The hypothesis of rational consumer behavior is very interesting and amusing. It can be useful for both an ordinary person and an entrepreneur.

general information

Now it is difficult to find a person who would not believe that everything in the economy revolves around the consumer. This is the norm for the development of the economic sector. It is believed that each individual person knows what he needs. When the economy satisfies his needs, then it works best. Ultimately, it is the decisions of individuals to purchase this or that product that form. Thus, we influence the volume of real sales and the level. In economics, such a phrase as rational is used to refer to this process. economic behavior consumer.

What is the point?

When a consumer enters the market, he tries to satisfy his needs as much as possible and get the highest level of utility when using a certain good. It should be noted here that both the individual and the manufacturer are not absolutely free in their choice. It is necessary to take into account not only the available but also the income that is available. Services, goods, and other competitive factors also have their influence. Therefore, the rational behavior of the consumer and producer is aimed at limited conditions get the maximum benefit.

Principles

The theory of rational consumer behavior is a component of microeconomics. The analysis assumes that the behavior of the individual is rational, that is, maximum satisfaction is achieved when limited budget. Most important in this is the principle of maximizing utility. It is considered basic in human behavior and in determining his choice. A small terminological clarification: utility is the ability of a certain good to satisfy the specific needs of society or an individual. It is directly related to their characteristics, among which the greatest role plays quality. In addition to it, durability also has a significant effect, appearance, ease of use, comfort, luxury and the like. Other important principle that affects the rational behavior of the consumer, is the sovereignty of man. That is, as far as it is not subject to external influence. So, every person should eat well to be healthy and active. Let's say that a touchscreen phone has appeared on the market, which many consider to be a status phone. And a person has a choice: buy an expensive and not very necessary thing and then eat for six months anyway, or do without such a little thing and spend money on food and other useful things. If he chooses the first option, then there is no need to talk about the rational behavior of the consumer. Examples of such an attitude are very numerous, and these people are dealt with by advertising specialists.

Theoretical component

There are two main approaches:

1. Cardinal theory of utility. Also known as the quantitative approach. Puts forward a hypothesis about the possibility of measuring the utility of goods. The main bet is made on the quantity (in pieces, liters, kilograms, and so on).
2. Also known as the ordinal approach. Defends the point of view according to which it is possible to rank the usefulness of a person. Usually a system of reckoning from best to worst is used. At the same time, the quantitative comparison of the utility of goods is rejected. Such an analysis is based on a certain set of a small number of initial hypotheses, on the basis of which indifference curves are built and the consumer's optimum is calculated.

Common features

The hypothesis of rational behavior is possible due to the existence of a unifying framework for all people. For instance:

1. The average consumer has a system of preferences.
2. Demand is significantly affected by the presence/absence of related products.
3. Everyone wants to maximize their utility.
4. The demand of a particular consumer depends on his level of income.

effects

We are interested in rational consumer behavior. The action plan of each individual person provides for activity within the framework of his system of preferences. But it is extremely difficult to take into account specific values ​​here due to consumer interaction effects. Let's look at what types of them exist:

1. In this case, it implies the creation of a situation where the purchase is made solely in order to emphasize one's social position.
2. By this is meant a situation where purchases are made defiantly and emphatically, which make it possible to highlight the position of a person. Typically, this refers to the purchase of goods that are extremely expensive and not available to most people.
3. The perceived quality effect. This is a situation where goods with the same characteristics are sold at different prices in different stores.
4. The effect of joining the majority. It is an expression of the desire not to yield to other people who are more "successful" in anything.
5. Irrational demand. A purchase is made only because it was made by some other person who has a significant influence on the buyer.
6. speculative demand. Occurs when there is a shortage of goods.

Let's say a word about manufacturers

Their success and failure depend entirely on the combined behavior of all consumers. Thus, we can influence even large enterprises. Let's consider such an example. There was a company that produces quality products. Over time, she literally “captures” the market, since her products have a very high performance. When it has a literal monopoly, it decides to lower the quality of its products while leaving the price unchanged. Over time, consumers will realize that something is wrong and stop buying products of this brand. And they will start switching to products from other manufacturers that offer the best balance of price / quality. Each person in such a situation votes with his wallet. With mass such phenomena, a break occurs in the situation on the market, and new players rise on it.

