IGCSE/GCSE/O & A Level/IB/University Student Forum

Qualification => Subject Doubts => IGCSE/ GCSE => Commerce => Topic started by: Jake on May 26, 2009, 04:45:42 pm

Title: Economic Help!
Post by: Jake on May 26, 2009, 04:45:42 pm
Explain with examples what is meant by specialisation and diversification.[6]
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 05:29:14 pm
Errrmm, I can give simple explanations.
Specialisation is basically specialising into something.Meaning, a company specialises in the production of clothes , this means that the company's main focus will be on producing clothes and nothing else!!
This is done because the company may have a comparitive advantage such as reduced average costs per unit or any other reasonable explanation.

Diversification is quite the opposite.Meaning that this company will produce more than clothes to reduce the risk of having undemanded product because demand for clothes may fall and then the company will suffer greatly.

Anywayz this info is from my experience and no book. So im not 100% sure. Please check with other students.
Thank You
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 26, 2009, 06:00:19 pm
IJimmyI got it. its correct.
i love how you dont need to study to knw everything in economics  :P
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:04:09 pm
Thats why I like Eco and HATE Business St.
Eco. is simple, requires ur commonsense.
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 26, 2009, 06:08:55 pm
exactly
i never took business anyways but i would prefer eco to any other subject wether it be business or anything else  ;D
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Jake on May 26, 2009, 06:14:44 pm
What are The benefits of specialisation..?? rather than diversification??
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 26, 2009, 06:26:12 pm
Advantages of specialiasation:

- resources are not wasted
- increases output through technical economies of scale --> reduced average cost of production --> more profit
- can benefit from bulk purchases

thats all i can think of at the moment  :(
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:26:21 pm
ermmm, as I mentioned b4 it will have reduced average costs per unit.
Another advantage is that more goods and services will be produced since the repition of work will increase the experience of a worker and therefore production is increased.
Another thing is that time is saved. This is because in diversification, for producing a product it will have different stages such as producing a table,1st it will assembled then polished etc.
So in specialisation it saves time and avoids a good being transported from one person to another in order to finish the next stage. I think thats it. Can some1 plz post an answer to compare it, Thank You.
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 26, 2009, 06:35:40 pm
Diversification is relaying on another product. for example for marks and spencers, it used to specialise in clothes. NOW it has diversified because it now produces food products.

Advantages of Diversification:
- fall back on revenue if demand for product decreases (for M&S, if nobody wants to buy their clothes any more, at least they still got money from the selling of food products)
- ensures business does not close in case the market for ( eg for M&S: clothes) collapsed

"This is because in diversification, for producing a product it will have different stages such as producing a table,1st it will assembled then polished etc."

i think thats specialisation, where each worker does just one thing.right?  ???
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:39:15 pm
AWWW...
Now Im confused :(
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:40:59 pm
Ye, I think name is right cuz what I said is division of labour and that comes under Specialisation...
Lolz.. now i need to refer my notes :(
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:42:55 pm
1 MORE POST AND I WILL GET PROMOTED!!! :D
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: I Jimmy I on May 26, 2009, 06:44:10 pm
WTH???? Im already promoted...
Didnt know that :P
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 26, 2009, 07:18:19 pm
lool

ye u created and cleared a big mess in my mind!

ok so what you said was specialisation right? not diversification?

CONGRATS ON GETTING PROMOTED!!
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: diva_doll on May 26, 2009, 07:55:08 pm
wow..if onli u cud borrow brainz..lol
i totally suck at eco :(
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: diva_doll on May 26, 2009, 08:08:21 pm
hey cud u ppl explain dat alleviation of poverty thng..?
ohh n i jst realised da whole chapter of "The location n structuce of firmz" is no more in da new edition book or syllabus. :S
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Name on May 27, 2009, 07:57:04 am
i dont think thats in the syllabus for june 09 exam :S
sorry cant help :(
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: aquarian93 on May 27, 2009, 12:04:09 pm
hey u guys, can sum1 help me wid 'cash reserve ratio' and 'clearing houses'?
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: nid404 on May 27, 2009, 03:35:43 pm
CRR
The cash reserve ratio (or required reserve ratio or only reserve requirement) is a bank regulation that sets the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer deposits and notes. These reserves are designed to satisfy withdrawal demands, and would normally be in the form of fiat currency stored in a bank vault (vault cash), or with a central bank.
The reserve ratio is sometimes used as a tool in monetary policy, influencing the country's economy, borrowing, and interest rates.

A clearing house is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for financial transactions, usually on a futures exchange, and often acts as central counterparty (the payor actually pays the clearing house, which then pays the payee). A clearing house may also offer novation, the substitution of a new contract or debt for an old, or other credit enhancement services to its members.
I don't think we have clearing houses in our syllabus
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Jake on May 27, 2009, 06:01:53 pm
Another indicator of living standards, apart from education, is GDP.  Discuss how useful this is in comparing the living standards between two countries.[7]

please asnswer this according to the marks..if you want you can take help from the mark scheme..
Nov 2007..
please help me guyz...
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: ni on May 28, 2009, 05:03:08 am
CRR
The cash reserve ratio (or required reserve ratio or only reserve requirement) is a bank regulation that sets the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer deposits and notes. These reserves are designed to satisfy withdrawal demands, and would normally be in the form of fiat currency stored in a bank vault (vault cash), or with a central bank.
The reserve ratio is sometimes used as a tool in monetary policy, influencing the country's economy, borrowing, and interest rates.

A clearing house is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for financial transactions, usually on a futures exchange, and often acts as central counterparty (the payor actually pays the clearing house, which then pays the payee). A clearing house may also offer novation, the substitution of a new contract or debt for an old, or other credit enhancement services to its members.
I don't think we have clearing houses in our syllabus


Are we meant to know this?
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: nid404 on May 28, 2009, 05:05:42 am
We have different monetary policies-
-CRR
-OMO
-SLR
-Bank rates
I don't think we have clearing houses
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Jake on May 30, 2009, 08:10:11 pm
pls help me

I posted an earlier question and i need help in tht..!!


also..why do firms need to make a profit??
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: ashisonline on May 30, 2009, 08:20:58 pm
Firms need to make profits cos that's the reason why they operate, owners want returns on their investment, profit can be used to expand the business, or for creatin new investment, it could be used to pay off debts, etc.
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Depriviated on May 31, 2009, 09:57:33 am
hey guys could anyone give me a good explaination for CPI (Consumer price index) and WPI (Whole Price Index)?
help will be greatly appreciated
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: Freaked12 on May 31, 2009, 12:54:00 pm
hey guys could anyone give me a good explaination for CPI (Consumer price index) and WPI (Whole Price Index)?
help will be greatly appreciated


the consumer price index is like average price of goods and services bought by a typical household.A basket containing goods likely to be bought by a household is chosen.it measures the price change from one period to the next in the same area.thats all i know right now

and what the hell is whole price index
Title: Re: Economic Help!
Post by: nid404 on May 31, 2009, 12:58:25 pm
hey guys could anyone give me a good explaination for CPI (Consumer price index) and WPI (Whole Price Index)?
help will be greatly appreciated


the consumer price index is like average price of goods and services bought by a typical household.A basket containing goods likely to be bought by a household is chosen.it measures the price change from one period to the next in the same area.thats all i know right now

and what the hell is whole price index

it's wholesale price index......same thing...don't bother