Deck 8: Firms in the Global Economy: Export Decisions, Outsourcing, and Multinational Enterprises

Question 1

Modeling trade in imperfectly competitive industries is problematic because

A) collusion among imperfectly competitive firms makes usable data rare.
B) there is no single generally accepted model of behavior by imperfectly competitive firms.
C) it is difficult to find an imperfectly competitive firm in the real world.
D) there is only a single model of imperfect competition (monopoly) but imperfect competition can take many forms in the real world.
E) there are no models of imperfectly competitive behavior.

Answer 1

there is no single generally accepted model of behavior by imperfectly competitive firms.

Question 2

Under oligopoly, firms' pricing policies are ________ and, under monopolistic competition, they are ________.

A) interdependent; independent
B) independent; interdependent
C) cooperative; uncooperative
D) uncooperative; cooperative
E) profit maximizing; revenue maximizing

Answer 2

interdependent; independent

Question 3

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following total cost curve: C = 100 + 4Q. What is marginal cost equal to when Q = 10?

Answer 3

MC = 4 for any Q

Question 4

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following demand curve: Q = 100 - 2P. What is marginal revenue equal to when P = 40?

Question 5

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following total cost curve: C = 100 + 4Q. What is average fixed cost equal to when Q = 10?

Question 6

If a firm increases its output in the ________ and unit costs ________, then the firm is experiencing ________ of scale.

A) long run; decrease; economies
B) long run; increase; economies
C) short run; decrease; diseconomies
D) long run; decrease; diseconomies
E) short run; decrease; economies

Question 7

If a firm that uses a production process that yields economies of scale charges a price less than ________, then profit will be ________.

A) marginal cost; positive
B) average cost; negative
C) marginal revenue; positive
D) marginal cost; maximized
E) marginal revenue; maximized

Question 8

When a country both exports and imports a type of commodity, the country is engaged in

A) inter-industry trade.
B) an attempt to monopolize the relevant industry.
C) increasing returns to scale.
D) intra-industry trade.
E) imperfect competition.

Question 9

A monopolistic firm

A) can sell as much as it wants for any price it determines in the market.
B) cannot sell additional quantity unless it raises the price on each unit.
C) chooses an output at which marginal revenue equals marginal cost.
D) cannot determine the price, which is determined by consumer demand.
E) will always earn a profit in the long run.

Question 10

Firms that produce ________ products must be ________ competitive.

A) differentiated; imperfectly
B) differentiated; perfectly
C) exported; imperfectly
D) standardized; imperfectly
E) standardized; perfectly

Question 11

Under the model of monopolistic competition, a(an) ________ in the number of firms in the industry will cause ________ to ________.

A) increase; average price; decrease
B) increase; average price; increase
C) increase; average cost; decrease
D) decrease; markup; decrease
E) increase; marginal cost; decrease

Question 12

Under the model of monopolistic competition, a(an) ________ in the number of firms in the industry will cause ________ to ________.

A) increase; markup; decrease
B) increase; average price; increase
C) increase; average cost; decrease
D) decrease; markup; decrease
E) increase; marginal cost; decrease

Question 13

If there are a large number of firms in a monopolistically competitive industry

A) the country in which the firms are located can be expected to export the goods they produce.
B) long-run profit will be equal to zero.
C) there will be a small number of firms that are very large and the rest will be very small.
D) the firms will converge production on a standardized product.
E) there will be barriers to entry that prevent additional firms from entering the industry.

Question 14

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following demand curve: Q = 100 - 2P. What is marginal revenue equal to when P = 30?

Question 15

It is possible that trade based on external scale economies may leave a country worse off than it would have been without trade. Explain how this could happen.

Question 16

Monopolistic competition is associated with

A) product differentiation.
B) price-taking behavior.
C) increasing returns to scale.
D) high profit margins in the long run.
E) explicit consideration at the firm level of the strategic impact of other firms' pricing decisions.

Question 17

Imperfectly competitive firms have a demand curve that ________ and a marginal revenue curve that ________ and is ________ the demand curve.

A) is horizontal; is horizontal; the same as
B) is horizontal; slopes downward; below
C) slopes downward; slopes downward; below
D) slopes downward; is horizontal; above
E) slopes downward; slopes downward; the same as

Question 18

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following total cost curve: C = 100 + 4Q. What is total cost equal to when Q = 10?

Question 19

An imperfectly competitive firm has the following total cost curve: C = 100 + 4Q. What is average total cost equal to when Q = 10?

Question 20

If a firm increases its output in the ________ and unit costs ________, then the firm is experiencing ________ of scale.

A) short run; decrease; economies
B) long run; increase; diseconomies
C) short run; decrease; diseconomies
D) long run; increase; economies
E) long run; decrease; diseconomies

Question 21

If the market for products produced by firms in a monopolistically competitive industry becomes ________, then there will be ________ firms and each firm will produce ________ output and charge a ________ price.

