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Economics case studies

Covering micro as well as macro economics, some of IBSCDC's case studies require a prior understanding of certain economic concepts, while many case studies can be used to derive the underlying economic concepts. Topics like Demand and Supply Analysis, Market Structures (Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic, etc.), Cost Structures, etc., in micro economics and national income accounting, monetary and fiscal policies, exchange rate dynamics, etc., in macro economics can be discussed through these case studies.

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Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

• Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
• Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
• The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
• Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
• A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
• Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
• The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

Microeconomic Case Studies

Economist Zone

Welcome to our in-depth analysis of microeconomic case studies. This blog post aims to shed light on the fascinating world of microeconomics through real-world case studies. We will explore different scenarios, dissect the economic principles at play, and understand how these principles affect individuals, firms, and markets.

The Power of Supply and Demand: The Case of the Housing Market

Let's kick things off with a classic example of supply and demand in action - the housing market. The housing market is a perfect illustration of how changes in supply and demand can dramatically impact prices.

When demand for houses increases (due to factors like population growth or increased income), and supply remains constant, house prices tend to rise. Conversely, if the supply of houses increases (perhaps due to new construction) and demand remains constant, house prices usually fall.

An interesting case study is the San Francisco housing market. The city has seen a significant increase in demand due to the tech boom, but strict zoning laws have limited the supply of new housing. The result? Skyrocketing house prices.

This case study underscores the importance of understanding supply and demand dynamics. Policymakers, for instance, can use this understanding to address housing affordability issues.

The Impact of Government Policies: Minimum Wage Laws

Next, let's turn our attention to government policies, specifically minimum wage laws, and their impact on the labor market.

Minimum wage laws set a floor for wages. Employers must pay their workers at least the minimum wage. While the intention behind these laws is to protect low-income workers, they can have unintended consequences.

Consider the case of Seattle. In 2014, the city decided to gradually increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Some businesses, unable to afford the higher wages, reduced their workforce or closed down altogether. This led to a decrease in employment opportunities for low-skilled workers - the very group the policy aimed to help.

This case study highlights the importance of considering the potential unintended consequences of government policies. It also underscores the role of elasticity in labor demand.

The Role of Elasticity: The Case of Luxury Goods

Elasticity is a key concept in microeconomics. It measures how much the quantity demanded or supplied of a good changes in response to a change in price.

Luxury goods typically have high price elasticity of demand. This means that a small change in price can lead to a large change in quantity demanded.

Take the case of luxury cars. If the price of a luxury car increases by a small percentage, the quantity demanded can decrease significantly. This is because luxury cars are not a necessity, and consumers can easily switch to cheaper alternatives.

This case study demonstrates the importance of understanding elasticity for businesses. It can help them make informed pricing decisions and predict how changes in price will affect their sales.

Market Structures and Competition: The Case of the Tech Industry

Now, let's explore different market structures through the lens of the tech industry.

The tech industry is often characterized as an oligopoly, a market structure in which a few large firms dominate the market. These firms have significant market power and can influence prices.

A notable case study is the rivalry between Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market. Both companies have a significant share of the market and continuously innovate to outdo each other. This competition drives technological advancements and benefits consumers.

This case study illustrates the dynamics of competition in an oligopoly. It also highlights the role of innovation in competitive markets.

Externalities and Public Goods: The Case of Vaccination

Finally, let's delve into the concepts of externalities and public goods.

Vaccination is a classic example of a positive externality - a benefit that affects people who did not choose to incur that benefit. When a person gets vaccinated, they not only protect themselves from disease but also reduce the likelihood of disease transmission, benefiting society.

This case study emphasizes the role of government in addressing externalities. In the case of vaccination, governments often provide vaccines for free or at a subsidized cost to maximize societal benefits.

The Role of Information: The Case of Used Cars

Our last case study focuses on the role of information in markets, using the used car market as an example.

The used car market often suffers from a problem known as "information asymmetry" - a situation where one party has more or better information than the other. Sellers often have more information about the car's condition than buyers. This can lead to a "lemons problem," where only low-quality cars ("lemons") are offered for sale.

