Expansion Path Research Paper

334 Words2 Pages
In economics, an expansion path (also called a scale line) is a line connecting optimal input combinations as the scale of production expands. A producer seeking to produce the most units of a product in the cheapest possible way attempts to increase production along the expansion path. James Jimenez stated “an expansion path gives the most efficient input combinations for every level of output. It is the curve or locus of points that shows the cost-minimizing input combination for each level of output with the input/price ratio held constant. It also shows how input usage changes as output changes. An expansion path is derived for a specific set of input prices.” Remember Managers are always looking to improve profitability of a product or service, for the least amount of cost. The issue or dilemma I see is that managers are looking at producing a product or providing a service for the least amount of cost and may not look at the ramifications of using cheaper methods to improve profitability. A good example of this is many companies are outsourcing inbound call centre services as it’s cheaper to but the quality of service that is being provided to the customer is what…show more content…
As a producer's budget level increases, each of these points can be connected in a line joining tangency points of isoquants and isocosts (with input prices held constant). If an expansion path forms a straight line, the production technology is considered homothetic (or homoethetic). In this case, the ratio is always the same, and the inputs can be adjusted based on this ratio for any budget. A Cobb–Douglas production function has an expansion path which is a straight line through the
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