A) larger; fewer; more; higher
B) larger; more; less; higher
C) larger; fewer; more; lower
D) larger; more; more; lower
E) larger; more; more; higher

Question 22

Refer to above figure. Given the opportunity to sell at world prices, the marginal (opportunity) cost of selling a ton domestically is what?

Question 23

Imagine scale economies were not only external to firms, but were also external to individual countries. That is, the larger the worldwide industry (regardless of where firms or plants are located), the cheaper would be the per-unit cost of production. Describe what world trade would look like in this case.

Question 24

Intra-industry trade is most common in the trade patterns of

A) raw material producers.
B) the developing countries of Asia and Africa.
C) labor-intensive products.
D) the industrial countries of Western Europe.
E) China with the rest of the world.

Question 25

Refer to above figure. The monopolist can export as much as it likes of its steel at the world price of $5/ton. How much steel will the monopolist sell, and at what price?

Question 26

Refer to above figure. While selling exports it would also maximize its domestic sales by equating its marginal (opportunity) cost to its marginal revenue of $5. How much steel would the firm sell domestically, and at what price?

Question 27

A product is produced in a monopolistically competitive industry with scale economies. If this industry exists in two countries, and these two countries engage in trade with each other, then we would expect

A) the country with a relative abundance of the factor of production in which production of the product is intensive will export this product.
B) the countries will trade only with other nations they are not in competition with.
C) the country in which the price of the product is lower will export the product.
D) neither country will export this product since there is no comparative advantage.
E) each country will export different varieties of the product to the other.

Question 28

A firm in long-run equilibrium under monopolistic competition will earn

A) positive oligopoly profits because each firm sells a differentiated product.
B) zero economic profits because of free entry.
C) negative economic profits because it has economies of scale.
D) positive economic profit if it engages in international trade.
E) positive monopoly profits because each sells a differentiated product.

Question 29

International trade based solely on internal scale economies in both countries is likely to be carried out by

A) a relatively small number of imperfect competitors.
B) a large number of oligopolists in each country.
C) monopolists in each country.
D) a relatively small number of price competing firms.
E) a relatively large number of price competing firms.

Question 30

A monopoly firm will maximize profits by producing where

A) total revenue from domestic and foreign sales is maximized.
B) marginal revenue is the same in domestic and foreign markets.
C) prices are the same in domestic and foreign markets.
D) marginal revenue is higher in the domestic market.
E) marginal revenue is higher in foreign markets.

Question 31

Intra-industry trade will tend to dominate trade flows when which of the following exists?

A) large differences between relative country factor availabilities
B) small differences between relative country factor availabilities
C) uneven distribution of abundant resources between two countries
D) homogeneous products that cannot be differentiated
E) constant cost industries

Question 32

International trade based on external scale economies in both countries is likely to be carried out by

A) a large number of oligopolists in each country.
B) a relatively large number of price competing firms.
C) a relatively small number of price competing firms.
D) a relatively small number of imperfect competitors.
E) monopolists in each country.

Question 33

An industry is characterized by scale economies, and exists in two countries. Should these two countries engage in trade such that the combined market is supplied by one country's industry, then

A) consumers in both countries would have more varieties and lower prices.
B) consumers in both countries would have higher prices and fewer varieties.
C) consumers in the exporting country only would have higher prices and fewer varieties.
D) consumers in both countries would have fewer varieties at lower prices.
E) consumers in the importing country only would have higher prices and fewer varieties.

Question 34

Two countries engaged in trade in products with no scale economies, produced under conditions of perfect competition, are likely to be engaged in

A) Heckscher-Ohlin trade.
B) oligopolistic competition
C) monopolistic competition.
D) intra-industry trade.
E) inter-industry trade.

Question 35

We often observe "pseudo-intra-industry trade" between the United States and Mexico. Actually, such trade is consistent with

A) the specific factors model of trade.
B) optimal tariff issues.
C) the Ricardian model of trade.
D) comparative advantage associated with Heckscher-Ohlin model.
E) oligopolistic markets.

Question 36

A monopoly firm engaged in international trade will

A) equate marginal costs with the highest price the market will bear.
B) equate average to local costs.
C) equate marginal costs with foreign marginal revenues.
D) equate marginal costs with marginal revenues in both domestic and foreign markets.
E) equate marginal costs with the relative world prices.

Question 37

The simultaneous export and import of widgets by the United States is an example of

A) inter-industry trade.
B) imperfect competition.
C) the effect of a monopoly on international trade.
D) intra-industry trade.
E) increasing returns to scale.

