5 Major Differences between Returns to Scale and Returns to a factor Proportions are listed below:
Returns to a factor:
1. Only one factor varies while all the rest are fixed.
2. The factor-proportion varies as more and more of the units of the variable factor are employed to increase output.
4. Returns to a factor or to variable proportions end up in negative returns.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
3. It is a short-run phenomenon.
5. Returns to variable proportions are caused by indivisibility of certain fixed factors, specialisation of certain variable factors, or sub-optimal factor proportions.
Image Source: papertiger.com
Returns to scale:
1. All or at least two factors vary.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
2. Factor proportion called scale does not vary. Factors are increased in same proportion to increase output.
3. It is a long-run phenomenon.
4. Returns to scale end up in decreasing returns.
5. Returns to scale can be attributed to economies and diseconomies of scale caused by technical and/or managerial indivisibilities, exhaustibility of natural and managerial resources, or depreciability of certain factors.