Oligopoly Vs Perfect Competition

The Concept of Oligopoly in Microeconomics

An oligopoly is a market structure in which a small number of firms have the large majority of market share. These type of market conditions can limit the level of competition, often resulting in higher prices for consumers.

What is Oligopoly: Oligopoly Meaning Explored

In this scenario, each seller can impact the market, and likewise, the market impacts each seller significantly. They are often noted for high entry barriers, such as high initial costs or complex regulatory laws.

Visualising Oligopolies: An Oligopoly Diagram

To visualise an oligopoly, consider a diagram where the x-axis represents quantity and the y-axis denotes price. A curve indicating marginal cost intersects with marginal revenue, forming an equilibrium. The oligopolistic market equilibrium prevails where two firms' reaction curves intersect.

Real-world Scenarios: Oligopoly Examples

Examples of oligopolies are commonplace across various sectors.

• The global automobile industry is impacted by a few globally recognized car manufacturers such as Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
• In the technology sector, conglomerates like Apple, Google, and Microsoft dominate.

The Concept of Perfect Competition in Microeconomics

Perfect competition is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It's a market structure where no participant has the market power to influence the price of a product.

Defining Perfect Competition: Definition Perfect Competition

In a perfectly competitive market, the price of a product is determined by the forces of demand and supply.

Understanding the Market: Perfect Competition Diagram

A perfect competition diagram typically shows a normal demand and supply curve. At the intersection of the two, we determine the equilibrium price. All firms sell at this price since they are price takers.

Real-life Market Scenarios: Perfect Competition Examples

Examples of perfect competition are hard to find, but consider these industries for approximation.

• Agricultural markets like wheat and corn.
• The stock market where all brokers have access to the same prices and information.

Distinguishing Between Oligopoly and Perfect Competition

The easiest way to differentiate between an oligopoly and perfect competition is to understand how these two market structures operate. The main factors that distinguish these two market structures are the number of sellers in the market, the type of products they sell, and the ease of entry and exit into the market.

Identifying the Difference Between Perfect Competition and Oligopoly

A key aspect that differentiates oligopoly from perfect competition is the number of sellers present in the market. In an oligopolistic market, there are only a few sellers, making it easier for these sellers to manipulate prices and adversely affect consumers. On the other hand, in a perfectly competitive market, you'll find numerous sellers, promoting price competitiveness and benefiting consumers.

Looking Beyond the Number of Sellers

Nevertheless, it's not just the number of sellers that matter. The type of products each market sells also sets them apart. In an oligopolistic market, the sellers mostly offer products that are close substitutes for each other. However, they can be differentiated based on branding, packaging, and marketing, making the level of product differentiation high. On the other hand, in a perfectly competitive market, all firms sell identical products, leading to low to no product differentiation.

Exploring the Barriers to Entry

Another difference lies in the ease of entry and exit into the market. In an oligopolistic market, entry and exit barriers are typically high due to high set-up costs, proprietary technology, stringent government rules and regulations, or strategic actions by existing large firms to deter new entrants. However, in a perfectly competitive market, the ease of entry and exit is high, and virtually no barriers exist to start a new business or exit an existing one. The differences between oligopoly and perfect competition can be summarised in the following table: It's crucial to clarify that most real-world markets fall somewhere between these two extremes of perfect competition and oligopoly. They usually display characteristics of both market structures to varying degrees—a scenario economists often term 'imperfect competition'. Moreover, both these market structures are primarily theoretical constructs. Pure forms of these market structures are rarely witnessed in real-world economies. However, understanding them helps us explore and recognise the broad spectrum of real-world market structures that exist.

Practical Application of Oligopoly and Perfect Competition Concepts

Applying the principles of Oligopoly and Perfect Competition in everyday business scenarios can influence strategic decision-making and policy. Whether it's about pricing strategies, production levels, evaluating competition, or long-term planning, these concepts offer valuable insights. Anyway, let's deep dive into the practical implications.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Oligopoly

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of an oligopolistic market structure provides a 360° view of how businesses and consumers fare in such an environment.

Benefits of Oligopoly

Oligopolies may present specific advantages, such as:

• Potential for Economies of Scale: Large companies enjoy decreased per-unit costs through large-scale production, an option their smaller counterparts often can't employ.
• Investment and Innovation: Bolstered by significant capital reserves and revenue streams, oligopolies can invest in research and development leading to innovation.
• Stability of Price: As few companies dominate the market, pricing wars are less common, potentially leading to price stability.
• Product Quality: High entry barriers often mean that incumbent companies are well-established and can provide high-quality products.

Drawbacks of Oligopoly

However, oligopolies also have specific inherent disadvantages, namely:

• Market Control: Large companies can potentially manipulate prices, causing detriment to consumers.
• Entry Barriers: High barriers to entry can discourage new entrants thereby stifling competition.
• Inefficient Allocation of Resources: Oligopolies may lead to inefficiencies due to lack of competition.
• Social Welfare: May compromise on social welfare due to loss of consumer surplus.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Perfect Competition

Similarly, it's essential to explore the advantages and disadvantages presented by a perfectly competitive market.

Advantages of Perfect Competition

Perfect competition can offer the following potential benefits:

• Efficient Resource Allocation: Market forces, i.e., demand and supply, dictate resource allocation, leading to optimal productivity.
• Consumer Sovereignty: Here, consumers reign supreme. Their preferences dictate the goods and services produced.
• No Market Control: As there are many sellers, no single seller can manipulate the price or supply of a product.
• Freedom of Entry and Exit: Lower entry and exit barriers enable small businesses to prosper.

Limitations of Perfect Competition

However, perfect competition also has its limitations. They include:

• Lack of Innovation: Due to lower profit margins, businesses may not have the financial capability to innovate.
• Impossible Requirements: The requirements of perfect competition, such as perfect knowledge, are virtually impossible to achieve in reality.
• Lack of Economies of Scale: For small businesses, accessing economies of scale is often challenging, which could limit their growth.

Both market structures have their distinct set of advantages that cater to specific sector needs. However, it's the challenges presented by these structures that often need keen consideration and strategic handling by both businesses and policy regulators.