Chapter 15: Monopolistic competition, oligopoly and contestable markets Flashcards
Define monopolistic competition
A market that shares some characteristics of a monopoly and some of perfect competition
Define product differentiation
A strategy firms adopt that marks their product as being different from their competitors
Define oligopoly
A market with a few dominant sellers in which each firm must take account of the behaviour and likely behaviour of rival firms in the industry
Define non-price competition
A strategy whereby firms compete by advertising to encourage brand loyalty, or by quality or design, rather than on price
Define cartel
An agreement between firms on price and/or output with the intention of maximising their joint profits
Define tacit collusion
Situation occurring when firms refrain from competing on price, but without communication or formal agreement between them
Define n-firm concentration ratio
A measure of the market share of the largest n-firms in an industry
Define predatory pricing
An anticompetitive strategy in which a firm sets price below average variable costs in an attempt to force a rival firm out of the market and achieve market dominance
Define contestable market
A market in which the existing firm makes only normal profit, as it cannot set a price higher than average cost without attracting entry, owing to the absence of barriers to entry and sunk costs
Define hit-and-run entry
Where a firm enters a market to take short-run supernormal profits knowing it can exit without incurring costs