This case study highlights the importance of information in markets. It also underscores the role of institutions (like warranties or certification programs) in addressing information asymmetry.

Wrapping Up Our Journey Through Microeconomic Case Studies

We've journeyed through various microeconomic case studies, each highlighting a different economic principle. From the power of supply and demand in the housing market to the role of information in the used car market, these case studies offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of microeconomics. They underscore the relevance of microeconomic principles in our daily lives and the importance of understanding these principles for decision-making, whether as consumers, business owners, or policymakers.

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• 29 Aug 2024
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Note that the Economics 103 Case Studies are meant to supplement the course material by giving you experience applying Economic concepts to real world examples. While they are beyond the level you will be tested on, they are useful for students who want a stronger grasp of the concepts and their applications.

Note that this case study is difficult if you do not print the diagrams, or reproduce them on graph paper. If you are unable to print, we recommend reviewing the solutions to ensure you understand the general lessons presented.

In 2016 rental vacancy rates dropped to as low as 0.6% in Greater Victoria. When compared to the national average of 3.3% it is clear why many media channels and individuals were calling it a ‘housing crisis’. Students were especially hit hard by these low vacancies, with some international students at Camoson college having to return home when they couldn’t find a place to stay. Using our competitive market model, let’s examine some of the factors that played into this crisis and policies that could be used to fix it.

Read more about the Victoria Housing crisis.

Below is a representation of the Victoria Housing Market.

1. Label Figure CS3 a. with the Equilibrium price and quantity, and label supply and demand curves as either renters or landlords.

If supply is equal to demand there should be no vacancy, but we know that a 0% vacancy rate would be an extremely difficult market for renters.

2. Explain why a housing market at equilibrium could still have a vacancy rate of 4%.

One factor that has been blamed for the housing crisis is Airbnb. Airbnb describes itself as  an online marketplace and hospitality service, enabling people to list or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms, with the cost of lodging set by the property owner. City councillors have targeted these short term rentals, saying that many landlords have opted to Airbnb their home, rather than rent out longer term. The growth of Airbnb in Vancouver has been shown below.

3. Assume 3000 landlords decide to switch from renting to Airbnb, show the impact of the changes on Figure CS3 b. Label the new equilibrium price and quantity.

Note that Airbnb has been adamant that short-term rentals have had a neglible impact on the housing market, citing that in Vancouver only 320 hosts rent out thier properties often enough to make more money that long term rentals. That represents only 0.11% of the total housing units. In Victoria, that would mean only 25 units are affected by short-term rentals.

Tom Davidoff , a  University of B.C. business professor, said t he general public frequently looks at the fact that Airbnb is popular in expensive neighbourhoods and concludes that it is Airbnb that drives up rents there. But, he said, those neighbourhoods were expensive anyway and the impact of Airbnb taking a certain slice of the available stock is minimal.

Read more about Airbnb’s supposed impact on the market.

Another factor that has had an impact on the rental market is the inability of many young Canadians to buy homes. Not only have house prices skyrocketed, but more are burdened by student loans out of university. It is estimated that it takes 3 times longer (15 years) to save enough to have a 20% downpayment on a house than it did in 1976. This reduction in Canadians mortgaging a home has caused an increasing amount to enter the market.

Read more about the increasing squeeze on millennials.

4. Assume 9000 new renters enter the market instead of mortgaging homes, show the impact of the changes on Figure CS3 b.  Explain the impact of both the shock from Airbnb and the shock from less housing buyers on equilibrium price and quantity. Do the shocks work together or oppose one another?

In the housing market, prices are slow to adjust, landlords cannot simply raise prices immediately under the Residential Tenancy Act. Landlords can only raise prices when negotiating a new contract. This causes many unjustified evictions from landlords as they want to charge the new equilibrium price. In the short-term, prices stay relatively the same causing shortages or surplus.

5. Assume price remains at the original equilibrium , calculate the magnitude of the shortage or surplus of housing that results. Explain the impact this shortage will have the behaviour of landlords.

The British Columbia government unveiled a $500-million affordable-housing plan targeted at communities that have struggled with a shortage of low-cost housing.  Premier Christy Clark announced her government’s commitment to fund 68 new projects to help address the crisis

Read more about the governments response to the housing crisis.

