A Survey of a Local Market Has Provided the Following

question 83

Multiple Choice

A survey of a local market has provided the following average cost data: Johnson Construction Corp. (JCC) has assets of $3 million and an average cost of 22 percent. Anderson Architects (AA) has assets of $4 million and an average cost of 31 percent. Cole Home Builders (CHB) has assets of $5 million and an average cost of 28 percent. For each firm, average costs are measured as a proportion of assets. JCC is planning to acquire AA and CHB with the expectation of reducing overall average costs by eliminating the duplication of services. If JCC plans to reduce operating costs by $500,000 after the merger, what will the average cost be for the new firm?

• A) 23.33 percent
• B) 23.87 percent
• C) 24.12 percent
• D) 22.50 percent

---

Definitions:

Experimental Condition

In research, it refers to the specific environment or set of variables that participants are exposed to, allowing scientists to study the effects of these variables on behavior or performance.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Experimenter's Friendly Smile

A variable in psychological experiments that can influence participants' responses, potentially introducing bias.

Cold Demeanor

A behavior characterized by emotional detachment, aloofness, or a lack of warmth in interactions with others.