Question 38

An industry is characterized by scale economies and exists in two countries. In order for consumers of its products to enjoy both lower prices and more variety of choice

A) the two countries must engage in international trade with each other.
B) each country's marginal cost must equal that of the other country.
C) the monopoly must lower prices in order to sell more.
D) they must combine to become a multinational corporation.
E) the marginal cost of this industry must equal marginal revenue in the other.

Question 39

Trade without serious income distribution effects is most likely to happen

A) in simple manufactures trade between developing countries.
B) in sophisticated manufactures trade between rich countries.
C) in sophisticated manufactures trade between rich and poor countries.
D) in agricultural trade between rich countries.
E) in labor-intensive industries like clothing.

Question 40

Two countries engaged in trade in products with scale economies, produced under conditions of monopolistic competition, are likely to be engaged in

A) immiserizing trade.
B) inter-industry trade.
C) intra-industry trade.
D) Heckscher-Ohlinean trade.
E) price competition.

Question 41

In the model of monopolistic competition, an increase in industry output will ________ market shares and ________ profits of producers of higher-priced goods and will ________ market shares and ________ profits of producers of lower-priced goods.

A) increase; reduce; increase; reduce
B) increase; increase; reduce; reduce
C) reduce; increase; reduce; increase
D) reduce; reduce; increase; increase
E) reduce; increase; increase; reduce

Question 42

A corporation is considered a multinational ________ if ________.

A) child; more than 50% of its stock is held by a foreign company
B) child; more than 10% of its stock is held by a foreign company
C) parent; more than 10% of its stock is held by a foreign company
D) affiliate; more than 10% of its stock is held by a foreign company
E) monopolist; it owns more than 50% of a foreign firm

Question 43

In the model of monopolistic competition, compared to a firm with a lower marginal cost, a firm with a higher marginal cost will set a ________ price, produce ________ output, and earn ________ profits.

A) higher; less; more
B) higher; less; less
C) lower; less; less
D) lower; more; more
E) higher; more; more

Question 44

The most common form of price discrimination in international trade is

A) preferential trade arrangements.
B) non-tariff barriers.
C) product boycotts.
D) Voluntary Export Restraints.
E) dumping.

Question 45

The figure above represents the demand and cost functions facing a Brazilian steel producing monopolist. The Brazilian firm is charging its foreign (U.S.) customers one half the price it is charging its domestic customers. Is this good or bad for the real income or economic welfare of the United States?
Is the Brazilian firm engaged in dumping?
Is this predatory behavior on the part of the Brazilian steel company?

Question 46

In the model of monopolistic competition, if firms have ________ average cost curves, then opening trade will ________ the total number of firms and ________ the average price.

A) downward sloping; decrease; decrease
B) downward sloping; decrease; increase
C) upward sloping; decrease; increase
D) downward sloping; increase; decrease
E) upward sloping; increase; decrease

Question 47

In the model of monopolistic competition, compared to a firm with a higher marginal cost, a firm with a lower marginal cost will set a ________ price, produce ________ output, and earn ________ profits.

A) lower; less; less
B) higher; less; more
C) lower; more; more
D) higher; more; more
E) higher; less; less

Question 48

In the model of monopolistic competition, an increase in industry output will cause individual firms' demand curves to become ________, which will ________ demand for higher-priced goods and ________ demand for lower-priced goods.

A) steeper; reduce; increase
B) steeper; increase; reduce
C) horizontal; reduce; reduce
D) flatter; increase; reduce
E) flatter; reduce; increase

Question 49

In the model of monopolistic competition, if firms have ________ average cost curves, then opening trade will cause ________ firms to ________ the industry.

A) different; more efficient; enter
B) symmetric; less efficient; enter
C) different; less efficient; exit
D) symmetric; less efficient; exit
E) symmetric; more efficient; enter

Question 50

If the market for products produced by firms in a monopolistically competitive industry becomes ________, then there will be ________ firms and each firm will produce ________ output and charge a ________ price.

A) smaller; fewer; less; higher
B) smaller; fewer; less; lower
C) smaller; more; less; lower
D) smaller; more; less; higher
E) smaller; fewer; more; higher

Question 51

Consider the following two cases. In the first, a U.S. firm purchases 18% of a foreign firm. In the second, a U.S. firm builds a new production facility in a foreign country. Both are ________, with the first referred to as ________ and the second as ________.

A) foreign direct investment (FDI); inflows; outflows
B) foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows; brownfield; greenfield
C) foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows; brownfield; greenfield
D) foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows; greenfield; brownfield
E) foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows; greenfield; brownfield

Question 52

In the model of monopolistic competition, trade costs between countries cause

A) marginal costs of goods sold domestically to exceed the marginal costs of exported goods.
B) countries to negotiate the elimination of trade costs by mutual subsidization of trade.
C) prices of goods sold domestically to exceed the prices of exported goods.
D) some firms that can earn a profit on domestic sales to refrain from exporting their goods.
E) all firms that can earn a profit on domestic sales to export their goods at higher prices.