6. Assume the government wants to bring price back to it’s original level, if it costs $50,000 to increase the number of rental units by one, how much will this cost the government?

Groups have criticized the government response, saying that they have ignored many other avenues that could more easily increase the supply of affordable housing.

7. Read the Executive Summary of the Alliance of BC Students White Paper on Student Housing.

What is the ABCS proposing that could help decrease price in the market? How would this affect supply and/or demand?

In this case study we have shown how microeconomic concepts of supply and demand can be used to understand current events in the news. Do you have a story you think would make a good case study? Contact [email protected] to propose your story.

Principles of Microeconomics Copyright © 2017 by University of Victoria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Topic 7: Producer Theory

Some hate it and some love it, but regardless of how you feel oil is still a key part of our daily lives. The average Canadian uses about 20 barrels of oil each year, equivalent to about one and a half swimming pools. Since it is such a major part of our expenses, oil is a product where, when price changes, we really notice.

In 2008, China’s expansion sparked  a  long period of high prices. In this case study, we will analyze what has happened to these prices over time and the impact this has had on oil producers from the lens of producer theory. 

To simplify our case study, let’s assume that the oil market is perfect competition.

1. Consider the following producer theory model for a single firm producing oil, and the aggregate supply and demand. What is the firm’s equilibrium price and quantity?

2. What is the firm’s profit at this level?

3. What will occur in the long-run for this market? Show this on the new graph below.

The period of high prices indeed incentivized private firms to search farther than ever before –  in the Arctic, Brazil’s pre-salt fields, deep waters off Angola, and Canada’s oil sands to ever expand the supply of oil. Investors encouraged this activity, rewarding future growth as much as profitability.

Oil prices have been quite volatile. Recently, from mid 2014 to early 2016 oil prices plummeted from $110 a barrel to around $27. This sharp decline has been due to a number of causes. A key cause was when sanctions were lifted from Iran, a new producer entered the market with large quantities of oil. In addition, growing fears about action on climate change, coupled with the emergence of alternative-energy technologies, caused producers to pump as hard as they can, while they can.

Read more about the reasons for changing oil prices

3. Use the producer theory model from above to show the impact of Iran’s entry, assume this brings the market from long-run equilibrium to a price of $27.

4. What are the firms profits at this price?

In the industry at large, the incentive is to keep producing “as flat out as you can”, once investment costs have been sunk into the ground, says Simon Henry, Shell’s chief financial officer. He says it is sometimes more expensive to stop production than to keep pumping at low prices, because of the high cost of mothballing wells. He suggested that firms  will not pack up so long as prices cover day-to-day costs, in some cases as low as $15 a barrel.

It may be uneconomic to drill new deepwater wells at prices under $60 a barrel, he says, but once they are built it may still make economic sense to keep them running at prices well below that. Such resilience is used by some to justify why they expect prices to remain “lower for longer”.

Read more about the impact of price changes on oil firms

6. What does this excerpt suggest about how firms will behave in the short run?

7. Based on the information given about this market, what do you think the time horizon will be for this industries ‘long run’? What will happen in the long run?

Notice that in our model when prices fall, even in the short run individual firms will decrease production. In reality, firms part of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) made a pact to keep production high, to try to retain market share and keep out competitors.

In his book “The Prize”, Daniel Yergin quotes an American academic writing as far back as 1926 about the “spectacle” of massive overproduction. “All saw the remedy but would not adopt it. The remedy was, of course, a reduction in the production.”

8. Comment on the effects of OPEC’s actions on the market.

In this case study we have shown how microeconomic concepts of monopoly and monopolistic competition can be used to understand current events in the news. Do you have a story you think would make a good case study? Contact [email protected] to propose your own case.

Principles of Microeconomics Copyright © 2017 by University of Victoria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Case Studies

Discover all the ways our 2,000 customers succeed, thrive and grow with Oxford Economics. Read success stories from Oxford Economics' clients in sectors such as pensions, energy and Real Estate. Learn how they solved their business challenges, supported their businesses' growth and adapted to new markets using Oxford Economics market-leading consulting and subscription services.

