Autos Casestudy
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Department of Economics Occidental College
Fall 2009 Economics 302 Professor Chiou
Case Study Questions for “Automobiles” by James Brock Due Wednesday, September 23 by 5pm Each of you has been assigned one question for this case study. Please briefly answer (in about 3 to 4 sentences) your assigned question. Name Alex Kearns Alex Lim Andrew Nieh Colleen Robins Deryck Lim Greg Benz Joe Wyer John Clair Josephine Lau Noah Applebome Richard Highsmith RJ Infantino Sam Rossi Stephanie Babij Todd Mark Wes McCabe Zach Perkins
Question 1. What are the key demand characteristics of automobiles that help in defining its market? 2. Would the proper economic definition of the geographic market that includes automobiles be the U.S. or is it global? 3. What are the main COMPLEMENTS to automobiles? 4. Is auto demand by U.S. consumers price elastic? 5. How income sensitive is the auto purchaser in the U.S.? 6. What role do used autos play in this? 7. Describe current level of concentration in the U.S. auto industry. 8. How has concentration in the industry changed over the course of the 20th century? 9. What is a plausible amount for MES in automobile assembly? 10. What factors contribute to scale economies in auto manufacturing? 11. Identify key economic attributes of this product, i.e., new automobiles. 12. How did principal product strategies of Ford and GM differ in the first half of the 20th century? 13. What features of consumer demand for autos favor Ford strategy? Favor GM strategy? 14. Describe the trade offs among speed, safety, fuel economy and comfort of autos, and how the cost of gasoline affects the relative tradeoffs consumers make. 15. What attracted foreign auto makers to the U.S. market? 16. What entry strategies did Japanese auto makers, in particular, employ to enter the U.S. market? How did U.S. auto makers respond? 17. Prior to major foreign entry, how did U.S. auto makers conduct their pricing?
Fall 2009 Economics 302 Professor Chiou
Case Study Questions for “Automobiles” by James Brock Due Wednesday, September 23 by 5pm Each of you has been assigned one question for this case study. Please briefly answer (in about 3 to 4 sentences) your assigned question. Name Alex Kearns Alex Lim Andrew Nieh Colleen Robins Deryck Lim Greg Benz Joe Wyer John Clair Josephine Lau Noah Applebome Richard Highsmith RJ Infantino Sam Rossi Stephanie Babij Todd Mark Wes McCabe Zach Perkins
Question 1. What are the key demand characteristics of automobiles that help in defining its market? 2. Would the proper economic definition of the geographic market that includes automobiles be the U.S. or is it global? 3. What are the main COMPLEMENTS to automobiles? 4. Is auto demand by U.S. consumers price elastic? 5. How income sensitive is the auto purchaser in the U.S.? 6. What role do used autos play in this? 7. Describe current level of concentration in the U.S. auto industry. 8. How has concentration in the industry changed over the course of the 20th century? 9. What is a plausible amount for MES in automobile assembly? 10. What factors contribute to scale economies in auto manufacturing? 11. Identify key economic attributes of this product, i.e., new automobiles. 12. How did principal product strategies of Ford and GM differ in the first half of the 20th century? 13. What features of consumer demand for autos favor Ford strategy? Favor GM strategy? 14. Describe the trade offs among speed, safety, fuel economy and comfort of autos, and how the cost of gasoline affects the relative tradeoffs consumers make. 15. What attracted foreign auto makers to the U.S. market? 16. What entry strategies did Japanese auto makers, in particular, employ to enter the U.S. market? How did U.S. auto makers respond? 17. Prior to major foreign entry, how did U.S. auto makers conduct their pricing?
