The Historical Role of the Production Function in Economics and Business
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Marxist Economics: How Capitalism Works, and How It Doesn't
MARXIST ECONOMICS: HOW CAPITALISM WORKS, ANO HOW IT DOESN'T 49 Another reason, however, was that he wanted to show how the appear- ance of "equal exchange" of commodities in the market camouflaged ~ , inequality and exploitation. At its most superficial level, capitalism can ' V be described as a system in which production of commodities for the market becomes the dominant form. The problem for most economic analyses is that they don't get beyond th?s level. C~apter Four Commodities, Marx argued, have a dual character, having both "use value" and "exchange value." Like all products of human labor, they have Marxist Economics: use values, that is, they possess some useful quality for the individual or society in question. The commodity could be something that could be directly consumed, like food, or it could be a tool, like a spear or a ham How Capitalism Works, mer. A commodity must be useful to some potential buyer-it must have use value-or it cannot be sold. Yet it also has an exchange value, that is, and How It Doesn't it can exchange for other commodities in particular proportions. Com modities, however, are clearly not exchanged according to their degree of usefulness. On a scale of survival, food is more important than cars, but or most people, economics is a mystery better left unsolved. Econo that's not how their relative prices are set. Nor is weight a measure. I can't mists are viewed alternatively as geniuses or snake oil salesmen. exchange a pound of wheat for a pound of silver. -
1- TECHNOLOGY Q L M. Muniagurria Econ 464 Microeconomics Handout
M. Muniagurria Econ 464 Microeconomics Handout (Part 1) I. TECHNOLOGY : Production Function, Marginal Productivity of Inputs, Isoquants (1) Case of One Input: L (Labor): q = f (L) • Let q equal output so the production function relates L to q. (How much output can be produced with a given amount of labor?) • Marginal productivity of labor = MPL is defined as q = Slope of prod. Function L Small changes i.e. The change in output if we change the amount of labor used by a very small amount. • How to find total output (q) if we only have information about the MPL: “In general” q is equal to the area under the MPL curve when there is only one input. Examples: (a) Linear production functions. Possible forms: q = 10 L| MPL = 10 q = ½ L| MPL = ½ q = 4 L| MPL = 4 The production function q = 4L is graphed below. -1- Notice that if we only have diagram 2, we can calculate output for different amounts of labor as the area under MPL: If L = 2 | q = Area below MPL for L Less or equal to 2 = = in Diagram 2 8 Remark: In all the examples in (a) MPL is constant. (b) Production Functions With Decreasing MPL. Remark: Often this is thought as the case of one variable input (Labor = L) and a fixed factor (land or entrepreneurial ability) (2) Case of Two Variable Inputs: q = f (L, K) L (Labor), K (Capital) • Production function relates L & K to q (total output) • Isoquant: Combinations of L & K that can achieve the same q -2- • Marginal Productivities )q MPL ' Small changes )L K constant )q MPK ' Small changes )K L constant )K • MRTS = - Slope of Isoquant = Absolute value of Along Isoquant )L Examples (a) Linear (L & K are perfect substitutes) Possible forms: q = 10 L + 5 K Y MPL = 10 MPK = 5 q = L + K Y MPL = 1 MPK = 1 q = 2L + K Y MPL = 2 MPK = 1 • The production function q = 2 L + K is graphed below. -
Dangers of Deflation Douglas H
ERD POLICY BRIEF SERIES Economics and Research Department Number 12 Dangers of Deflation Douglas H. Brooks Pilipinas F. Quising Asian Development Bank http://www.adb.org Asian Development Bank P.O. Box 789 0980 Manila Philippines 2002 by Asian Development Bank December 2002 ISSN 1655-5260 The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank. The ERD Policy Brief Series is based on papers or notes prepared by ADB staff and their resource persons. The series is designed to provide concise nontechnical accounts of policy issues of topical interest to ADB management, Board of Directors, and staff. Though prepared primarily for internal readership within the ADB, the series may be accessed by interested external readers. Feedback is welcome via e-mail ([email protected]). ERD POLICY BRIEF NO. 12 Dangers of Deflation Douglas H. Brooks and Pilipinas F. Quising December 2002 ecently, there has been growing concern about deflation in some Rcountries and the possibility of deflation at the global level. Aggregate demand, output, and employment could stagnate or decline, particularly where debt levels are already high. Standard economic policy stimuli could become less effective, while few policymakers have experience in preventing or halting deflation with alternative means. Causes and Consequences of Deflation Deflation refers to a fall in prices, leading to a negative change in the price index over a sustained period. The fall in prices can result from improvements in productivity, advances in technology, changes in the policy environment (e.g., deregulation), a drop in prices of major inputs (e.g., oil), excess capacity, or weak demand. -