Case Study | European Digital Payment Industry Alliance

Investigating the environmental footprint of payment systems

Using Oxford Economics’ new Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) tool to evaluate the carbon emissions of the payment system, and whether digitalisation would reduce environmental impacts.

Case Study | US-China Business Council

Modelling the costs of US-China tariffs

Businesses are increasingly concerned about a possible escalation of US-China trade policy, given their supply-chain dependencies on China. We quantify this risk by simulating higher tariffs leveraging state-of-the-art trade and macro models.

Case Study | Tata Steel

Transitioning towards a clean, green and circular future

Examining the socioeconomic effects of decarbonisation investments in the steel industry and the impact these can have on the national economy.

Case Study | AVSIS

Understanding the importance of a rapid action plan to fight climate change in Italy

Leveraging the Global Climate Service scenarios to evaluate the macroeconomic implication of mitigation policies and global warming

Case Study | Multinational Drinks Company

Bespoke dashboards and agile on-demand economics support

Background Today’s turbulent macroeconomic and consumer environment makes strategy and planning particularly difficult for firms in the business-to-consumer sector. The pandemic, major global conflicts and geopolitical tensions have caused major supply-side disruptions. At the same time, the ever-changing consumer environment, recent unprecedented levels of inflation and the ensuing cost of living crisis have been a...

Case Study | Royal London

Exploring the implications of higher pension contributions

Many households fail to save adequately for retirement. Using in-house models, the study assesses the impact of higher pension contributions on both pension savings and UK economic growth.

Case Study | A global aggregate and building materials provider

Constructing Success by Capitalising on Long-Term Opportunities

Helping a strategy department identify its 10-year growth opportunities

Case Study | Semiconductor Industry Association

A unique policy-driven impact scenario for CHIPS Act

How Oxford Economics engaged the world’s largest chip manufacturers to develop an industry-wide impact assessment of the CHIPS and Sciences Act.

Case Study | Building material manufacturer

Benchmarking Success: Building a Global Market Demand Indicator

Creating a new demand measure to enable a building material manufacturer to gauge its performance.

Case Study | Multinational services company

Quantifying the impact of climate on customers

Leveraging industry-specific climate forecasts to future-proof revenue.

Case Study | Energy UK

Achieving net zero advocacy goals

Highlighting the economic opportunities the energy transition presents and the consequences of not grasping them.

Charting a course for global growth in the shipping industry

Empowering a leading shipping company to enhance its strategic planning and identify new routes for growth

Global macroeconomic and risk scenario tool

Enabling a major automotive manufacturer to anticipate and respond effectively to evolving market dynamics across its global operations.

Risk signal identification, prioritisation and monitoring evaluation model

Despite existing internal risk management processes, a major automotive manufacturer was unprepared for and failed to anticipate and mitigate significant risks and shocks that have significantly affected its operations in recent years, including its sales, supply chain and financing.

Bespoke automotive sector sales forecasting

Automotive companies face many challenges: regulations, emission controls, litigation, political uncertainty, complex and problematic supply chains and disruptive technology are perhaps among the most pressing.

Case Study | Australian Finance Industry Association

The economic impact of Buy Now Pay Later in Australia

Governments globally are realising the importance of payments and financial services efficiency to economic growth, financial wellbeing and social participation.  The Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA) recognises innovation, competition, market efficiency, economic growth and consumer protection are interrelated and, therefore, must be addressed collectively. An informed understanding of the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) sector...

Case Study | City of Sydney

City of Sydney’s 2022 Business Needs Survey Report

The City of Sydney required an advisor with the capability to develop a high-impact, user-focused report to: The report had to be engaging and highly visual, containing a range of different devices to communicate economic insights to a range of readers. The solution Oxford Economics Australia developed a rich and compelling report to engage and...

Case Study | Leading Australian Law Firm

Expert Witness Report on property market influences and outlook

The repudiation of an existing development agreement resulted in Supreme Court proceedings whereby residential property market forecasts were required to demonstrate the outlook for the Darwin residential market at that time. Separate sale price and rent projections were needed (on an annual basis) for detached house and attached dwellings for the period of 2017-2030. Importantly,...