Conclusion

One of the rather significant shortcomings of the considered hypothesis is that the assumption that a person will act rationally is put at the forefront. Alas, this is not always the case. Often we spend money on various little things, saving for the future. important events in our life. Of course, this is not good. To avoid this state of affairs, you should consider every important step.

Is competition good or bad? What makes people use loans, overpaying bank interest? How to ensure that our expenses are not more than income? All these questions are answered by the section of economics that studies the rational behavior of the producer and consumer in the modern world.

Economics about people

From the point of view of this science, all types of human behavior are divided into four types - production, distribution, consumption and exchange. The economic system itself is based on production, the purpose of which is to produce profit by exchanging goods for money. The other side of this coin is consumption. It is conditioned by a certain law called "rational consumer behavior", which means thoughtful and dictated by reasonable reasons.

The actions of the consumer and the producer as two interdependent aspects in the economy

Production and consumption are interrelated processes that regulate each other. The rational behavior of a consumer, employee, owner, family man, citizen comes from making decisions consistent with the income of each economic entity. The consumer not only chooses certain market offers, but also influences producers with his choice (or lack of it). In some areas of the economy, competition is so strong that marketers have introduced the concept of "consumer dictate". Indeed, in the competitive race, only those entrepreneurs survive who were able to understand well the typical features of the rational behavior of the consumer - their client.

The consumer as a driver

So, the consumer is the one who is the subject of consumption: buys, uses a product or service. In fact, this is any representative of humanity, but also - legal entities, associations, etc. The purpose of consumption is to extract the maximum profit from the use of the product. Limiters in this case are - prices, budget, assortment, etc. Due to their action, both the consumer and the manufacturer are forced to develop certain strategies of behavior or rational choice.

The usefulness of rational consumer behavior for the economy also depends on the type of economic activity of the country. If this is a command-administrative type, then the regulation of the consumer's choice is very high - for example, he cannot freely choose housing, a car, medical services. If we are talking about a market economy, then the consumer has full sovereignty and independently makes decisions, managing his financial resources.

To each according to his needs

How broad our purchasing needs can be understood by remembering which of our needs we provide by choosing certain goods: physiological, cultural, social, communicative, security needs or self-realization. Everyone has their own products and their own business niches that produce them. Competently make a choice, consuming something, knowledge of economics and marketing helps.

The bulk of the population of our planet are people with one way or another limited financial opportunities. Therefore, each of us had to think about the questions: "How to spend our finances correctly? What should be purchased in the first place, and what should be postponed for now? How to reduce costs? How to choose the best quality product or service at an affordable price?" All these questions are answered by the theory of rational consumer behavior. Next, we will consider the components of the considered section of the economy in more detail.

Stages of rational behavior

The first stage is the understanding of the need to acquire something. The second stage is the search for information about the necessary product. Then comes the evaluation and analysis of this information, all options purchases. And finally - making a decision.

In this regard, there are several types of financial expenses with rational consumer behavior: mandatory (minimum, most necessary) expenses - for food, clothing, travel, payment utilities etc. - and arbitrary: for hobbies, goods high level consumption, travel, etc. Another type is the savings of the subject under consideration.

Types of reasonable behavior of the consumer of goods and services from the side of the economy

Types of rational consumer behavior are divided into:

• behavior dictated by self-interest;
• behavior pursuing situational goals (directly at the moment of choice);
• full rationality, assuming that a person studies information on a product or service for a long time and maximizes the benefit received;
• limited rationality, when the collection or analysis of information is difficult due to various reasons (physical, social and other factors);
• formal (weak) rationality, especially if it is limited by factors beyond human control.

Mutual Effects

The plan of each individual subject provides for activity within the framework of his preferences. There are certain consumer interaction effects:

Snob effect. A situation is created when a purchase is made to emphasize one's social position.

The effect of joining the majority. An expression of a desire not to be inferior to people who are "successful". It is characterized by irrational demand. A purchase is made only because it was made by another person whom the buyer appreciates and respects. There is also a speculative demand that occurs when there is a shortage of goods.

The perceived quality effect. Goods that have the same characteristics in different stores are sold at different prices.

Veblen effect. A situation in which things are ostentatiously and emphatically purchased that have a very high price and are not available to most people.

