Evaluate the Argument That Managers Controlling Large Companies Might Follow Policies Which Do Not Necessarily Maximise the Profits of the Owners.

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------------------------------------------------- JAN 10 Section B Question 4 (b) Evaluate the argument that managers controlling large companies might follow policies which do not necessarily maximise the profits of the owners. 25 marks Kn Economic theory standardly assumes maximising behaviour on the part of economic agents. Consumers are assumed to maximise utility from consumption subject to their limited income, for example, while workers maximise income subject to the constraint of wanting leisure time. It is assumed that firms pursue profit maximisation, although a number of other maximising behaviours are possible in reality such as revenue maximisation or maximising the volume of sales, and these are sometimes thought likely to be pursued by the managers of large firms. It is also possible that managers do not adopt maximising behaviour at all, perhaps “satisficing” in response to shareholder discipline or that the policy of the firm is the result of complex interactions between various stakeholders. An For a firm to profit maximise, it would be the case that it sets output where marginal cost is equal to marginal revenue. If an additional unit of output were to be produced beyond this, it would add more to the firm’s costs of production than its revenue, thus reducing profit. The diagram below shows profit maximising output and the corresponding price, read from the demand curve. It also shows some other possible objectives for the firm. Sales revenue maximisation, for example, occurs when marginal revenue is equal to zero, as the next unit produced would carry a negative marginal revenue and hence reduce total revenue. The point where the volume of sales of the good are maximised subject to making at least normal profit is also shown (at the point where AR=AC). An Diagram Possible objectives of the firm I Profit maximisation may become

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