A Resource Granularity Framework for Estimating Opportunity Costs

This paper presents a framework to help decision makers better measure the opportunity cost of resources with differing economic characteristics. After characterizing resources by the intrinsic lumpiness of acquisition (acquisition granularity), storability of benefits (expiration granularity), and control over the rate of consumption of available benefits (consumption granularity), this paper illustrates how these concepts can lead to improved decisions and assessment of observed practices. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]