Behavioral analysis of the consumer visually

An example of rational consumer behavior looks like this. Suppose you are considering purchasing washing machine. First of all, you seek to evaluate all the possible offers of the market. You study advertisements, assortment, prices, unique trade offers (discounts, promotions, the possibility of free installation or delivery), reviews. As a result, you choose the store that offers the best (but not the lowest) price, while providing the maximum warranty period, free delivery, installation and post-warranty service. Another option: if you are extremely limited in funds, then do not pay attention to warranty offers, but choose the machine at the lowest price.

The situational rational economic behavior of the consumer is illustrated by the following example. Suppose your phone is broken and you are expecting an important call. You have no time to study the market, one information is important for you - how quickly you can fix your gadget. Therefore, you choose the nearest repair service, the master of which promises to fix your phone today. The price of such a service in this case fades into the background.

Rational Producer Behavior

A manufacturer is a person or organization that manufactures and sells goods or provides services in order to generate income from the rational behavior of the consumer. The costs of acquiring production resources are called costs. Profit is formed by the difference between income and costs. Its maximum value is the goal of the manufacturer. To increase profits, he seeks to lower production costs. This is facilitated by saving on raw materials, production equipment with new technology, reducing energy costs, etc. Each manufacturer answers three main questions for himself: what, how and for whom he produces his product or provides a service.

To determine what to produce, an analysis of the demand market, rational consumer behavior in the desired sector of the economy, production and advertising costs, etc. is carried out. The volume of production and its methods are determined. For example, you can harvest crops manually by hiring and paying a large number of workers, or you can use agricultural equipment by buying or renting it. Also, the manufacturer needs to decide for which segment of the population he produces his product. Thus, targeting the broad masses implies a larger volume of goods at a lower price than targeting sections of society with incomes above the average.

What does the manufacturer want?

In general, the rational behavior of the producer is the answer to the question: "How to get from a limited amount of resources highest profit?" private option This question arises when one or another entrepreneur comes to the need for expansion - how, with the resources available to him, to achieve an increase in the volume of output?

For example, this problem can be solved by expanding production volumes due to quantitative changes (increase capacities, the number of used natural resources and workers), or - by improving the productivity (productivity) of resources. In countries with developed economies, they prefer to use the second way to solve the problem. It means an increase in labor productivity (the amount of goods produced in one unit of time by one worker). Against the background of the depletion of mineral resources and the rise in prices for products made from them, this path looks optimal.

How and due to what is the increase in labor productivity? Firstly, specialization in any kind of activity helps. By performing the same small operation, the worker acquires better skills, and his productivity increases. Secondly, the use modern technologies allows you to increase the volume of production of certain goods for the same period of time. Thirdly, this factor is influenced by professional training and quality education of employees. Product quality is in close connection with the level of professionalism of those who work on it.

One study by a Brooklyn Institution scholar found that 28 percent of the increase in US national income from 1929 to 1982 was generated by technological advances, 19 percent was due to capital injections, and 14 percent was due to increased education and training of workers.

What conclusions can be drawn?

So, the behavior of consumers and producers is due to reasonable reasons that ensure the most successful economic strategy. characteristic feature rational consumer behavior is the comparison and analysis of market offers and the ability to make financial savings. And for the manufacturer, the most important thing is to find a balance between the costs of providing the market with their product or service and its price, while keeping in mind the competitiveness of their niche and actual demand to your offer.

Education

What is a rational consumer?

July 27, 2016

Rational consumer - who is this? What characteristic features does he possess?

general information

Let's first find out what consumer behavior is. This is the name of the process of generating demand from people who choose goods from those on the market, taking into account their prices and the size of their personal budget. A rational consumer is a person (buyer) in economics who enters into economic relations in order to realize his material and spiritual needs. All his actions carry the principle of balance and the relative usefulness of the goods. Considering that our needs are unlimited and diverse, and the income of the buyer is limited, he must constantly make a choice from a large number of goods that are offered to him on the market. It can be assumed that he strives to acquire the best products from the entire available range.

The reason for this behavior

When the problem of personality was studied, results were obtained, according to which the source of any activity is precisely needs. The functional or psychological need or shortcomings of a particular subject, object, individual, social group or society lead to the fact that they want to satisfy the needs. But within the limits of limited income, one has to make a choice. In order to satisfy his needs, each person in the market of services and goods is guided by his subjective line of behavior, position as an element of the economy and the current economic situation. In order for a person to be said to be a rational shopper and to behave appropriately, he must make decisions and take actions that are made on the basis of choice when comparing options and take into account many different factors. All this is done in order to find a profitable and expedient offer for yourself. A rational consumer maximizes utility at the point where the budget line touches the indifference curve. It should be remembered that he has a limit in the form of the size of his own income. Alas, now there are no objective criteria for determining which set of goods can be recognized as the best for each particular consumer. This choice is made from a subjective point of view. From this follows the peculiarity that a person behaves rationally not always.

