Week 1
discussion
DQ1
Explain why the consideration of opportunity costs may be
very relevant to a firm. How can opportunity costs affect a business decision?
Use an example to support your answer.
DQ2
Think about a good or service for which you believe there
has been a shift in demand or supply. Explain the reasons behind the shift and
how that has influenced the equilibrium price.
Week 2
discussion
DQ1
In a perfectly competitive market where there is virtually
no product differentiation, what do you think are the priorities or focus of a
firm? How could a firm increase profits?
DQ2
Explain a situation you have observed (or read about) in
which a firm made a decision considering irrelevant costs or did not consider
relevant costs. What was the outcome of the decision, and what could have been
done differently?
Week 3
discussion
DQ1
What market structure best describes the environment within
which your organization operates? What challenges and opportunities would arise
from higher and lower degrees of government intervention?
DQ2
According to Coase’s theory of the firm, why do firms exist?
How do firms contribute to the efficiency of the market economy in ways that
networks of independent contractors do not? How are the boundaries of the firm
best established?
Week 4
discussion
DQ1
Identify a personal economic decision that was driven by a
behavioral bias rather than by pure rational behavior. Given your understanding
of behavioral economics, how would your decision differ today?
DQ2 In which cases would an organization benefit from using
direct and indirect price discrimination? Does market structure influence the
capacity of the firm to use price discrimination?
Week 5
discussion
DQ1
Read “7 Easy Ways to Use Game Theory to Make Your Life
Better,” by Duronio. Reflect on your personal life experiences. Discuss a
instance in your life in which you used game theory to earn or save money. Did
you realize you were implementing game theory in the situation? How did the
outcome benefit you at that moment and in the future?
DQ2
Using the Topic Material “Game Theory,” discuss
your perspective on the use of game theory. How do “Nash equilibrium”
and the idea of one “player” impacting another “player”
within an organization affect the economic decisions and growth of an
organization?
Week 6
discussion
DQ1
Discuss the importance of analyzing competition within an
industry to better appeal to potential candidates. How can an organization use
incentives to ensure it appeals to the employees it wants to hire?
DQ2
Discuss how wages are determined in labor markets. Explain
how a monopsony market structure is affected by a price floor (minimum wage),
and what is the effect of the monopsony of the local economy?
Week 7
discussion
DQ1
Identify one environmental factor or risk that affects the
decision-making opportunities within your organization. Provide a brief
description of the concerns and potential solutions for addressing the concerns
or risks. Are there financial requirements that must be considered when processing
decisions within a company?
DQ2
How does the financial strength of an organization influence
decision making and outcomes?
Week 8
discussion
DQ1 Using the concept of “carry trade,” explain
how a decrease in U.S. interest rates could affect the EUR/USD exchange rate.
Given this change in exchange rate, how would firms and customers be affected?
DQ2 How do economists define a “bubble”? Provide
an example of an asset market that you think could be the next bubble and
explain why. (Do not use the examples cited in your textbook).
Week 2
assignment
Complete the following problems from Chapters 4 and 5 in
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach. For each question, write
250-500 word explanation clearly showing how you solved the problem.
Chapter 4: Problems 4-2 and 4-6
Chapter 5: Problems 5-4 and 5-5
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
Week 4 Case
Study: Generic
Drug Pricing
Using the New York Times article, “Defiant, Generic
Drug Maker Continues to Raise Prices,” conduct further research on the
pricing strategies of generic drug manufacturers. In 750-1,000 words, analyze
the pricing strategies and discuss the following
Discuss the pricing decisions of generic drug manufacturers.
Evaluate the impact competitors and additional economic
factors have on the results of the generic drug pricing strategies. What
factors contribute to the advantages and disadvantages of various pricing
strategies?
Discuss the social and financial implications of generic
drug pricing decisions for various groups of stakeholders. What would be the
socially optimum pricing strategy for the United States? What would be the
socially optimum pricing strategy globally?
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
Week 5
assignment
Problems: Chapter 15
Complete the following Problems 15-1, 15-3, 15-4, and 15-6
in Chapter 15 in Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach. Ensure that
you clearly show how you solved these problems and provide a 250-500 word
cumulative summary explaining all problems.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is
expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
15-1 To Vote or Not to Vote
Mr. and Mrs. Ward typically vote oppositely in elections and
so their votes “cancel each other out.” They each gain two units of utility
from a vote for their positions (and lose two units of utility from a vote
against their positions). However, the bother of actually voting costs each one
unit of utility. Diagram a game in which they choose whether to vote or not to
vote.
15-3 Shirk or Work
Microsoft and a smaller rival often have to select from one
of two competing technologies. The rival always prefers to select the same
technology as Microsoft (because compatibility is important), while Microsoft
always wants to select a different technology from its rival. Describe the
equilibrium of this game
15-4: Salary Negotiation
Line Callout 2: EmployerThe following represents the
potential outcomes of your first salary negotiation after graduation: Assuming this is a sequential move game with
the employer moving first, indicate the most likely outcome. Does the ability to move first give the
employer an advantage? If so, how? As the employee, is there anything you could
do to realize a higher payoff?
15-6: Entry Game with Withdrawal
In the text, we considered a sequential move game in which
an entrant was considering entering an industry in competition with an
incumbent firm. Consider now that the
entrant, if fought, has the possibility of withdrawing from the industry (at a
loss of 1 for the entrant and a gain of 8 for the incumbent), or staying (at a
loss of 5 for each player). What is the
equilibrium of this game? Discuss if the
entrant is better off with or without the ability to withdraw.
Week 6 CLC
– Incentive Plan
This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment.
Within your CLC team, discuss your current organization’s
employee incentives and motivation strategies. Examine the individual
organization’s compensation challenges and industry competition. Based on this
discussion, teams will develop an incentive plan suitable for all participating
members that encourages an organizational culture that motivates employees and
evaluates their performance. Your incentive plan (1,000-1,250 words) must
include:
An overview of the organization for which your team is
developing an incentive plan.
A performance metric to monitor employee performance.
Motivation strategies and techniques to appeal to employees.
Incentive compensation to remain competitive within the industry.
Moral hazard affecting employees and the organization.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
Week 7
assignment
Problems: Chapter 17
For this assignment, you are required to complete Individual
Problems 17-2 and 17-6 at the end of Chapter 17 in Managerial Economics: A
Problem Solving Approach. In addition, you are required to complete Group
Problem G17-1: Uncertainty. As you are evaluating your current company, address
the following decisions in your response (500-750 words):
What environmental factors and risks must be considered in
the company’s decision-making process?
Evaluate cost factors influencing the company’s decision.
Determine strategies that would provide value to the outcome
your company is seeking relating to this decision.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
Week 8
assignment
Problems: Chapter 11
Review Group Problems G11-1: Exchange Rate Effect on
Industry and G11-2: Exchange Rate Effects on Your Firm, located at the end of
Chapter 11 in Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach. Select one
problem that relates to you and your current position in the work environment.
Complete your response in 750-1,000 words. Support your response with personal
experiences or examples.
Alternate Scenario: If you are in an industry that does not
deal with any foreign exchange transactions, use the petroleum industry for
this assignment. Imagine that you work for a domestic oil refinery, and answer
either question G11-1 or G11-2. You do not work for an oil producer, but rather
for a refinery, which turns crude oil into many different petroleum products,
from jet fuel to gasoline, which are then sold to world markets. You have the
option of purchasing crude oil from U.S. sources or from various foreign
countries. You must purchase crude oil in order to make products that you can
sell in the United States or in other countries.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not
required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.
Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
