1. The form of economics most relevant to managerial decision-making within the firm is:
a. macroeconomics
b. welfare economics
c. free-enterprise economics
d. microeconomics
2. If one defines incremental cost as the change in total cost resulting from a decision, and
incremental revenue as the change in total revenue resulting from a decision, any business
decision is profitable if:
a. it increases revenue more than costs or reduces costs more than revenue
b. it decreases some costs more than it increases others (assuming revenues remain constant)
c. it increases some revenues more than it decreases others (assuming costs remain constant)
d. all of the above
3. In the shareholder wealth maximization model, the value of a firm's stock is equal to the present value of all expected future ___________ discounted at the stockholders' required rate of return.
a. profits (cash flows)
b. revenues
c. outlays
d. costs
e. investments
4. Which of the following statements concerning the shareholder wealth maximization model is (are) true?
a. The timing of future profits is explicitly considered.
b. The model provides a conceptual basis for evaluating differential levels of risk.
c. The model is only valid for dividend-paying firms.
d. a and b
e. a, b, and c
5. According to the profit-maximization goal, the firm should attempt to maximize short-run profits since there is too much uncertainty associated with long-run profits.
a. true
b. false
6. According to the innovation theory of profit, above-normal profits are necessary to compensate the owners of the firm for the risk they assume when making their investments.
a. true
b. false
7. According to the managerial efficiency theory of profit, above-normal profits can arise because of high-quality managerial skills.
a. true
b. false
8. Which of the following (if any) is not a factor affecting the profit performance of firms:
a. differential risk
b. innovation
c. managerial skills
d. existence of monopoly power
e. all of the above are factors
9. Agency problems and costs are incurred whenever the owners of a firm delegate decision-making authority to management.
a. true
b. false
10. Economic profit is defined as the difference between revenue and ________________.
a. explicit cost
b. total economic cost
c. implicit cost
d. shareholder wealth
11. Income tax payments are an example of __________.
a. implicit costs
b. explicit costs
c. normal return on investment
d. shareholder wealth
12. The factors most directly responsible for the turnaround in the performance of O.M. Scott & Sons after 1986 include all of the following except
a. the discipline of a highly leveraged capital structure
b. a closer alignment of manager and owner interests
c. more efficient use of resources
d. an increase in interest rates that permitted Scott to earn greater returns on its liquid assets
13. Various executive compensation plans have been employed to motivate managers to make decisions that maximize shareholder wealth. These include:
a. cash bonuses based on length of service with the firm
b. bonuses for resisting hostile takeovers
c. requiring officers to own stock in the company
d. large corporate staffs
e. a, b, and c only
14. The common factors that give rise to all principal-agent problems include the
a. unobservability of some manager-agent action
b. presence of random disturbances in team production
c. the greater number of agents relative to the number of principals
d. a and b only