Case Study | QBE LMI

The Annual Housing Outlook 2022 – the Green Edition

The objective of this work was to reinforce QBE LMI’s position by providing an outlook of housing market performance and stimulate informed discussion about environmental sustainability within the housing market and a state by state performance analysis of housing market prices and rents. The solution The project was approached collaboratively with the QBE LMI project...

Case Study | Australia Energy Market

Forecasts and scenarios to inform the future of Australia’s energy market

Oxford Economics Australia was commissioned to produce macroeconomic and commodity scenario projections that could be used to generate long-term gas and electricity demand and supply projections across a range of energy transition scenarios. The solution We worked closely with the client’s team and their stakeholders to produce long-term (30-year) macroeconomic and commodity price forecasts, across...

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The case method can be a powerful tool to teach economic concepts and frameworks. Topics in this section cover a wide range of real-life examples from around the world on a host of issues including infrastructure, trade, taxation, regulation and development.

Integrating Systems at Scale: Coordinating Health Care in Houston

Publication Date: November 8, 2023

 This case concerns the Patient Care Intervention Center (PCIC) a values-based health technology social enterprise in Houston, Texas. This organization was founded to tackle fundamental problems in social and health services in the United...

A User-Centered Design Process for Data-Driven Policymaking

Publication Date: August 22, 2023

Well-conceived, user-friendly data visualizations have the potential to bring fresh perspectives derived from analyzing, visualizing, and presenting data to inform evidence-based policymaking. This case uses the Metroverse project from the...

Leadership and Negotiation: Ending the Western Hemisphere’s Longest Running Border Conflict

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

For centuries, Ecuador and Peru each claimed sovereignty over a historically significant, but sparsely inhabited tract of borderland in the Amazonian highlands. The heavily disputed area had led the two nations to war—or the brink of...

Pratham: The Challenge of Converting Schooling to Learning in India

Publication Date: November 18, 2020

This multimedia case brings video, text, and graphics together to offer a rare, immersive experience inside one of the developing world's most pressing challenges, low levels of learning. Pratham, counted among India's largest non-profits, has...

Video Series: Public Policy Applications of Microeconomic Concepts

Publication Date: September 24, 2019

MATERIALS FOR VIDEO CASEThe materials for this case are included in the teaching plan and are for registered instructors to use in class. If you do not have Educator Access, please register here (notification received within 2 business days). Abstract:...

Evaluating the Impact of Solar Lamps in Uganda

Publication Date: August 26, 2019

IDinsight, an evaluation company founded by graduates of the Harvard Kennedy School, designs and conducts evaluations that best suit the needs of clients across the developing world, offering timely and rigorous evidence to help decision making...

Untapped Potential: Renewable Energy in Argentina (Sequel)

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

In 2015, Mauricio Macri became President of Argentina and declared solving the energy crisis one of his top priorities. When Macri attempted to raise utility tariffs, however, he faced loud protests from citizens. In search of solutions to...

Untapped Potential: Renewable Energy in Argentina

Publication Date: August 23, 2019

Christine Lagarde (C): Managing the IMF

Publication Date: August 20, 2018

This case covers the career of Christine Lagarde from 2011 to 2018 as she takes the helm of troubled multilateral organization during a time of deepening economic turmoil. As the first female leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and...

Christine Lagarde (B): Being a Public Servant

This case covers the career of Christine Lagarde from 2005 to 2011 after she joins the French Government. After serving several grueling years as Finance Minister during the financial crises that started in 2007/2008, she is being considered as...

Christine Lagarde (A): A French Prime Minister Calls

This case covers formative events and influences in Christine Lagarde's childhood and her trajectory from studying political science and law to heading the world's largest law firm. As she prepares to transition back to practice in 2005, the new...

Christine Lagarde (Extended)

For a modular presentation of the same material, please see Christine Lagarde (A): A French Prime Minister Calls (2136.0), Christine Lagarde (B): Being a Public Servant (2137.0), and Christine Lagarde (C): Managing the IMF (2138.0). These...