Question 53

In the model of monopolistic competition, trade costs between countries will cause domestic and foreign markets to have ________ prices, ________ quantities sold, and ________ profit levels.

A) identical; identical; different
B) different; different; identical
C) identical; different; identical
D) different; different; different
E) identical; different; different

Question 54

The figure above represents the demand and cost functions facing a Brazilian steel producing monopolist. If it were unable to export, and was constrained by its domestic market, what quantity would it sell at what price?

Question 55

A corporation is considered a multinational ________ if ________.

A) parent; more than 10% of its stock is held by a foreign company
B) child; more than 50% of its stock is held by a foreign company
C) monopolist; it owns more than 50% of a foreign firm
D) parent; it owns more than 10% of a foreign firm
E) child; more than 10% of its stock is held by a foreign company

Question 56

If an industry is imperfectly competitive, and markets are segmented then

A) a firm may find that it has lost its comparative advantage.
B) a firm may find that it should promote scale economies.
C) a firm may find that it is profitable to engage in dumping.
D) a firm may find that it should become more specialized.
E) a firm may find that international trade is unprofitable.

Question 57

Complaints are often made to the International Trade Commission concerning foreign "dumping" practices. These complaints typically claim that

A) foreign companies are charging prices that are lower than prices they charge countries other than the U.S.
B) foreign companies are charging exorbitant prices that are higher than the true value of the products.
C) U.S. consumers cannot differentiate between the foreign and domestic goods.
D) U.S. firms are harmed by the unfair pricing of foreign exporters.
E) U.S. consumers are harmed by the lack of quality control or health concerns in foreign countries.

Question 58

In the model of monopolistic competition, an increase in industry output will ________ producers of higher-priced goods and ________ producers of lower-priced goods.

A) harm; benefit
B) benefit; benefit
C) benefit; harm
D) benefit; have no effect on
E) harm; harm

Question 59

In the model of monopolistic competition, trade costs between countries cause

A) marginal costs of exported goods to exceed the marginal costs of goods sold domestically.
B) all firms that can earn a profit on domestic sales to export their goods at higher prices.
C) countries to negotiate the elimination of trade costs by mutual subsidization of trade.
D) marginal costs of goods sold domestically to exceed the marginal costs of exported goods.
E) all firms that can earn a profit on domestic sales to export their goods at lower prices.

Question 60

In an industry where firms experience internal scale economies, the long-run cost of production will depend on

A) individual firms' fixed costs.
B) the size of the labor force.
C) whether the country engages in intra-industry trade.
D) the size of the market.
E) whether the country engages in inter-industry trade.

Question 61

During the past decade, U.S. imports of business services have ________, U.S. exports of business services have ________, and U.S. net exports of business services have ________.

A) increased; decreased; decreased
B) decreased; increased; increased
C) decreased; decreased; increased
D) increased; increased; increased
E) increased; increased; not changed

Question 62

Foreign outsourcing is

A) the transfer of operations to foreign contractors.
B) an example of foreign direct investment.
C) an example of internalization.
D) currently illegal in the U.S.
E) the substitution of immigration for foreign direct investment.

Question 63

Product differentiation and internal economies of scale yield gains from trade in the form of

A) higher profits and lower trade costs.
B) lower production costs and a greater variety of goods.
C) the proximity-concentration effect.
D) the substitution of immigration for foreign direct investment.
E) a proliferation of competitive firms.

Question 64

What are the consequences of outsourcing production on the welfare of countries?

Question 65

A firm is more likely to engage in horizontal foreign direct investment if

A) trade costs are low and firms experience constant returns to scale in production.
B) trade costs are low and there are internal economies of scale.
C) trade costs are high and there are internal economies of scale.
D) trade costs are high and there are external economies of scale.
E) trade costs are low and there are external economies of scale.

Question 66

When a multinational affiliate replicates production in a foreign country it is called ________ foreign direct investment.

A) bisectional
B) direct
C) horizontal
D) transitional
E) vertical

Question 67

A firm's foreign direct investment. decisions are, in the case of horizontal FDI, strongly influenced by ________ and, in the case of vertical FDI, strongly influenced by ________.

A) materials costs; labor costs
B) trade costs; production costs
C) labor costs; trade costs
D) production costs; trade costs
E) production costs; materials costs

Question 68

What is the nature of the proximity-concentration tradeoff that firms have to deal with then making decisions regarding foreign direct investment?

Question 69

When a multinational affiliate replicates elements of a production process in a foreign country it is called ________ foreign direct investment.

A) horizontal
B) vertical
C) transitional
D) bisectional
E) direct