Oligopoly Examples in Real Life
It’s important to understand the principles of oligopoly when trying to solve real life problems. There are several examples that show this, including the soft drink industry and the media sector. In addition, you can look to the air travel industry for another example.
Air travel
The airline industry in the United States is arguably an oligopoly. There are four large domestic carriers that control about 80 percent of the market. Despite its apparent monopoly, the industry has been making some good profits. However, the cost of flying has increased faster than inflation. This has not led to improved returns for equity investors.
As a result, there is a need to improve the economic efficiency of the air transport value chain. This includes improvements in the value of inputs, such as fuel, as well as a reduction in air travel costs.
To accomplish this, the airline industry has developed efficient systems of route coordination. Hub and spoke networks were built, offering six ways to reach a destination. They were also located in regional cores, such as Houston and Atlanta.
However, the airlines’ ability to coordinate their routes is not without limitations. A number of regional carriers have been forced to cancel flights due to staff shortages. Similarly, smaller airports have been forced to pursue discount carriers in order to maintain service.
Media sector
The media sector has undergone a spectacular consolidation from the 1960s to the 1980s. For example, the six largest firms accounted for 90 percent of US theater revenues in 1997. However, this concentration has recently taken a dangerous turn.
Media consolidation has been driven by several factors. Firstly, the government has permitted mergers in recent years, and the regulatory body, the Federal Communications Commission, has a lenient set of rules regarding media mergers. Also, the Internet has changed the way media works.
Oligopolies are a form of market structure in which only a few firms dominate a particular industry. They are usually capital-intensive and have several barriers to entry.
While oligopolies have existed in a wide range of industries, the media sector is perhaps the most concentrated of these. A few firms have monopolistic power and can earn substantial profits as a result.
As a result, there are few real competitors to the media giants. Each firm in an oligopoly has an incentive to increase production and improve its market share. This translates to lower costs for the rest of the market and a higher profit margin for firms that can afford high R&D expenses.
Soft drink industry
When looking at the soft drink industry, it is easy to notice that there are some firms that dominate the market, and others that are just too small to have any effect on the overall quantity of products in the market. This means that the industry is an oligopoly.
There are many factors that have a great impact on the industry. For example, there are several firms that compete in the packaging and advertising of their products. They use different distribution channels to deliver their products. In addition, the companies in the soft drinks industry are located in densely populated areas, near raw materials and markets.
The market power of firms is defined as the ability to increase the price of their products. This power is dependent on the actions of other firms. However, firms may also be motivated by their desire to maximize sales, turn over, or profits.
Having such power in an oligopoly is a major benefit. Although there are some barriers to entry for new firms, they can still enter the market and compete with the existing companies.
Prisoner’s dilemma
Prisoner’s Dilemma is a thought experiment that illustrates how two people can make undesirable decisions. It can be used to help explain complex situations in which one party is in a situation that is in his or her own self interest, and the other person is acting in a way that is not in their own best interest.
The prisoner’s dilemma is a game that has been used in numerous fields, from social sciences to biological and natural interactions. One of the most well-known examples is the U.S. debt deadlock.
A pair of suspects in a prisoner’s dilemma must decide whether to confess to each other or remain silent. If they choose to cooperate, they receive a higher payoff. However, if they remain silent, they will each receive a lower payoff.
This game is very useful in strategic decision making. It also provides a good model for real-world cooperative situations.
Prisoner’s Dilemma is an example of the theory of oligopoly, which refers to an industry where prices and profits are controlled by a cartel. When oligopolistic firms compete, the cartel breaks up and the price and quantity of the industry is affected.