...
for a beat-up thermos that Wal-Mart later learned from the manufacturer had been
purchased in the 1950s, long before there was a Wal-Mart. Another retailer that has
decided to halt its no-questions-asked ... control. For example, the rate structure benefited local customers
at the expense of long-distance customers. This cross-subsidy generally worked against commercial callers,
whose...
... newspapers in when they are out of town.
Chapter 1. The Economic Way of Thinking
44
- for less money than the government charges for delivering a one-ounce letter across the street! [Ed.:
Some ... common for people to think that the only way for one group of
“stakeholders” in a firm to gain is for some other group to lose. The search is all too
frequently for ways to cut...
... mathematical formula for computing the present value of future costs or benefits received one year
from now is PV = [1/(1 + r)] f, where PV stands for present value, r for the rater of interest, and f for ... explanation for long term contracting has been argued at length by Ronald P. Dore, Taking Japan
Seriously (Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1987).
14
Ibid., p....
... concern for the poor, who
may be unable to afford the information necessary to make an informed choice. The poor
may also be the least capable of understanding technical product information, ...
the number of low-skill workers covered by the minimum wage can be expected to fall as market-
determined wage rates for low-skill workers rise past the proposed new levels for the minimum wa...
... doing business for the
worker-owned firm would be higher than for the capitalist-owned firm, which means the
worker-owned firms would tend to fail in competition with capitalist-owned firms. ... finding that will be understandable from our
discussion of the “last-period problem” in an earlier chapter) . The median effort level for
the other team started at about 50, rose quickly to...
... market-based contracts, when in fact a firm’s hierarchical organization
is more cost-effective than market-based organizations, will simply be out-competed for
resources by the firms that do form ... 189 0-1 930 (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1992); especially chapters 8 and 9.
Chapter 6. Reasons for Firm Incentives
17
travelers, are in. By setting up the frequent-flier...
... of reducing pollution to ten units is $9,300; $1,500 for
firm A. $800 for B, $3,000 each for C and D, and $1,000 for E. This figure is
Chapter 7 Market Failures: External Costs
And Benefits ... holding it, for the parties to exchange hostages. For example, if
King A only has beautiful daughters then the best arrangement may be for him to ex-
change a beautiful daughter for...
... wholly right or wholly wrong, is foreign to him. The win-
list, yes-no discussion of politics is not within his purview. He does not recognize the
either-or, the all-or-nothing situation as his own. ... on Medicare for older patients and Medicaid for low-income
patients have increased the demand for healthcare services since the late 1960s,
which has tended to boost prices and forced...