The firm and its objectives
Having discussed the consequences of profit maximization, let us see now what difference it makes if the firm adopts an alternative objective, one to which we have already alluded — the maximization of the value of its sales (total revenue) under the requirement that the firm’s profits not fall short of some given minimum level.
5. Price-Output Determination: Sales Maximization
Saks maximization under a profit constraint does not mean an attempt to obtain the largest possible physical volume (which is hardly easy to define in the modern multi-product firm). Rather, it refers to maximization of total revenue (dollar sales) which, to the businessman, is the obvious measure of the amount he has sold. Maximum sales in this sense need not require very large physical outputs. To take an extreme case, at a zero price physical volume may be high but dollar sales volume will be zero. There will normally be a well-determined output level which maximizes dollar sales. This level can ordinarily be fixed with the aid of the well-known rule that maximum revenue will be obtained only at an output at which the elasticity of demand is unity, i.e., at which marginal revenue is zero. This is the condition which replaces the «marginal cost equals marginal revenue» profit-maximizing rule.
But this rule does not take into account the profit constraint. That is, if at the revenue-maximizing output the firm does, in fact, earn enough or more than enough profits to keep its stockholders satisfied then it will want to produce the sales-maximizing quantity. But if at this output profits are too low, the firm’s output must be changed to a level which, though it fails to maximize sales, .does meet the profit requirement.
We see, then, that two types of equilibrium appear to be possible: one in which the profit constraint does not provide an effective barrier to sales maximization, and one in which it does. This is illustrated in Figure 2, which shows the firm’s total revenue, cost, and profit curves as indicated.