Economics 352: Intermediate Microeconomics
EC 352: Intermediate Microeconomics, Lecture 7 Economics 352: Intermediate Microeconomics Notes and Sample Questions Chapter 7: Production Functions This chapter will introduce the idea of a production function. A production process uses inputs such as labor, energy, raw materials and capital to produce one (or more) outputs, which may be computer software, steel, massages or anything else that can be sold. A production function is a mathematical relationship between the quantities of inputs used and the maximum quantity of output that can be produced with those quantities of inputs. For example, if the inputs are labor and capital (l and k, respectively), the maximum quantity of output that may be produced is given by: q = f(k, l) Marginal physical product The marginal physical product of a production function is the increase in output resulting from a small increase in one of the inputs, holding other inputs constant. In terms of the math, this is the partial derivative of the production function with respect to that particular input. The marginal product of capital and the marginal product of labor are: ∂q MP = = f k ∂k k ∂q MP = = f l ∂l l The usual assumption is that marginal (physical) product of an input decreases as the quantity of that input increases. This characteristic is called diminishing marginal product. For example, given a certain amount of machinery in a factory, more and more labor may be added, but as more labor is added, at some point the marginal product of labor, or the extra output gained from adding one more worker, will begin to decline. -
MA Macroeconomics 10. Growth Accounting
MA Macroeconomics 10. Growth Accounting Karl Whelan School of Economics, UCD Autumn 2014 Karl Whelan (UCD) Growth Accounting Autumn 2014 1 / 20 Growth Accounting The final part of this course will focus on \growth theory." This branch of macroeconomics concerns itself with what happens over long periods of time. We will discuss the factors that determine the growth rate of the economy over the long run and what can policy measures do to affect it. This is closely related to the crucial question of what makes some countries rich and others poor. We will begin by covering \growth accounting" { a technique for explaining the factors that determine growth. Karl Whelan (UCD) Growth Accounting Autumn 2014 2 / 20 Production Functions We assume output is determined by an aggregate production function technology depending on the total amount of labour and capital. For example, consider the Cobb-Douglas production function: α β Yt = At Kt Lt where Kt is capital input and Lt is labour input. An increase in At results in higher output without having to raise inputs. Macroeconomists usually call increases in At \technological progress" and often refer to this as the \technology" term. At is simply a measure of productive efficiency and it may go up or down for all sorts of reasons, e.g. with the imposition or elimination of government regulations. Because an increase in At increases the productiveness of the other factors, it is also sometimes known as Total Factor Productivity (TFP). Karl Whelan (UCD) Growth Accounting Autumn 2014 3 / 20 Productivity Growth Output per worker is often labelled productivity by economists with increases in output per worker called productivity growth. -
Measuring the “Ideas” Production Function
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The Survival of Capitalism: Reproduction of the Relations Of
THE SURVIVAL OF CAPITALISM Henri Lefebvre THE SURVIVAL OF CAPITALISM Reproduction of the Relations of Production Translated by Frank Bryant St. Martin's Press, New York. Copyright © 1973 by Editions Anthropos Translation copyright © 1976 by Allison & Busby All rights reserved. For information, write: StMartin's Press. Inc.• 175 Fifth Avenue. New York. N.Y. 10010 Printed in Great Britain Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-32932 First published in the United States of America in 1976 AFFILIATED PUBLISHERS: Macmillan Limited. London also at Bombay. Calcutta, Madras and Melbourne CONTENTS 1. The discovery 7 2. Reproduction of the relations of production 42 3. Is the working class revolutionary? 92 4. Ideologies of growth 102 5. Alternatives 120 Index 128 1 THE DISCOVERY I The reproduction of the relations of production, both as a con cept and as a reality, has not been "discovered": it has revealed itself. Neither the adventurer in knowledge nor the mere recorder of facts can sight this "continent" before actually exploring it. If it exists, it rose from the waves like a reef, together with the ocean itself and the spray. The metaphor "continent" stands for capitalism as a mode of production, a totality which has never been systematised or achieved, is never "over and done with", and is still being realised. It has taken a considerable period of work to say exactly what it is that is revealing itself. Before the question could be accurately formulated a whole constellation of concepts had to be elaborated through a series of approximations: "the everyday", "the urban", "the repetitive" and "the differential"; "strategies". -
