Firms and Production
EconomicsΒ· 3.6Β· 12 min read
1. Demand for Factors of Productionβ β ββββ± 4 min
Firms combine four factors of production to make goods and services: land (natural resources), labour (workers), capital (man-made resources such as machinery) and enterprise (the risk-taking organiser). When a firm decides how much of each factor to hire, it is deciding the demand for that factor. A key idea for this topic is that the demand for any factor of production is a derived demand.
Derived Demand
The demand for a factor of production is not wanted for its own sake, but is derived from the demand for the good or service the factor helps to produce.
Example:
A construction firm does not want builders for their own sake; it demands builders because there is demand for new houses. If demand for houses rises, the firm will demand more builders.
The syllabus lists four main influences on how much of a factor of production a firm will demand:
Demand for the product (derived demand): the more the good or service is demanded, the more of the factor firms will want to hire.
The price of the factor and of other factors: if a factor becomes cheaper relative to the others, firms tend to use more of it and less of the others (for example, using more machines if machinery becomes cheaper than workers).
The availability of the factor: if a factor is scarce or hard to obtain, firms may be unable to demand as much of it, or may switch to a factor that is more readily available.
The productivity of the factor: the more output a factor produces for each unit hired, the more valuable it is to the firm, so the greater the demand for it.
A bakery sees a large rise in local demand for its bread. Explain how this is likely to affect the bakery's demand for labour.
- 1
- Identify the type of demand: the bakery's demand for bakers is a derived demand, coming from the demand for bread.
- 2
- Link the change: because demand for bread has risen, the bakery needs to produce more loaves, so it will demand more bakers at each wage level.
- 3
- Conclude: the demand for labour (bakers) rises as a direct result of the rise in demand for the product they make.
Exam tip:
Whenever a question asks why demand for a factor of production changes, use the phrase 'derived demand' and link it back to the demand for the final product. This is a common mark scheme point.
2. Labour-Intensive and Capital-Intensive Productionβ β ββββ± 4 min
Firms can produce the same output using different combinations of factors. Some rely mainly on workers, while others rely mainly on machinery. This gives two contrasting methods of production.
Labour-Intensive Production
Production that uses a high proportion of labour (workers) relative to capital (machinery), for example hairdressing, hand-made crafts, or fruit picking.
Capital-Intensive Production
Production that uses a high proportion of capital (machinery) relative to labour (workers), for example car assembly lines, oil refining, or automated bottling plants.
The main reasons a firm adopts one method rather than the other are: the relative price and availability of labour and capital (a firm in a country with cheap, plentiful labour may choose labour-intensive methods, while a firm facing high wages may switch to machines), the scale of output (mass production of standardised goods suits capital-intensive methods), and the nature of the product (personalised or custom services suit labour-intensive methods).
Labour-intensive advantages: lower set-up cost, flexible and easy to adjust, well-suited to customised or small-scale output, and it creates jobs.
Labour-intensive disadvantages: workers can be less reliable, quality may be less consistent, and rising wages increase costs.
Capital-intensive advantages: machines can raise output and productivity, give consistent quality, and can run continuously, which can lower average cost at high output.
Capital-intensive disadvantages: high initial cost of machinery, breakdowns can halt production, it is less flexible, and it may reduce the number of jobs.
A clothing firm in a country with low wages and plentiful workers is deciding between hand-sewing (labour-intensive) and automated machines (capital-intensive). Give one reason it might choose labour-intensive production.
- 1
- Consider the price and availability of factors: labour is cheap and plentiful in this country, while automated machines are expensive to buy.
- 2
- Apply it: with low wages, hiring workers costs less than investing in costly machinery, so labour-intensive production keeps costs down.
- 3
- Conclude: the firm may choose labour-intensive production because cheap, available labour makes it the lower-cost method for its situation.
Exam tip:
When comparing the two methods, always link the choice to the relative price and availability of labour and capital in the specific context given, rather than saying one method is always 'better'.
3. Production and Productivityβ β β βββ± 4 min
Students often confuse production and productivity, but they measure different things. Getting this distinction right is a frequent source of marks in this topic.
Production
The total output of goods and services produced by a firm or an economy over a period of time (for example, 600 shirts per week).
Productivity
Output per unit of input over a period of time, for example output per worker (labour productivity) or output per machine.
