💼Intro to Business Unit 1 – Economic Systems and Business Fundamentals

Key Economic Concepts

• Scarcity refers to the limited resources available to meet unlimited human wants and needs
  • Leads to the necessity of making choices and trade-offs in resource allocation
• Opportunity cost represents the next best alternative foregone when making a decision
  • Helps individuals and businesses make rational choices by considering the value of what is given up
• Factors of production include land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship
  • These resources are combined to create goods and services
• Productivity measures the efficiency of production, often expressed as output per unit of input
  • Increased productivity leads to economic growth and higher living standards
• Comparative advantage occurs when a country or individual can produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than others
  • Encourages specialization and trade, leading to increased efficiency and economic benefits

Types of Economic Systems

• Traditional economies rely on customs, traditions, and inherited occupations to guide economic decisions
  • Often found in rural, agricultural societies with limited technology and infrastructure
• Command economies feature central planning and government control over production and distribution
  • Characterized by state ownership of resources and limited individual economic freedom (Soviet Union)
• Market economies are based on private ownership, free enterprise, and the interaction of supply and demand
  • Prices act as signals to allocate resources efficiently with minimal government intervention (United States)
• Mixed economies combine elements of market and command systems
  • Governments provide public goods, regulate markets, and address market failures while allowing private ownership and competition (Sweden)

Market Structures and Competition

• Perfect competition features many buyers and sellers, homogeneous products, free entry and exit, and perfect information
  • Leads to efficient resource allocation and no long-run economic profits
• Monopolistic competition involves many firms selling differentiated products with easy entry and exit
  • Results in some market power, but competition keeps prices close to marginal costs (restaurants)
• Oligopoly is characterized by a few large firms dominating a market with high barriers to entry
  • Leads to interdependence among firms and strategic decision-making (airlines)
• Monopoly occurs when a single firm controls the entire market for a good or service with significant barriers to entry
  • Results in higher prices, lower output, and reduced efficiency compared to competitive markets (utilities)

Business Ownership Models

• Sole proprietorships are owned and operated by a single individual who bears all the risks and rewards
  • Easy to establish but face unlimited personal liability and limited access to capital
• Partnerships involve two or more individuals sharing ownership, profits, and liabilities
  • Benefit from pooled resources and expertise but may face conflicts and unlimited personal liability
• Corporations are separate legal entities owned by shareholders with limited liability
  • Advantage of easier access to capital and continuity of existence, but face double taxation and regulatory requirements
• Cooperatives are owned and democratically controlled by their members who share profits and benefits
  • Often formed to meet common needs or goals, but may face challenges in decision-making and capital raising (credit unions)

Fundamentals of Supply and Demand

• Demand refers to the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices
  • Factors affecting demand include price, income, preferences, and prices of related goods
• Supply represents the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer at various prices
  • Factors influencing supply include input prices, technology, expectations, and number of sellers
• Equilibrium occurs when the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied at a given price
  • Changes in supply or demand lead to adjustments in price and quantity to restore equilibrium
• Elasticity measures the responsiveness of supply or demand to changes in price or other factors
  • Elastic demand or supply indicates a large response to price changes, while inelastic implies a small response

Role of Government in Economics

• Governments provide public goods that are non-rivalrous and non-excludable (national defense)
  • Market forces may lead to underproduction of public goods, necessitating government provision
• Governments address externalities, which are costs or benefits not reflected in market prices (pollution)
  • Negative externalities can be corrected through taxes or regulations, while positive externalities may require subsidies
• Governments redistribute income and wealth to promote social welfare and stability
  • Progressive taxation, transfer payments, and social programs aim to reduce inequality and poverty
• Governments stabilize the economy through fiscal and monetary policies
  • Fiscal policy involves government spending and taxation, while monetary policy controls the money supply and interest rates

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

• Business ethics refers to the moral principles and standards that guide business conduct
  • Ethical behavior builds trust, reputation, and long-term success, while unethical practices can lead to legal and financial consequences
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) involves businesses considering the impact of their decisions on stakeholders and society
  • CSR initiatives may include environmental sustainability, community involvement, and fair labor practices
• Stakeholder theory argues that businesses should balance the interests of various stakeholders, not just shareholders
  • Stakeholders include employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment
• Ethical decision-making frameworks, such as utilitarianism and deontology, can guide businesses in resolving moral dilemmas
  • Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing overall well-being, while deontology emphasizes adherence to moral duties and principles

Global Economic Considerations

• International trade involves the exchange of goods and services across national borders
  • Trade allows countries to specialize based on comparative advantage and access a wider variety of products
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) occurs when a company invests in and controls business operations in another country
  • FDI can provide capital, technology, and expertise to host countries, but may also raise concerns about economic sovereignty
• Exchange rates represent the value of one currency in terms of another
  • Fluctuations in exchange rates can affect the competitiveness of exports and imports and the profitability of international investments
• Globalization refers to the increasing integration and interdependence of economies worldwide
  • Globalization has led to increased trade, capital flows, and cultural exchange, but also poses challenges such as job displacement and environmental concerns
• Economic integration, such as free trade agreements and common markets, reduces barriers to trade and investment among participating countries
  • Integration can promote economic growth and efficiency, but may also create winners and losers within and across countries