Productivity and Costs by Industry: Manufacturing and Mining
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, April 29, 2021 USDL-21-0725 Technical information: (202) 691-5606 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/lpc Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • [email protected] PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS BY INDUSTRY MANUFACTURING AND MINING INDUSTRIES – 2020 Labor productivity rose in 41 of the 86 NAICS four-digit manufacturing industries in 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The footwear industry had the largest productivity gain with an increase of 14.5 percent. (See chart 1.) Three out of the four industries in the mining sector posted productivity declines in 2020, with the greatest decline occurring in the metal ore mining industry with a decrease of 6.7 percent. Although more mining and manufacturing industries recorded productivity gains in 2020 than 2019, declines in both output and hours worked were widespread. Output fell in over 90 percent of detailed industries in 2020 and 87 percent had declines in hours worked. Seventy-two industries had declines in both output and hours worked in 2020. This was the greatest number of such industries since 2009. Within this set of industries, 35 had increasing labor productivity. Chart 1. Manufacturing and mining industries with the largest change in productivity, 2020 (NAICS 4-digit industries) Output Percent Change 15 Note: Bubble size represents industry employment. Value in the bubble Seafood product 10 indicates percent change in labor preparation and productivity. Sawmills and wood packaging preservation 10.7 5 Animal food Footwear 14.5 0 12.2 Computer and peripheral equipment -9.6 9.9 -5 Cut and sew apparel Communications equipment -9.5 12.7 Textile and fabric -10 10.4 finishing mills Turbine and power -11.0 -15 transmission equipment -10.1 -20 -9.9 Rubber products -14.7 -25 Office furniture and Motor vehicle parts fixtures -30 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 Hours Worked Percent Change Change in productivity is approximately equal to the change in output minus the change in hours worked. -
ECON3102-005 Chapter 4: Firm Behavior
ECON3102-005 Chapter 4: Firm Behavior Neha Bairoliya Spring 2014 • The representative firm demands labor and supplies consumption goods. Review and Introduction • The representative consumer supplies labor and demands consumption goods. Review and Introduction • The representative consumer supplies labor and demands consumption goods. • The representative firm demands labor and supplies consumption goods. • Production Function Y = zF (K; Nd ) • Because this is a one-period model, we treat K as a fixed input. In the SR, firms cannot vary their capital input. • z is called the total factor productivity, as an increase in z makes both K and Nd more productive. • Y is output of consumption goods. The Representative Firm • Assume a representative firm which owns capital (plant and equipment), hires labor to produce consumption goods. • Because this is a one-period model, we treat K as a fixed input. In the SR, firms cannot vary their capital input. • z is called the total factor productivity, as an increase in z makes both K and Nd more productive. • Y is output of consumption goods. The Representative Firm • Assume a representative firm which owns capital (plant and equipment), hires labor to produce consumption goods. • Production Function Y = zF (K; Nd ) • z is called the total factor productivity, as an increase in z makes both K and Nd more productive. • Y is output of consumption goods. The Representative Firm • Assume a representative firm which owns capital (plant and equipment), hires labor to produce consumption goods. • Production Function Y = zF (K; Nd ) • Because this is a one-period model, we treat K as a fixed input. -
Internal Increasing Returns to Scale and Economic Growth
