Answer:
Urgency / Postponement leads to customer inelastic demand of ice melt.
Explanation:
Elasticity of demand is responsive change in demand of good, due to change in price. Formula = % change in demand / % change in price
Factors Affecting Price Elasticity of Demand : Nature of commodity, Income, substitutes availability, time period, urgency / postponement, share in total expenditure,
Inelastic Demand is when demand responds proportionately less to price change. % change in demand < % change in price
Case 'Customer critically needs ice melt to drive to work' : This has inelastic demand i.e demand less respondent to price changes (he will buy that at high price too). Such because of the urgency of this demand & less scope of its postponement.
Answer:
<em>(A) Unit variable costs fluctuate and unit fixed costs remain constant.</em>
Explanation:
The <em>fixed costs</em> are the costs which have to be incurred always, irrespective of what the output produced is by the firm. For instance, a firm always has to charge depreciation on its fixed assets, pay salary to the premises staff and pay fixed salary to the managers for managing etc, irrespective of whatever output it produces.
<em>Variable costs</em> are the costs which vary with the level of output produced activity. For example, if more output is produced more will be the raw material payments, more will be the manufacturing related other expenses and more will be the wages paid to the labour etc and vice-versa.
Hence, thereby the per <em>unit variable costs fluctuate and unit fixed costs remain constant.</em>
Answer:
a. Whataburger is not using the optimal cost-minimizaing mix of cashier and kiosks.
b. Whataburger should hire more cashier and rent fewer kiosks in order to improve its mix of inputs and minimize the cost
Explanation:
a. According to the given data we have the following:
Let "C" is a cashier.
"K" is a kiosk
MPC = 48 (Marginal Product of Cashier)
MPK = 32 (Marginal Product of Kiosk)
PC = $15 (cashier can be hired for a wage of $15)
PK = $12 (Kiosk rents for $12)
At optimal cost minimization point, (MPC / MPK) = (PC / PK)
(MPC / PC) = (MPK / PK)
(MPC / PC) = (48 / 15) = 3.2
(MPK / PK) = (32 / 12) = 2.67
Since the (MPC / PC) and (MPK / PK) is not equal. It implies Whataburger is not using the optimal cost-minimizaing mix of cashier and kiosks.
b. We have to use the following:
(MPC / PC) > (MPK / PK)
i.e., 3.2 > 2.67
It means Whataburger hire more cashier and rent fewer kiosks in order to improve its mix of inputs and minimize the cost.