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Theory of consumer behavior

She considers rational consumers those people who have an individual preference scale and operate within it with a limited income. Such a person tries to achieve the maximum degree of satisfaction. And rationalism in this case is to obtain the greatest utility with a limited income. But at the heart of consumer choice is always the desire of a person to satisfy one or another of his needs. Certain problems are created by the fact that each individual has his own unique preferences. Their summation deals with market demand. Through this tool, the desires of people are expressed. They can influence the market situation by dividing their income between different services and goods. The price and volume of supply of products on the market largely depend on the consumer factor.

freedom of choice

To begin with, we note the importance of consumer sovereignty. This is the name given to the ability of the aggregate consumer to influence producers due to the free choice of goods on the market from all those presented. This is a very important mechanism from an economic point of view. If it is limited, then a bias will be formed with the consumption of certain goods and their production. Ultimately, this can lead to a crisis. It should be noted that there are quite a few mechanisms modern society, which leads to a distortion of freedom of choice:

1. imitation effect. This is the name given to the situation when the consumer follows the majority of people.
2. Snob effect. In this situation, the consumer wants to stand out from his environment.
3. The effect of demonstrating exclusivity. In this situation, it is envisaged that a person persistently demonstrates prestigious consumption.

Utility

Let's talk about this criterion and its importance within free choice. Utility is a certain degree of satisfaction that is provided by the consumption of a certain good. And the more it is, the less the effect will be. From this point of view, the marginal utility of some product is of interest. So, if you use the product in in large numbers, then over time it will not satisfy the person. But after a certain time, it will restore its properties. The theory of marginal utility speaks about how best to allocate your funds to fully meet existing needs in the presence of limited resources. It should be noted that the parameters in the calculation are of interest only within the framework of subjective human needs. In other words, each individual will have his own product in a certain quantity. An example would be a hungry person and a bowl of soup. The first serving of food will have the greatest benefit. The second bowl of soup will have less utility. From the third he can already refuse, because he is satisfied.

Laws of G. Gossen

There are two in total:

1. Law of diminishing marginal utility. He says that within the framework of one continuous act of consumption, each subsequent unit brings less satisfaction with the same amount of everything else.
2. Utility maximization rule. To obtain the best result from a certain amount of goods, they must be provided in a certain amount, when their marginal utility will be the same for everyone.

Peculiarities

A rational consumer will choose the tangency point on the budget line, the highest of all indifference curves available to him. The utility maximization rule states that the consumer's income should be distributed in such a way that each last used unit of money spent on a good or service brings the same degree of efficiency. At the same time, it should strive for the highest value. Let's look at this aspect in more detail with an example. The consumer has 12 rubles. He is offered two goods: A and B. The first product costs 1.5 rubles, and the second - only one monetary unit. A has a utility of 4.5 utils, while B has a utility of 9. In the end, for an optimal scheme, it will be necessary to buy 6 goods A, and 3 - B. The following factors should be taken into account:

1. Cash income.
2. preferences and tastes.
3. The price of goods and services.

Conclusion

Being a rational consumer is in the interests of every person. But alas, due to a number of features, this is not always a reality. As confirmation, we can consider the previously mentioned imitation effect. Let's take an example: every person should eat well. Then his body will be able to fully perform its functions and will be more resistant to various diseases, stress, stress, and so on. But now one can often observe a situation when a person decides to purchase a “status” thing, as a result of which he has a difficult financial situation. Moreover, it can reach such a level that you will have to significantly save on food, which will lead to various serious health consequences.

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Introduction

1. Consumer choice and consumer demand

1.1 Rational consumer behavior

1.2 Classification of types of demand

1.3 Utility function

2. Consumer preferences

2.1 Indifference curve

3. Equilibrium of the consumer. budget line

3.1 Budget line

3.2 Income-consumption curve

3.3 Engel curves

3.4 Price-consumption curve

3.5 Contemporary consumer choice theory

Conclusion

Introduction

Consumer behavior is the activity directed directly at obtaining, consuming and disposing of products and services, including the decision-making processes that precede and follow these actions.

