Diminishing Returns

“Diminishing Returns” is a concept, or more precisely, an empirical finding that shows up in a variety of places in microeconomics. We first encountered it in the module on utility, and then again in this module on production and costs.

What do economists mean by “diminishing returns” to an input? What causes diminishing returns? Have you ever observed this principle at work in a job you’ve had? Describe how you’ve experienced this concept in the real world.

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Sample Answer

In economics, diminishing returns refers to the fact that the marginal (additional) output produced by an additional unit of input will eventually decrease as more and more units of the input are added. This is because, as the amount of an input increases, other inputs become less productive, and eventually the additional output produced by each additional unit of input will be less than the previous one.

There are a few reasons why diminishing returns occur. One reason is that as more and more of an input is added, the other inputs may become less productive. For example, if you add more and more workers to a factory, eventually the workers will start to get in each other’s way, and the additional output produced by each additional worker will decrease.

Full Answer Section

Another reason why diminishing returns occur is that as more and more of an input is added, the law of diminishing marginal utility comes into play. This law states that as you consume more and more of a good, the marginal utility (the additional satisfaction you get from consuming one more unit of the good) will decrease. So, if you add more and more workers to a factory, eventually the additional output produced by each additional worker will be less because the workers will be less productive and the marginal utility of the additional output will decrease.

I have observed the principle of diminishing returns at work in a few different jobs I’ve had. For example, when I was a waiter, I noticed that as I worked more and more hours, my productivity would eventually start to decrease. This is because I would start to get tired and make more mistakes.

Another example of diminishing returns I’ve experienced is in my current job as a software engineer. When I’m working on a difficult coding problem, I’ll often find that the first few hours of work are very productive. However, as I continue to work on the problem, my productivity will eventually start to decrease. This is because I’ll start to get frustrated and make more mistakes.

The principle of diminishing returns is a real-world phenomenon that can have a significant impact on productivity. It’s important to be aware of this principle so that you can manage your time and resources effectively.

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