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Table of Contents

  1. Topic pack - Microeconomics - introduction
  2. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply
  3. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply - notes
  4. 1.1 Competitive markets - questions
  5. 1.1 Competitive markets - simulations and activities
  6. 1.2 Elasticities
  7. 1.2 Elasticities - notes
  8. Section 1.2 Elasticities - questions
  9. Section 1.2 Elasticities - simulations and activities
  10. 1.3 Government intervention
  11. 1.3 Government Intervention - notes
  12. 1.3 Government intervention - questions
  13. 1.3 Government intervention - simulations and activities
  14. 1.4 Market failure
  15. 1.4 Market failure - notes
  16. Section 1.4 Market failure - questions
  17. Section 1.4 Market failure - simulations and activities
  18. 1.5 Theory of the firm
  19. 1.5 Theory of the firm - notes (HL only)
    1. Cost theory
    2. Calculating costs
    3. Short-run
    4. Long-run
    5. Internal economies of scale
    6. External economies of scale
    7. Diseconomies of scale
    8. Long run cost curves
    9. The very long run
    10. Revenues
    11. Revenues - notes
    12. Profit
    13. Profit - notes
    14. Combining revenue and cost curves
    15. Profit maximisation - price taker
    16. Profit maximisation - price setter
    17. Alternative aims of firms
    18. Profit, sales and revenue maximisation
    19. Perfect competition
    20. Perfect competition - notes
    21. Short-run to long-run - profits
    22. Short-run to long-run - losses
    23. Shut down price, break-even price
    24. Efficient allocation of resources
    25. Monopoly and oligopoly
    26. Monopoly and oligopoly - introduction
    27. Growth and power
    28. The model of monopoly
    29. Monopoly - profit maximisation
    30. Monopoly equilibrium
    31. Monopoly v. perfect competition
    32. Economic efficiency in perfect competition
    33. Economic efficiency in perfect competition and monopoly
    34. Efficiency and market structure
    35. Monopolistic competition
    36. Monopolistic competition - notes
    37. Monopolistic competition in the short-run
    38. Monopolistic competition in the long run
    39. Oligopoly
    40. Oligopoly - notes
    41. Advertising and branding
    42. Product innovation
    43. Theories of oligopoly - non-collusive
    44. The kinked demand curve theory
    45. Kinked demand curve - change in cost
    46. Cut-price competition (predatory pricing)
    47. Theories of oligopoly - collusive
    48. Forms of collusion
    49. Price discrimination
    50. Equilibrium of the discriminating monopolist
  20. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - questions
  21. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - simulations and activities
  22. Print View

Oligopoly

By the end of this section you should be able to:

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  • Describe, using examples, the assumed characteristics of an oligopoly: the dominance of the industry by a small number of firms; the importance of interdependence; differentiated or homogeneous products; high barriers to entry.
  • Explain why interdependence is responsible for the dilemma faced by oligopolistic firms - whether to compete or to collude.
  • Explain how a concentration ratio may be used to identify an oligopoly.
  • Explain how game theory (the simple prisoner's dilemma) can illustrate strategic interdependence and the options available to oligopolies.
  • Explain the term "collusion", give examples, and state that it is usually (in most countries) illegal.
  • Explain the term "cartel".
  • Explain that the primary goal of a cartel is to limit competition between member firms and to maximize joint profits as if the firms were collectively a monopoly.
  • Explain the incentive of cartel members to cheat.
  • Analyse the conditions that make cartel structures difficult to maintain.
  • Describe the term "tacit collusion", including reference to price leadership by a dominant firm.
  • Explain that the behaviour of firms in a non-collusive oligopoly is strategic in order to take account of possible actions by rivals.
  • Explain, using a diagram, the existence of price rigidities, with reference to the kinked demand curve.
  • Explain why non-price competition is common in oligopolistic markets, with reference to the risk of price wars.
  • Describe, using examples, types of non-price competition.
  • Describe price discrimination as the practice of charging different prices to different consumer groups for the same product, where the price difference is not justified by differences in cost.
  • Explain that price discrimination may only take place if all of the following conditions exist: the firm must possess some degree of market power; there must be groups of consumers with differing price elasticities of demand for the product; the firm must be able to separate groups to ensure that no resale of the product occurs.
  • Draw a diagram to illustrate how a firm maximizes profit in third degree price discrimination, explaining why the higher price is set in the market with the relatively more inelastic demand.