The tenets of managerial economics have been derived from quan

What is the economic role of government, Q. What is the economic role of go...

Q. What is the economic role of government? What are the roles? Meaning: economic role is the role played by the government in uplifting the economy. The important roles: 1.

What are tools of factor markets and distribution of income, What are the t...

What are the tools of factor markets and the distribution of income? Tools of factor markets and the distribution of income: a. Factor distribution of income b. Marginal

Economic resource , a) The following would most likely shift a production p...

a) The following would most likely shift a production possibilities curve to the right? b) Money should not be considered an economic resource ? c)  Which of the following is

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