As the number of firms in an oligopoly market a increases, the market approaches the competitive market outcome. b decreases, the market approaches the cartel outcome. c increases, the market approaches the monopoly outcome. d decreases, the market approaches the competitive market outcome.

Ajustification for job training programs is that they improve worker productivity. suppose that you are asked to evaluate whether more job training makes workers more productive. however, rather than having data on individual workers, you have access to data on manufacturing firms in ohio. in particu- lar, for each firm, you have information on hours of job training per worker (training) and number of nondefective items produced per worker hour (output). (i) carefully state the ceteris paribus thought experiment underlying this policy question. (ii) does it seem likely that a firm’s decision to train its workers will be independent of worker characteristics? what are some of those measurable and unmeasurable worker characteristics? (iii) name a factor other than worker characteristics that can affect worker productivity. (iv) if you find a positive correlation between output and training, would you have convincingly established that job training makes workers more productive? explain.

Who is better at multi-tasking? in business, employees are often asked to perform a complex task when their atten-tion is divided (i.e., multi-tasking). human factors (may 2014) published a study designed to determine whether video game players are better than non–video game play-ers at multi-tasking. each in a sample of 60 college stu-dents was classified as a video game player or a non-player. participants entered a street crossing simulator and were asked to cross a busy street at an unsigned intersec-tion. the simulator was designed to have cars traveling at various high rates of speed in both directions. during the crossing, the students also performed a memory task as a distraction. two variables were measured for each student: (1) a street crossing performance score (measured out of 100 points) and (2) a memory task score (measured out of 20 points). the researchers found no differences in either the street crossing performance or memory task score of video game players and non-gamers. “these results,” say the researchers, “suggest that action video game players [and non-gamers] are equally susceptible to the costs of dividing attention in a complex task”

Frost corporation incurred the following transactions during its first year of operations. (assume all transactions involve cash.) 1) acquired $1,900 of capital from the owners. 2) purchased $435 of direct raw materials. 3) used $290 of these direct raw materials in the production process. 4) paid production workers $490 cash. 5) paid $290 for manufacturing overhead (applied and actual overhead are the same). 6) started and completed 250 units of inventory. 7) sold 140 units at a price of $6 each. 8) paid $130 for selling and administrative expenses. the amount of raw material inventory on the balance sheet at the end of the accounting period would be: