Market Structures Flashcards
Criteria for perfect competition
Halfpppp
Homogenous products- identical- perfect substitutes, foriegn exchange market
All firms access factor of production
Large no of buyers and sellers
Free costless entry into and exit from market
Perfectly elastic demand curve (horizontal)
Price takers- firms cannot dictate market price
Perfect knowlegde- infor for buyers and sellers
Profit max key objective- consumer utility max
Sr to lr for perfect competition
In lr- abnormal profit encourages entry for new firms- signallying mechanism
Decrease price- lras
Lr- normal profit produced ar+ac
No further incentives0 long run equilibrium
Allocative efficiency- perfect comp
Sr and lr - p=mc
Productive efficiency- percect comp
Lr, lowest point lras
X-efficency
Dynamic efficiency perfect comp
Little scope innovation- little abnormal profit to fund
Examples perfect competition
-foreign exchange- homogenous, wide range of buyers and sellers as many firms, perfect.good info about relative prices, easy to compare prices
-agricultural markets- many farmers selling identical products, many buyers available, market easy to compare prices, perfect info
-internet-price comparison websits
-insurance
Allocative efficiency def
Consumer satisfaction is maximised in production of goods and services
P=mc=ar
On ppf but what price depends consumer preference
Productive efficiency
No additional/max output can be produced from the factor inputs available at the lowest position av or unit cost
Av cost min
Ppf on the curve
At lowest ac, where ac=mc
Dynamic efficiency
Firms improve technology and production methods over a period of time
Static efficiency
When all resources are used in the most efficienct manner at a point in time (productive and allocative)
Economic efficiency
Allocative and productive efficiency at the same time
P=mc=ar=min point ac
Economic efficiwency
Allocative and productive efficiency at the same time
P=mc=ar
Innovation
Commercially sucessful exploitation of ideas
Making inventions economically viable
X-inefficiency
Occurs when a fuirm doesnt produce at lowest possible ac
May be due to lazy employers or lack real competition meaning monopolist less of an incentive to invest in new or ideas
Seen on graph as anywhere above ac
Monopolistic competition
Form of imperfect comp, as products are differentiated
Can be found in real world markets eg, taxi and mincabs, coffee shops,
Factors for monopolistic comp
Large no firms in market
No barriers to entry or exit
Each firm downward sloping demand- differentiated- goods produced partial but not perfect substitutes
Product differentaition means each firm possesses a degree of monopoy power over its product
If brand increases price, doesnt loose all competition as brand loyalty
Industry conc is low- everyone low market share
Non price differnetiation occurs
short run monopolistic comp
Normal diagram
Ar reps demand for one firm rather whole market
Demand curve likely to be more elastic- steeper
Long run- monopolistic how to draw
Draw ar and mr
Ar tangental to ac
Mc cross ac lowest point
Sr to lr monopolistic
Market structure of monopolistic comp is defined as having low barriers to entry and exit, many buyers and sellers and product differentaiation
Outcome in sr is that firms can earn abnormal profit, this outcome is noty productive or allocative efficnet
Existance sr abnormal profit is attractive to new firms
New firms enter industry as barriers to entry are low
Individ demand curve or av rev curve for incumbent (existing firms in market) shift to left as market shares are reduced
Incumbent firms av rev are cont shift left until reaches a tangent with av cost curve, normal profits covered
Lr, normal profit, not productive or allocative efficient
Productive efficiency monopolistic comp
Producing point does not cross the ac at lowest point
Saturation- unable exploit fully econ of scale
Allocative efficiency monopolistic competition
P=mc not occur
Dynamic efficiency- monopolistic comp
Occurs as differentiation occurs, some choice, limited with normal profit
Negative externalities- monopolostic comp
Social cost packaging
Heavy spending on marketing, advertising, inefficient use scarce resoucres
Monopolistic comp stable in lr?
-normal profit max in lr
In realisty stable equilibrium may not be reached,- move in state of constant flux
Product differentation ‘product life cycles’ extend w investment
Advertising monopolistic competition
Informal advertising- increases comp- providing consumers and producers with useful info abut g&s available to buy
Persuasive adv- decreases comp- customer become ‘captive consumer’ unwilling buy cheaper subs- may believe product is ‘must have’- pin self worth or perception of others
Saturation advertising- prevent small firms enter market as cant afford adverstising
Price competition in monopolistic comp
Decrease price in order to sell more g&s
Increase sales- consumers switch other market when price higher, or consumer switch business similar goods within same market
Non price competition monopolistic competition
Marketing comp- exclusive outlets- tied public houses, petrol stations, brewers and oil companies sell their products
Persuasive adv- product differentiation brand imagaes, packages
Quality comp- point of sale service or after sale service
Game theory
Study of strategic undersdtanding by firms that operate in interdependent markets
Dominant strategy
Strategy of a firm will undertaje to maximise own interests regardless of otehr players
Explanation game theory
3/3, 0/5, 1/1
Besr response of other firm is to change to a lower price- either 5 or 1
But if collude,both have high pruce, certainty at 3/3, higher profits, pareto optimal
Nash equilibrium
Equilibrium outcome of a game where there is no collusion
Outcome of all players making their optimal decision based on their assumption about rival reactions
Equilibrium situation as no reason for firms to change their strategy
Oligopoly
A market containing a few firms, imperfect comp industry, high level of market conc
Top 5 firms account for more than 60% of totla market shares
Conc ratio
Extent to which a market industry is dominated by a few leading firms
Key characteristics of an oligopoly
A market dominated by a few large forms
High market conc ratio
Each firm supplies branded products
Barriers to entry and exit
Interdependent strategic decisions by firms
Strategic interdependence
One firm’s output and price decisions are influenced by the likely behavoir of competitors
Cause high risk of tacit or explicit collusion- ead to allegations of anti-comp behavoir
Market conduct
Pricing and marketing policies persuaded by firms
Also known as market behavoir, not to be confuded with market performance
Firms in an oligopolistic- price rise
Rivals not assumed to follow
Thus acting firm will lose market share
Demand will be relatively elastic
Increase in price lead to decrease sales, decrease total rev
Firms price falls oligopoly
Rivals assumed to match a price fall
Avoid a loss of market share
Demand more inelastic
Fall in price, decrease total rev
Explanation price changes on oligopoly
Theory starts with assumption that firms are settled on p1,q1
If firm settled on one price, may be little point in changing
Even if costs change often see price regitity, stability in oligoply- sticky prices (seen as mc increase in gap but price not changing between mc1 and mc2
Increased imporatnce attached non price comp
Critics of kinked diagram
Sweezy- came up with
Stigler critic
emphasis on price rigity does not explain rpice itself
Assumes firms only follow price decrease, does not hold true empirically
Ignores non price comp among organisations
Ignores application of price leaders, cartels, accounts for larger that of oligopoly market
Prreditary pricing
Occurs when a firm attempts to force comp out of the market by setting low price
May be below ac in sr, likely to see increased output as demand is higher
Limit pricing
Occurs when a firm opperates below the profit max of mc+mr
Firms will starty to make a profit but potential entrants will be deterred from entering the market as lowe price means entry isn not possible
Business ofjectves
Profit max
Sales revenue max
Business growth/market share
Business survival in recession
Non for profit social enterpise
State owned business
Reasons for diff objectives
Managerial object9ivies- rev sales over profit max- bonus
Achieved satisficing profit/return to shareholders
Info constraints- ladk accurae info on marginal cost and rev- bounded rationality
Cost and pricing- ac and variable profits
Small business- lifestyle business
State owned corp- range diff econ social political obkectives
Profit max point
Firm can determine price at mc=mr
Pros of profit max
Provides greater wages and dividens for entreprenuers
Retained profit for r and d and more capital, saves paying high interest rates on loans
Sr interest rates averted shareholders most important, maxiise gain from frm
Cons profit maz
Firms may not be able to make decisions at the marzins- only buying one extra unit of materials
Bounded rationlaity- large complex firms may be unaware of extract marginal costs and erev as too much info
Maximisers
Traditional econ way, ainm to make best possible coocie from alternatives
Satisficers
Examine limited set alternatives and choose best
Rule of thumb rather complex pricing procedures- cost plus approcah
May be margins- increas rev/market share through pricee
Rev max point
Where mr=0
Rev max why
Baumol- manager controlled businesses
Annual salery more closely linked to sales revenue than operating prfits- divorce of ownership
Deter profitable entry of new firms/rivals
Coudl decrease price firms, operating profit lower
Sales max
Ar=ac
Sales max why
If struggle do as much as possible
Gaining market share- ie aldi
Economies of scale
Ie netflix 20201 20%
Supermarkets may have a lloss leader
Social enterprises
Businesses with profit reinvested for social aims- profit peple and planet
Most likely business objectives
Most satisficing
Larn from experience
Now more firm emphasise on social value and narrow meaning
Small business may profit max
Principle agent problen
Conflict from varying obkectives
Eg standard profit max, market rev- can deal with by ensuring financila rewards and incentives offered to managers are aligned with shareholder interests
Efficiency
A society making optimal use of scarce resources to help satisfy our changing needs and wants
Normallly market mechanism god at allocating these inputs there are occasions where the. Market can fail
Profuctive efficiency
No additional/max output can be produced from the factor inputs available at the lowest position available or unit cost
Av cost minimum
Ppf on curve
At lowest ac- where ac=mc
Allocative efficiency
Consuer satisfaction is max in profuction of gand s
P=mc=ar
On ppf but what point depeds on consumer preference
Draw in welfare loss