As long as humanity exists, so many of its needs exist. As humanity develops, there is an increase in the set and quality of its needs, which predetermines the requirements for goods and services that take place or are necessary for society and each individual. L.P. Kurakov draws attention to the insoluble contradiction in the development of human activity and human needs, “when the development of needs brings to life new types of human activity, and the latter, in turn, cause the emergence of new needs, etc. to infinity".

The object of "Consumer Behavior" in the individualistic tradition is a person. In sociology, one of the areas public life- the process of consumption, which exists along with production, distribution. But the object is not the whole person, but only his behavior, and not in all its manifestations, but only in the market and only as a consumer. From the point of view of the sociological tradition, the subject is the behavior of various social communities in the process of consumption.

By consumer analysis, researchers understand a system of methods for studying existing and forecasting future needs, requests and preferences of potential consumers, identifying factors that affect changes in requests and preferences, consumer behavior in the market as a whole, and identifying the causes of unmet needs. Consumer analysis consists of the study of the following elements:

market participants (who buys in the market?);

market items (what products and items are bought and sold in the market, what unmet needs exist?);

the goals set by market participants (why do they buy?);

organizations present in the market (who interacts with consumers in the market?);

Market operating processes (how are purchases made?);

acquisition opportunities (when are purchases made?);

Distribution channels (where are the purchases made?).

The quality of consumer behavior research involves the use of system analysis, since it allows us to consider any market situation as an object for study with a wide range of internal and external cause-and-effect relationships. Experts draw attention to the fact that Scientific research can understand the motivation and behavior of consumers. Modeling consumer behavior is one of the key problems for both theorists and practitioners. With the help of the model, specialists seek to answer the main questions: why does the buyer behave in this situation in this way, and in another - in a different way?; what factors dominate in the mechanism of decision-making on the first and repeated purchases or rejection of them?

A model is a simplified representation of reality, including only those aspects of it that are important to the creator of the model. Other aspects that are outside his area of ​​interest may be ignored. When modeling consumer behavior, the researcher excludes from the analysis those aspects human behavior that are not related to consumer behavior or appear to be insignificant.

By studying consumer behavior, we create ideal models, isolating from reality only what we consider causes and their consequences. Therefore, the main function of the model is explanatory. Simplifying reality, we try to answer the question with the help of the model: why does the buyer behave in this situation in this way, but in another way? Social processes can be modeled in different ways. Their model can be represented on a computer by means of multimedia, expressed as a diagram
mms, tables, schemes. At the heart of the book D.F. Angela, R.D. Blackwell, P.W. Miniard "Consumer Behavior" are four leading position:

consumer-owner;

To succeed in business, you need to understand the motivation of the consumer and his behavior;

consumer behavior is influenced;

· Working with the consumer, it is necessary to observe social legality and ethical sensitivity.

They emphasize that “understanding consumer motivations and behaviors and taking them into account when developing products and marketing activities is not a matter of choice, but an absolute necessity for survival in a competitive environment.” Moreover, “the consumer is independent in his choice, but marketing can affect both motivation and behavior if the proposed product or service is designed to meet the needs and expectations of the consumer.”

The concepts of rational choice and rational consumer behavior play a crucial role in economic theory. The concept of rationality in economics is used in a different sense than in other social sciences, in which it means "reasonable", "adequate to the situation." Rational behavior from an economic point of view implies compliance with its reasonable, from an economic point of view, interests. It is believed that a rational consumer seeks to maximize the overall utility of the goods he consumes.

The utility of a good is the ability of an economic good to satisfy one or more human needs.

Of course, for each person the usefulness of a particular product is different, it is not easy to measure it, etc. - The theory of utility has a lot of complex and even contradictory moments, but there are regularities that are common to all consumers associated with utility.

Rational behavior is consumer behavior aimed at maximizing the utility of consumed goods.

Rational behavior is otherwise called functional behavior, and the demand determined by this behavior will also be functional.

Rational behavior is called functional because the consumer, by increasing the amount of utility, thus maximizes the utility function.

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Yu.E. Krivonos
Economic theory
Lecture notes. Taganrog: TTI SFU, 2009.

