Customer Quote by Ronald Coase
“The main reason why it is profitable to establish a firm would seem to be that there is a cost of using the price mechanism. The most obvious cost of 'organizing' production through the price mechanism is that of discovering what the relevant prices are.”
About This Quote
Firms exist because using market prices to coordinate production incurs costs; organizing via prices is costly.
In simple terms: Firms help avoid the cost of price discovery.
Key Takeaway
Weigh the benefits of organization against price‑coordination costs.
Themes
economics
organization
transaction costs
price mechanism
Mood
analytical
neutral
Type
theoretical
practical
When to use this quote
- business planning
- policy design
- entrepreneurship
Key Concepts
firm theory
coordination costs
market efficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- When is a firm more efficient than market pricing?
- How do technology changes affect coordination costs?
A Different Perspective
May not account for digital coordination tools.
![“I can't remember one [example of regulation] that's good. Regulation of transport, regulation of agriculture - agriculture is a, zoning is z. You know, you go from a to z, they are all bad. There were so many studies, and the result was quite universal: The effects were bad.” quote by Ronald Coase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/02e/ronald-coase-17623_agriculture_i-can-t-remember-one-example-of-regulati_654706.jpg)
![“I can't remember [of a good regulation]. Regulation of transport, regulation of agriculture — agriculture is a, zoning is z. You know, you go from a to z, they are all bad. There were so many studies, and the result was quite universal: The effects were bad” quote by Ronald Coase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/03a/ronald-coase-17623_agriculture_i-can-t-remember-of-a-good-regulation-re_974279.jpg)
