Abstract

The decisions that businesses make to adjust “pricing, output, expansion, advertising, marginal revenue, and profit conditions of every other firm in the market”. (Thomas, Maurice 2010, p. 561). An oligopoly is described in the book as a “few relatively large firms, each with a substantial share of the market and all recognize their interdependence.” (Thomas, Maurice 2010, p. 512). Meaning, direct competitors understand their internal decisions will affect not only their profits and placement in the market, but also greatly their competitors. Price cutting or expensive advertisement plans will affect the firm’s profit margins, but also with strategically place the competing firm in a position to react. Even in small towns or multiple businesses in the same industries from restaurants to retail, need to be aware of how their decisions affect their own business, but also their market. Decisions should be systematically made and will economically affect a business along with the anticipation of competitor’s reaction to their precise move. Oligopolies are everywhere and can be detected from wheat that is managed by large agriculture groups to cell phone companies.

Oligopolies

How do firms in the industry compete?

Managers within interdependent industries make decisions that will affect not only their firm, but they must consider the reaction to their competitor as well. Without this consideration, the rival’s reaction will certainly affect his or her own sales and profitability due to that decision, which may or may not be intended. An oligopoly can be formed when a selected few companies dominate a market, such as the computer market of Microsoft and Apple make up nearly one hundred percent of the computer operating market. (State Owl, 2012) Therefore, the competition between Apple and Microsoft most likely use analytical guides or tools