Difference Between Internal and External Economies of Scale with Comparison Chart

After the quantity of production increase beyond the level of 10,000 (Q2) the average cost per item increases. Enterprises’ experiences cost disadvantages due to an increase in organizational size or output. That will result in the production of goods and services at increased per-unit costs. Both internal and external economies of scale accrue to the firm up to a certain level only, after then the long run average cost curve begins to rise when that level is crossed.

That allows them to take advantage of geographic economies of scale. For example, artist lofts, galleries, and restaurants benefit by being together in a downtown art district. Material of one firm may be available and useable as raw materials in the other firms. These advantages which are gained by the companies are called as “Economies of Scale”. Explore the principle of economies of scale and delve into several real-world examples.

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Or they can pass the savings to consumers and compete on price. Diseconomies of scale aren’t always tied to physical production efficiencies. For example, it might take longer to make decisions, making the company less flexible. Miscommunication could occur, especially if the company becomes global.

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Internal Economies of Scale

When competing companies set up shop in one area, specialized workers will seek employment. An example of this would be the IT industry in Silicon Valley, which has attracted a special set of skilled workers. Secondly, certain industries may become so important, they can develop bargaining power with politicians and local governments. This, in turn, can lead to more favorable treatment in the form of subsidies or other concessions.

However, if the scale of production exceeds a specified limit, resulting in diseconomies of scale. Economies and Diseconomies of scale are classified as Internal and External Economies and Diseconomies of Scale. In this article, we are going to discuss the differences between internal and external economies of scale. Internal economies of scale are different from external ones since the former include factors that are unique to an individual firm. If a particular firm formulates a technique of production that saves time and cost, then the benefit is internal to the firm and will not impact other firms in the industry.

Risk Bearing Economies

If the size of the firm is increased beyond the certain limit, the firm may get diseconomies of scale instead of economies. Therefore the firm must maximize the economies and minimize the dis-economies to sustain in the business for long term. All firms in a particular industry receive equal access to the benefits of external economies of scale. When the number of firms in an industry expands they become mutually dependent on each other. In other words, they do not feel the need of independent research on individual basis. These journals provide information to all the firms which relates to new markets, sources of raw materials, latest techniques of production etc.

The Long-run Average Cost (LAC) curve has a U-shape, due to the returns to scale, i.e. economies and diseconomies of scale. Economies of scale imply the corresponding savings in the cost of production achieved by the rise in the level of output or size of the plant. Here, the savings in cost means a reduction in relative terms and not in total cost in absolute, i.e. the average cost of output will be reduced. The concept of diseconomies of scale is the reverse of economies of scale.

Internal and External Economies of Scale: An Overview

But for the whole economy, reduction in cost either for steep producers or for steel users amounts to an internal economy. This concept is the opposite of external economies of scale where all competitors in a market gain efficiency in their processes due to factors that they cannot control. Internal economies refer to a situation where, by actions difference between internal and external economies of the company, economies of scale are generated. Thus, with an increase in production volume, the cost of manufacturing an additional unit of the commodity decreases. A company has external economies of scale if its size creates preferential treatment. This economy lowers the cost per unit of the materials they need to make their products.

The large scale firms get raw materials at a cheaper rate because they purchase raw materials in a large quantity. The small scale firms cannot get these benefits because they purchase lesser quantities. These large scale firms also get benefits in the case of an increase in their demand for their products by advertising, promotions of their products. In aspects of selling and distributing the products, the large-scale firms get many benefits. External economies of scale are generally described as having an effect on the whole industry. So when the industry grows, the average costs of business drop.