A poultry firm compares manual egg collection with an automated system. Which managerial production choice is it evaluating?

### Why this is right Manual and automated systems use different technologies and may combine labor and capital differently. Evaluating them is a production decision about how to make the product. ### The concept Managers consider the costs, worker availability and adaptability, production capacity, and demand associated with a method. Automation may change labor needs, but it does not guarantee a proportionate increase in output. ### The other options - **B. A shift in consumer tastes**: This concerns demand, not the firm's production method. - **C. A change in market equilibrium caused by demand alone**: The scenario compares technologies and does not specify a market demand shift. - **D. A demographic age distribution**: This describes population characteristics, not production technology. ### Remember A choice between manual and automated production is a technology and factor-combination decision.