Imperfect Competition Characteristics & Behavior of Firms With Market Power.
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Transcript of Imperfect Competition Characteristics & Behavior of Firms With Market Power.
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Imperfect Competition
Characteristics & Behavior of Firms With Market Power
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Objectives of Discussion
Consider what it means for a firm to have “market power”
Examine some measures of market power Consider some of the factors that will create market
power for a firm Examine the optimizing behavior of a monopoly firm Examine the monopoly firm’s short-run & long-run
equilibrium Examine the monopoly firm’s optimal resource
utilization behavior Examine Output decisions for multi-plant firms
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Market Power
A firm has “Market Power” (MP) if it can raise its price without losing all of its sales Consider case of firm in perfect competition--what happens when it
tries to raise price Implications of market power
Firm’s demand curve is downward sloping No perfect substitutes for its products Gives firm ability to raise price above average cost & earn
economic profit (if demand & cost conditions permit) Almost all firms have some degree of market power
Degree of market power varies greatly from industry to industry Local gas/convenience stores have market power based on
location Major department stores have market power based on location and
advertising induced name recognition
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Measures of Market Power
Most direct measure of firm’s MP is the price elasticity of demand for its product: The more inelastic the firm’s demand, the greater its MP Note the emphasize on the firm as opposed to the industry
elasticity A secondary set of measures of MP is the cross-
elasticity of firm’s product with respect to “possible substitutes” Relatively high positive cross-elasticity coefficients indicates
that there are close substitutes and firm’s MP is limited Cross-elasticity is frequently used in anti-trust cases to
determine if products are viewed as competitors Lerner Index—based on how much a firm can raise
its price above its MC
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Lerner Index
Lerner index measures proportionate amount by which price exceeds marginal cost:
Equals zero under perfect competition because Q is chosen where P = MC
Increases as market power increases Also equals –1/E, which shows that the index (&
market power), vary inversely with elasticity The lower the elasticity of demand (absolute value),
the greater the index & the degree of market power
dEP
MCP 1Index Lerner
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Determinants of Market Power
Ease of entry Entry of new firms erodes market power of
existing firms Excessive economic profits by existing firms
provides incentive for new firms to enter More firms means more substitutes
Strong barriers to entry must exist to sustain a high degree of market power
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Barriers to Entry & Market Power
“Barriers to Entry” (BtoE) are technical, governmental or economic factors that impede entry of firms into a market Limits potential substitutes
Large Minimum Efficient Economies of Scale Capacity of firm required to achieve lowest point on LAC
curve is large relative to total market demand Large capital investment required to achieve competitive
cost level Significant cost disadvantages for smaller firms Number of firms required to satisfy total market demand is
small
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Other Barriers to Entry
Government created BtoE’s: Licensing & franchises--e.g. local telephone companies, trash
collection, toll roads, etc Federally granted patents on products & processes
Control of, or limited access to, resource markets Classic case was ALCOA’s control of bauxite before WWII Walmart is frequently accused of controlling suppliers’
interactions with competitors Advertising & Brand Loyalties
Soft drinks & chewing gum are classic examples Beauty products and cosmetics are other examples Cost of entry for a new firm is an overwhelming advertising
budget
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Other Entry Barriers
Consumer lock-in Potential entrants can be deterred if they believe
high switching costs will keep them from inducing many consumers to change brands
Cell phone contracts, internet contracts, etc.
Network externalities Occur when value of a product increases as more
consumers buy & use it Make it difficult for new firms to enter markets where
firms have established a large network of buyers Cell phones, internet access, computer software,
etc.
