Advantages Of Oligopoly

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An oligopoly is a state of limited competition, in which a market or industry is dominated by a small number of producers and sellers. Oligopolies can result from various forms of collusion, which reduce competition and lead to higher prices for consumers. This model is based upon a set of very precise outcomes. These are- • A few firms dominate the market • There exists a high degree of interdependence • There exists a high degree of market concentration • There exists a high degree of collusion • There exists a high degree of price rigidity Whether a firm is really an oligopoly depends on how narrowly we define the industry. In industrialised economies, barriers to entry have resulted in oligopoly’s forming in many sectors with unprecedented…show more content…
In this case, the firm is maximising profits by producing at the level of output where MC=MR, and at the cost per unit (ac) of C is less than the selling price of P. There is an abnormal profit that is shown by the shaded area. Similarly to a monopoly, consumer choice is restricted and the prices are the same in all firms, but unique to oligopolies the abnormal profits are divided amongst participating firms, will also be present in the long run. Since the firms are no longer competing with prices, non-price competition comes into play. In this case, firms compete on a quality of service basis, distinguishing their products by brand names, packaging, special features, advertising and sales promotions such as Buy-one-get-one-free (bogof). Loyalty schemes employed by the supermarket sector are a good example of this form of competition. A non-collusive oligopoly exists when the firms in an oligopoly do not collude and so have to be very aware of the reactions of other firms when making pricing decisions. Strategic planning by oligopolists needs to take into account the likely responses of the other market participants. With few firms in the market, each oligopolist is likely to be aware of the actions of the others. According to game theory, the decisions of one firm therefore influence and are influenced by the decisions of other…show more content…
Firstly, firms are afraid to raise prices above the current market price because other firms would not follow therefore they will loose trade sales and profit. Secondly, firms are afraid to lower their prices below the current market price because other firms will follow, undercutting them, therefore creating a price war that may harm all of the firms involved. Lastly, the shape of the MR curve means that if marginal costs were to rise, then it is possible that MC would still equal MR and so the firms, being profit maximises, would not change their prices or outputs. If the firm is operating on MC2, then they are maximizing profits by producing at Q and selling at P. Market prices could rise as high as MC1, and still be producing and selling at the same points. Thus the market remains stable, even though there have been significant price changes In conclusion, both collusive and non-collusive oligopoly’s both result in price rigidity and limited consumer choice as a result of their monopoly like

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