All goods and services are subject to scarcity at some level, which requires that society develop some allocation mechanism to determine who gets what. Over recorded history, these allocation rules were usually command based, meaning that the king or the emperor would decide. In contemporary times, most countries have turned to market-based allocation systems. In markets, prices act as rationing devices, encouraging or discouraging production and encouraging or discouraging consumption to find an equilibrium allocation of resources. To understand this process, businesses construct demand curves to capture consumer behavior and consider supply curves to capture producer behavior. The resulting equilibrium price “rations” the scarce commodity.
This course is part of the Managerial Economics and Business Analysis Specialization

About this Course
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for BusinessSkills you will gain
- Economics
- Consumer Behaviour
- Supply And Demand
- Cost
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for BusinessStart working towards your Master's degree
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Course Orientation
Module 1: Scarcity, Allocation, and Markets
Module 2: Government Intervention in Markets
Module 3: Firms, Production, and Costs
Module 4: Firm Behavior
Reviews
- 5 stars85.43%
- 4 stars12.51%
- 3 stars1.23%
- 2 stars0.25%
- 1 star0.55%
TOP REVIEWS FROM FIRM LEVEL ECONOMICS: CONSUMER AND PRODUCER BEHAVIOR
Found the content extremely interesting. Mr DeBrock delivered the content in a simple and understandable way. Definitely recommended for any beginners wanting to get into economics.
In the beginning I thought this was going to be a very basic course, but the way the professor explained the topics really make it interesting a practical, going beyond the classical economic theory.
Had lot of fun learning in this course. Although I had a basic concept of economics but with the help of this course I now have a clear and better understanding on Consumer and producer behavior.
Professor Larry DeBrock has a very hands on approach to the concepts of economics. He integrates theoretical content with relevant practical examples , helping to understand the framework easily.
About the Managerial Economics and Business Analysis Specialization

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.