ECO 201 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric
The purpose of this milestone is for students to introduce a firm for analysis in their research paper. This milestone requires students to provide an overview of
the firm, which will lay the groundwork for their analysis. Students will provide a history of the firm as well as current information about its goods/services and
areas of operation. This milestone will also ensure that students are familiar with APA formatting for in-text citations and reference lists.
Prompt: Submit a draft of the introduction (Section I) of your research paper for your selected firm, which was approved by your instructor in Module One.
Include all critical elements listed below. You will detail the purpose of the paper, summarize the history of the firm, and provide an overview of the firm.
Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction
In Module One, you worked with your instructor to choose a firm that matches the following criteria: a publicly traded company operating in the U.S.
market that is currently in business. Write a one- to two-page paper that includes the following elements for your chosen firm:
a) Outline the purpose of your final project research paper and explain how it will inform your conclusion.
b) Summarize the history of your chosen firm and provide an overview for what it does and what goods/services it sells.
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a one- to two-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman
font, one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.
ECO 201 Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric
The purpose of this milestone is for students to begin their firm analysis from a microeconomic perspective, applying concepts learned in Modules One, Two, and
Three. Specifically, students will examine the supply and demand conditions for the goods or services the firm produces, paying special attention to how sales
and product development have evolved over time. Students will then apply the elasticity concept to determine how the price elasticity of demand for the firm’s
goods or services would be categorized, and they will examine what that suggests for the firm’s ability to increase or decrease prices.
Prompt: Submit a draft of the supply and demand conditions (Section II) and price elasticity of demand (Section III) of your research paper, including all critical
elements listed below. You will analyze data on firm sales and in the market overall to identify trends and inform your recommendation for the firm’s future
actions. You will also use available data to determine the price elasticity for the goods or services your firm produces and explain the factors that influence
consumers’ reactions and the firm’s pricing decisions.
Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:
II. Explore the supply and demand conditions for your firm’s product.
a) Evaluate trends in demand over time and explain their impact on the industry and the firm. You should consider including annual sales figures for
the product your firm sells.
b) Analyze information and data related to the demand and supply for your firm’s product(s) to support your recommendation for the firm’s
actions. Remember to include a graphical representation of the data and information used in your analysis.
III. Examine the price elasticity of demand for the product(s) your firm sells.
a) Analyze the available data and information, such as pricing and the availability of substitutes, and justify how you determine the price elasticity
of demand for your firm’s product.
b) Explain the factors that affect consumer responsiveness to price changes for this product, using the concept of price elasticity of demand as your
guide.
c) Assess how the price elasticity of demand impacts the firm’s pricing decisions and revenue growth.
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a two- to three-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman
font, one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.
ECO 201 Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric
The purpose of this milestone is for students to explore the various costs their firm faces and to describe their firm’s market. Using the concepts and tools
developed in Modules Four and Five, students will analyze the fixed and variable costs of their firm, how those costs have changed over time, and how those
changes have impacted their firm’s overall health and sustainability. In analyzing their firm’s market, students will detail the extent of their firm’s market power
and their firm’s ability to influence the market. Students will also describe major trends in the market, specifically concerning new products, technologies, and
new entrants. Students can further determine the future health of their firm to inform their final recommendations by examining their firm’s place within the
market.
Prompt: Submit a draft of the Costs of Production (Section IV), Overall Market (Section V), and Recommendation (Section VI) of your research paper, including
all critical elements listed below. You will review your firm’s financial reports and other relevant data sources to collect and analyze cost information for your firm
over the past five or so years. Using real data and the economic tools developed in Module Four, you will analyze your firm’s profitability and how costs impact its
growth. Additionally, you will find data on your firm’s competitors in order to detail your firm’s place within the market currently and over the past five or so
years. Lastly, you will develop a recommendation for how the firm can manage its future production.
Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:
IV. Examine the costs of production for your firm.
a) Analyze the various costs a firm faces, their trends over time, and how they have impacted your firm’s profitability.
b) Apply the concepts of variable and fixed costs to your firm for informing its output decisions. For instance, analyze how different kinds of costs
(labor, research and development, raw materials) affect the firm’s level of output.
V. Explore the overall market for your firm.
a) Discuss the market share of the firm and its top competitors by providing details on current percentages for each firm and describing the trend
over time. You might consider presenting the data graphically.
b) Analyze the barriers to entry in this market to illustrate the potential for new competition and its impact on your firm’s future in the market.
c) Describe the market structure for this firm and analyze how this affects the firm’s ability to influence the market.
VI. Recommendation
a) Develop a recommendation for how the firm can manage its future production by synthesizing the data presented.
b) Suggest how the firm’s position within the market and among its competitors will allow it to take your recommended action.
c) Describe how the firm can sustain its success going forward by evaluating the findings from demand trends and price elasticity.
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a three- to six-page Microsoft Word document (each section should be one to two pages) with
double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.