The key difference: a firm can raise production simply by using more inputs, for example hiring more workers, even if each worker produces the same as before. Productivity only rises when output per unit of input increases, meaning the same inputs produce more output. Influences on production include the quantity of factors employed and the level of demand. Influences on productivity include the training and skills of workers, the quality of capital and technology used, worker motivation, and how well the firm is organised and managed.
A workshop produces 600 chairs per week using 20 workers. After a training programme, the same 20 workers produce 720 chairs per week. Explain what has happened to production and to productivity.
- 1
- Production: total output has risen from 600 to 720 chairs per week, so production has increased by 120 chairs.
- 2
- Productivity: output per worker was 600 divided by 20 = 30 chairs per worker; it is now 720 divided by 20 = 36 chairs per worker.
- 3
- Conclude: both production and productivity have risen. Because the number of workers stayed the same but output per worker increased, the rise came from higher productivity (helped by training), not from using more inputs.
Exam tip:
If output rises only because a firm hires more workers, that is higher production, not necessarily higher productivity. Say 'productivity' only when output per worker (or per machine) increases.
4. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Treating production and productivity as the same thing.
Why:
Production is total output, while productivity is output per unit of input; a firm can raise production by hiring more workers without productivity rising at all.
Correct move:
Use 'production' for total output and 'productivity' for output per worker/per machine, and check which one the data actually shows has changed.
Wrong move:
Forgetting that demand for a factor of production is a derived demand.
Why:
The demand for labour, land or capital comes from the demand for the product they make, so explaining factor demand without mentioning the product misses the key point.
Correct move:
Always link a change in demand for a factor back to a change in demand for the final good or service.
Wrong move:
Claiming capital-intensive production is always better than labour-intensive production.
Why:
The best method depends on the relative price and availability of factors, the scale of output and the nature of the product; cheap, plentiful labour can make labour-intensive methods cheaper.
Correct move:
Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each method against the specific context in the question before reaching a judgement.
Wrong move:
Defining capital as the money used to start a business.
Why:
IGCSE Economics defines capital as man-made physical resources used in production, not financial capital.
Correct move:
When referring to capital as a factor of production, give examples like machinery, tools, factories or vehicles.
Wrong move:
Assuming that hiring more workers always raises productivity.
Why:
More workers raises total production, but productivity (output per worker) only rises if each worker's output increases, for example through training or better equipment.
Correct move:
Separate the effect on total output from the effect on output per worker, and link productivity gains to training, technology or motivation.
5. Quick Reference Cheatsheet
Concept | Definition | Key Point / Example |
|---|---|---|
Factors of Production | Four inputs for production: land, labour, capital, enterprise | Capital = machinery, not money |
Derived Demand | Demand for a factor comes from demand for the product it makes | More houses demanded, so more builders demanded |
Influences on factor demand | Product demand, factor prices, availability, productivity | Cheaper machines, so firms may use more capital |
Labour-Intensive Production | High proportion of labour relative to capital | Flexible, lower set-up cost; suits custom/small-scale output |
Capital-Intensive Production | High proportion of capital relative to labour | High output and consistent quality; high initial cost |
Production | Total output produced | 600 shirts per week |
Productivity | Output per unit of input | Output per worker = total output / number of workers |
6. Frequently Asked
What does it mean that the demand for labour is a derived demand?
It means firms do not want workers for their own sake; they demand labour because of the demand for the goods and services those workers help to produce. If demand for the product rises, firms will usually demand more of the factors (including labour) needed to make it.
What is the difference between production and productivity?
Production is the total amount of output produced. Productivity is output per unit of input, such as output per worker. A firm can raise production simply by hiring more workers, but productivity only rises if output per worker (or per machine) increases.
Is money considered capital as a factor of production?
No. For IGCSE Economics, capital is defined as man-made physical resources used in production, such as machinery, tools and factories. Money used to fund a business is finance, not a factor of production.
What's Next
Now that you understand how firms demand factors of production, choose between labour-intensive and capital-intensive methods, and the difference between production and productivity, you are ready to move on to how firms measure their costs and revenue. The next topic covers total cost, average total cost, fixed and variable costs, and total and average revenue, before looking at the objectives that guide firm decisions. After that you will study market structure, comparing competitive markets with monopoly. Be sure to practise structured explanation questions from past papers, as the difference between production and productivity and the idea of derived demand are regularly tested in both Paper 1 and Paper 2.