Microeconomics - Syllabus
Embark on a profound academic exploration as you delve into the Microeconomics course (Microeconomics) within the distinguished Tribhuvan university's BBS department. Aligned with the 2013 Syllabus, this course (MGT 203) seamlessly merges theoretical frameworks with practical sessions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Rigorous assessment based on a 100 marks system, coupled with a challenging passing threshold of , propels students to strive for excellence, fostering a deeper grasp of the course content.
This 3 credit-hour journey unfolds as a holistic learning experience, bridging theory and application. Beyond theoretical comprehension, students actively engage in practical sessions, acquiring valuable skills for real-world scenarios. Immerse yourself in this well-structured course, where each element, from the course description to interactive sessions, is meticulously crafted to shape a well-rounded and insightful academic experience.
Course Objectives
This course of Business Economics-I aims to enhance understanding of the microeconomic theories and develop skills of students in using these theories in business decision making.
Course Description
This course of Business Economics-I consists of the introduction to
microeconomics, theory of demand, supply and equilibrium price, elasticity
of demand and supply, theory of consumers behavior, theory of production,
cost and revenue curves, theory of product pricing and factor pricing
Units
Concept of business (managerial) economics; Relation of business economics with traditional economics; Meaning, scope, use and limitations of microeconomics
Theory of Demand and Supply and Equilibrium Price
Demand function, determinants of demand, movement and shift in demand curve; Supply function, determinants of supply, movement and shift in supply curve; Market equilibrium; Change in equilibrium due to shift in demand curve and supply curve.
(Numerical exercise)
Elasticity of demand and supply
Concept and types of price, income and cross elasticity of demand; Measurement of price, income and cross elasticity of demand: Total 22 Curriculum: Bachelor of Business Studies Program (BBS) outlay, point and arc method; Uses of price, income and cross elasticity; Concept of elasticity of supply; Measurement of elasticity of supply.
(Numerical exercise)
Theory of Consumer Behavior
Concept of cardinal and ordinal utility analysis; Cardinal approach: Assumptions, consumer’s equilibrium, criticisms and derivation of
demand curve (cardinal approach); Ordinal approach: Indifference curve: Concept, properties, marginal rate of substitution, price line and consumer’s equilibrium; Price effect: Derivation of PCC; Income effect: Derivation of ICC; Substitution effect: Hicksian approach; Decomposition of price effect into income and substitution effect: Hicksian approach; Derivation of demand curve: (ordinal approach).
(Numerical exercise)
Theory of Production
Production function: Meaning, long run and short run production function and concept of Cobb-Douglas production function; Concept of total product, average and marginal product; Law of variable proportions; Isoquant: Meaning and properties; Marginal rate of technical substitution. Iso-cost curve. Optimal combination of inputs. Laws of return to scale.
(Numerical exercise)
Cost and Revenue Curves
Concept of cost: Actual cost and opportunity cost, implicit cost and explicit cost, accounting and economic cost, historical cost and
replacement cost, separable cost and common cost. Derivation of short run cost curves. Reason for the ‘U’ shape of short run average cost curve. Derivation of long run cost curves. Relationship between short run and long run AC and MC curve. Shape of the long run average cost curve: Theoretical reason and empirical evidence. Concept of economies of scale and economies of scope. Concept of revenue: Total revenue, average revenue, and marginal revenue. Revenue curves under perfect and imperfect competition. Relation between average and marginal revenue curves. Relationship between price elasticity and marginal revenue and total revenue.
(Numerical exercise)
Theory of Product Pricing
Perfect competition: Meaning and characteristic of perfect competition; Pricing under perfect competition: Equilibrium of firm and industry in short run and long run (TR-TC approach and MC-MR approach); Derivation of short run and long run supply curve of a firm and industry
Monopoly: Meaning and characteristic of monopoly; Pricing under monopoly: Equilibrium of firm in short run and long run (TR-TC approach and MC-MR approach); Price discrimination: Degree of price discrimination and price and output determination under discrimination; Dumping
Monopolistic competition: Meaning and characteristics of monopolistic competition; Pricing under monopolistic competition: equilibrium of firm in short run and long run; equilibrium of firm under product variation and selling expenses
Oligopoly: Meaning and characteristic of oligopoly; Pricing under cartel (aiming at joint profit maximization).
(Numerical exercise)
Theory of Factor Pricing
Pricing of inputs in perfect competition and imperfect competition market. Rent: Modern theory of rent. Wages: Marginal productivity theory of wages, Concept of collective bargaining and minimum wages fixation. Interest: Loanable fund theory and Preference Theory of interest. Profit: Economic and Business Profit, Dynamic Theory and Innovation Theory of Profit.
(Numerical exercise)