Section 2. Microeconomics

Topic 2

rational consumer (2)

Theory of consumer behavior

2.2.1. Principles of rational behavior of consumers.

Market demand is formed on the basis of decision-making by many individual consumers, which is of great importance for the development of the production of goods.

Each consumer, relying on his income, seeks to acquire various goods in such quantities and proportions that would bring him maximum satisfaction from their use. This behavior of the consumer in the market is called rational.

consumer behavior- the process of forming consumer demand for goods and services, which determines the development of their production and supply on the market.

The theory of consumption proceeds from the fact that typical common features are noted in consumer behavior:

- consumer demand depends on the level of income;

- each consumer seeks to obtain maximum utility;

- the average consumer has a system of preferences;

- consumer demand is affected by the presence or absence of "related" goods.

Therefore, it is possible to form the basic principles of rational behavior of consumers in the market:

1. Limited income.

2. Rationality.

3. Systematic preferences.

4. Sovereignty.

The preference of consumers of goods is very difficult to take into account for reasons of the so-called Consumer Interaction Effects. Consider its types:

"Snob Effect" - purchases are made to emphasize their social position.

"The Veblen Effect" - purchases are made underline and defiantly.

"Implied quality effect" - goods of the same quality are sold in different stores at different prices.

"Effect of joining the majority" - the desire to be "not worse than others."

"irrational demand" - purchases are made only because someone bought it.

"speculative demand" - arises in conditions of shortage of goods.

The success or failure of the producer depends on the total behavior per second of the consumers. Such a phenomenon is called sovereignty consumer. It consists in the ability of the consumer to influence the producer. Necessary condition consumer sovereignty is the freedom of consumer choice.

Rational consumption

Page 1

Rational consumption is the consumption of goods and services by the population that corresponds to scientifically based ideas about its reasonable limits. It ensures the full satisfaction of the rational needs of the population, creates conditions for the all-round harmonious development of the individual. Its quantitative dimensions for individual material goods and services are established by developing special norms for rational consumption, and its general scale is established with the help of rational consumer bundles and rational consumer budgets.

The theory of rational consumption, the foundations of which were laid by S. Mayer and others in the framework of the development of a rational consumer budget, considers the possibility of determining consumption targets.

The norms of rational consumption are the amounts recommended by science for the consumption of certain material goods and services necessary to satisfy reasonable human needs. They are developed for basic food products (they are usually called physiological norms), for clothing, as well as for some types of material services, mainly of a production nature. For durable goods (DCI), there are standards for the rational provision of the population.

For the rational consumption of artificial fertilizers, it is necessary to know their composition and compare their price with the price of manure, according to the content of nutrients.

The main requirement for the rational consumption of fuel and energy is the maximum possible reduction of heat losses in all areas of economic activity and, consequently, heat losses of buildings. This economy should not worsen any of the considered requirements.

The problem of developing guidelines for rational consumption in our country has been largely resolved. We have developed norms and standards for rational consumption, which, with minor adjustments, can be recognized as such guidelines (see.

Rational consumer behavior

When assessing the value of rational water consumption in the housing stock, it is necessary to establish the permissible values ​​of water losses or, what is the same, to regulate the values ​​of factors affecting the value of water losses.

The most important task of organizing the rational consumption of energy in the industrial.

An important means of systematic organization of rational consumption working capital is a scientifically substantiated establishment of a measure of the maximum consumption of material elements revolving funds per unit of output or per unit of useful production work of a given quality. In this regard, the rationing of the production consumption of raw materials, materials, fuel and electricity is of particular importance. The consumption rate is a planned task that determines the maximum amount of specific types of raw materials, materials, fuels and energy resources of a fixed quality that can be spent to produce a unit of output.

All the above-mentioned normative indicators of rational consumption are developed for the future and are refined as they approach it. They are only advisory in nature, they serve as a guideline in the direction of which it is advisable to develop consumption. Normative indicators of rational consumption are used in the practice of planning the development of the production of consumer goods and services, as well as the standard of living of the population.

In this case, the principle of stability of rational consumption of resources is fulfilled subject to the dimensionless ratio.

