Question

Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's are replacing cashiers with touch-screen ordering kiosks. Currently the MPL for an additional cashier is 48 customers served per hour and the MPK for an additional kiosk is 32 customers served per hour. A cashier can be hired for wage of $15; a kiosk rents for $12.
(a) Is Whataburger using the optimal cost-minimizing mix of cashiers and kiosks? Explain.
(b) What can Whataburger do to improve its mix of inputs – hire more cashiers or fewer? Rent more kiosks or fewer?

Answer 1

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.