NBER TECHNICAL WORKING PAPER SERIES INTERNAL INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH John A. List Haiwen Zhou Technical Working Paper 336 http://www.nber.org/papers/t0336 NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 March 2007 The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. © 2007 by John A. List and Haiwen Zhou. All rights reserved. Short sections of text, not to exceed two paragraphs, may be quoted without explicit permission provided that full credit, including © notice, is given to the source. Internal Increasing Returns to Scale and Economic Growth John A. List and Haiwen Zhou NBER Technical Working Paper No. 336 March 2007 JEL No. E10,E22,O41 ABSTRACT This study develops a model of endogenous growth based on increasing returns due to firms? technology choices. Particular attention is paid to the implications of these choices, combined with the substitution of capital for labor, on economic growth in a general equilibrium model in which the R&D sector produces machines to be used for the sector producing final goods. We show that incorporating oligopolistic competition in the sector producing finals goods into a general equilibrium model with endogenous technology choice is tractable, and we explore the equilibrium path analytically. The model illustrates a novel manner in which sustained per capita growth of consumption can be achieved?through continuous adoption of new technologies featuring the substitution between capital and labor. Further insights of the model are that during the growth process, the size of firms producing final goods increases over time, the real interest rate is constant, and the real wage rate increases over time. -
Increasing Returns to Scale, Dynamics of Industrial Structure and Size Distribution of Firms†
Increasing Returns to Scale, Dynamics of Industrial Structure and Size Distribution of Firms† Ying Fan, Menghui Li, Zengru Di∗ Department of Systems Science, School of Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China _______________________________________________________________________ Abstract A model is presented of the market dynamics to emphasis the effects of increasing returns to scale, including the description of the born and death of the adaptive producers. The evolution of market structure and its behavior with the technological shocks are discussed. Its dynamics is in good agreement with some empirical “stylized facts” of industrial evolution. Together with the diversities of demand and adaptive growth strategies of firms, the generalized model has reproduced the power-law distribution of firm size. Three factors mainly determine the competitive dynamics and the skewed size distributions of firms: 1. Self-reinforcing mechanism; 2. Adaptive firm grows strategies; 3. Demand diversities or widespread heterogeneity in the technological capabilities of different firms. JEL classification: L11, C61 Key words: Increasing returns, Industry dynamics, Size distribution of firms _______________________________________________________________________ Ⅰ. INTRODUCTION In the past decades, the evolutionary perspective has contributed lot to the economics (Arthur, Durlauf, and Lane, 1997; Dosi, Nelson, 1994; Aruka, 2001). The economy is studied as an evolving complex system with many features in complexity such as nonlinear interactions and emergent properties. In reality, the economic system consists † The paper has been presented in the 1st Sino-German workshop on the evolutionary economics, March, 2004, Beijing, China. The authors thank all the participants for their helpful comments and suggestions. The work is supported by the NSFC under the grant No. 70371072 and grant No. -
Returns to Scale and Size in Agricultural Economics
Returns to Scale and Size in Agricultural Economics John W. McClelland, Michael E. Wetzstein, and Wesley N. Musser Differences between the concepts of returns to size and returns to scale are systematically reexamined in this paper. Specifically, the relationship between returns to scale and size are examined through the use of the envelope theorem. A major conclusion of the paper is that the level of abstraction in applying a cost function derived from a homothetic technology within a relevant range of the expansion path may not be severe when compared to the theoretical, estimative, and computational advantages of these technologies. Key words: elasticity of scale, envelope theorem, returns to size. Agricultural economists investigating long-run scale, Euler's theorem, and the form of pro- relationships among levels of inputs, outputs, duction functions. However, the direct link be- and costs generally use concepts of returns to tween returns to size and scale is not devel- scale and size. Econometric studies which uti- oped. Hanoch investigates the elasticity of scale lize production or profit functions commonly and size in terms of variation with output and are concerned with returns to scale (de Janvry; illustrates that only at the cost-minimizing in- Lau and Yotopoulos), while synthetic studies put combinations are the two concepts equiv- of relationships between output and cost uti- alent. Hanoch further provides a proposition lize returns to size (Hall and LaVeen; Rich- stating that Frisch's "Regular Ulta-Passum ardson and Condra). However, as noted by Law" is neither necessary nor sufficient for a Bassett, the word scale is sometimes also used production technology to be associated with to mean size (of a plant).