This approach links efficiency with the rational use of resources. Unlike the two previous ones, it is aimed at taking into account changes in public opinion in the external environment, including political and social factors, and supported social groups values. The resources consumed by NPOs are always limited and scarce. Therefore, the assessment of the effectiveness of the administration is often associated with the ability to find new sources of resources, most often financial. However, the dominance of resource problems in management, which is so characteristic of commercial organizations, in the case of NPOs, can lead to a weakening of attention to the current, operational activities and declared strategic
goals. So, for example, a public organization (the Center for the rehabilitation of drug addicts) will not be interested in reducing them, since the funding of the organization (the Center) is determined by the number of drug addicts admitted for treatment.

It is also unacceptable, when solving the problem of rational consumption of fuel and energy, to take into account only energy aspects without taking into account capital costs for building structures and building equipment.

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There is a hypothesis about the rationality of the consumer: the consumer behaves in such a way as to maximize utility with limited income. Consumer behavior is subject to the laws discovered by the German economist G. Gossen.G. Gossen's first law: in the process of consumption, the utility of each subsequent unit of consumed goods decreases. The second law D.

Rational consumer and producer behavior - description, features and typical features

Gossen determines the conditions for maximizing the total utility of the consumed goods. According to this law, the best distribution of consumer income is such that the last unit of money spent on the purchase of each type of product brings the same marginal utility. The so-called consumer equilibrium is reached. In a formalized form, the general utility maximization rule looks like this:

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Consumer behavior is of great importance for the development of the production of goods and their supply.
Consumer behavior is the process of forming consumer demand for a variety of goods and services.
The actions of people in the sphere of acquiring consumer goods are subjective and sometimes unpredictable. However, in the behavior of the average consumer, a number of typical common features:
consumer demand depends on the level of his income;
each consumer strives to get “everything that is possible” for his money, i.e., to maximize the total utility;
the average consumer has a distinct system of preferences, his own taste and attitude towards fashion;
consumer demand is affected by the presence or absence of interchangeable or complementary goods in the markets.
Consumers also have non-functional demand. Consider its types.
"Snob effect": Snobs buy exactly those goods that rise in price in order to emphasize their social position.
Veblen Effect: A phenomenon in consumption theory in which consumers can have a positively sloping demand curve because they tend to consume conspicuously.
“Quality Assumption Effect”: Products of the same quality are sold at different prices in different stores. At the same time, more expensive goods are in many cases bought more often, since their higher quality is assumed.
"Effect of joining the majority", or "effect of the carriage": the desire of people to keep up with fashion, to be "no worse than others." This effect causes an increase in demand for those goods that people around the consumer buy.
"Irrational demand": purchases that are not planned by the consumer, but occur under the influence of momentary whims and desires.
"Speculative demand": occurs in conditions of shortage of a particular product.
In the life of modern society, there is an increase in the influence of the consumer on the producer. As a result, in the well-known formula “what, how and for whom to produce?” the focus is not on what to produce, but on what to consume.
There are a number of arguments in favor of such a statement of the question. It is known that the goal for the manufacturer is to make a profit. Under these conditions, it is advisable to produce only such a product that can be sold on the market at a price exceeding the cost of its production. This is where the “appeal” of the producer to the consumer takes place. If the consumer gave money for the goods in an amount exceeding the costs, then the producer will receive a profit. Of course, the individual consumer cannot pass judgment on the manufacturer. The success or failure of a producer depends on the combined behavior of all consumers. This phenomenon is called consumer sovereignty (French souverain - the bearer of supreme power). The sovereignty of the consumer consists in his ability to influence the producer. In a society where there is no scarcity of goods, consumer sovereignty takes on particular relevance, and the tone further development production is set not by producers, but by consumers. Therefore, in modern economic theory, the behavior of the consumer, not the producer, becomes a fundamental category.
A necessary condition for the sovereignty of the consumer is the freedom of consumer choice. However, it can be limited by a number of measures:
the introduction of a rationing system, i.e., the rationing of the consumption of goods during periods of war, famine, and other troubles;
legislative prohibition of the production and consumption of harmful goods (drugs, alcohol, tobacco);
stimulating the consumption of useful goods and services (books, theater, music).
Such restrictions on the freedom of consumer choice exist in any society. Such restrictions are justified only as a temporary remedy in emergency situations or as a necessary measure to protect against obvious evil. In the same case, if the restriction of freedom is integral part putting into practice egalitarian theories, the result of such a restriction may be a break in the connection between the consumer and the producer. Restriction of freedom of choice - dangerous weapon, which should be used very carefully and in emergency situations.

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