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Profit Maximization in Monopoly
Single firmProduces & sells a good or
service for which there are no good substitutes
New firms are prevented from entering market because of a barrier to entry
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Monopoly Firm’s Demand & MR
Firm’s demand curve is the downward sloping market demand curve
Firm must accept a reduction in price if it desires to sell more
Firm’s MR curve deviates from its demand & AR curve
For linear demand, MR declines twice as fast as demand
MR becomes zero at quantity at which demand elasticity is unitary
MR is only positive when
|E| > 1
Point of unitary E
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Profit Maximization for Monopoly Firm
Short-run cost curves for monopoly firm are same u-shaped curves as PC
Like firm in PC, monopolist chooses Q where its MR = MC
Firm then sets price that market will bear for that quantity
Firm’s profits are (P - ATC) x Q Profits represented by rectangle
ABCD & equal $1,400
πMaxπMax Q is where MR = MC
Set P based on demand curve WTP
Profit = $1,400
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Losses in Short-run
Monopolist not always guaranteed profit
Like firm in PC, monopolist will operate with loss in SR as long as can cover all of AVC
Firm chooses Q where MR = MC & sets price along demand
In this case, firm suffers loss represented by ABCD
Loss = (P - ATC) x Q Loss = (75 - 80) x 50 = - $250
Loss = ABCD = (P – ATC)Q = (75 – 80) x 50 = -$ 250
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Long-run Equilibrium for Monopoly Firm
At LR equilibrium, firm will choose Q where MR=LMC=SMC
Firm may make profits, or break even, but will not suffer a loss
Monopolist does not have to maximize profits to survive
In LR, monopoly firm will not operate with loss
Firm’s LR cost curves are similar to those of PC firm
Once LR plant size is chosen, firm will operate along its SR cost curves
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Optimal Hiring Decision for Monopolist
Monopolist’s optimal hiring rule is similar to that of PC firm
Expand use of factor as long as its MRP ≥ MC
Main difference between Monopolist & PC is way MRP is determined
For monopolist MRP = MR x MP whereas for PC firm
MRP = P x MP Monopolist must reduce P to
sell the additional MPL
MRP for monopolist declines faster than MRP for PC
As was true in PC Shut down if w > ARPMax
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Profit-Maximizing Input Usage
For a firm with market power, profit-maximizing conditions MRP = w and MR = MC are equivalentWhether Q or L is chosen to
maximize profit, resulting levels of input usage, output, price, & profit are the same
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Monopolistic Competition
Large number of firms sell a differentiated productProducts are close (not perfect)
substitutesMarket is monopolistic
Product differentiation creates a degree of market power
Market is competitiveLarge number of firms, easy entry
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Monopolistic Competition
Short-run equilibrium is identical to monopoly Choose Q where MR = MC Set price on basis of willingness to pay as
reflected by the demand curve Long-run equilibrium
Excessive economic profits provide incentive for entry
Unrestricted entry/exit reduces each existing firm’s demand and increases cost
Long-run equilibrium attained when demand curve for each producer is tangent to its LAC
At equilibrium output, P = LAC and MR = LMC However, does operate at minimum LAC and P >
LMC
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Short-Run Profit Maximization for Monopolistic Competition
πMax Q: MR = MC
Π = PABC
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Long-Run Profit Maximization for Monopolistic Competition
Firm’s Initial Demand CurveFirm’s Demand Shifts
left as firms enter
LR equilibrium occurs when D shifts to left so that P = LAC
At LR equilibrium P = LAC & MR = LMC &
Π = Zero
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Maximizing Profit at Aztec Electronics: An Example
Aztec possesses market power via patents
Sells advanced wireless stereo headphones
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Estimate Aztec Electronics Demand Function
Assume the following demand function was estimated where P is price, M is income and PR is the price of a related good:
Substituting for M & PR:
The direct demand function is:
41,000 500 0.6 22.5 RQ P M P
41,000 500 0.6(45,000) 22.5(800) P
Q = 50,000 – 500P
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Inverse Demand for Aztec Electronics:
Start with direct demand function:
Divide all terms by -500:
Solve for P:
Inverse demand function is:
50,000 500
500 500
Q P
1100
500P Q
50,000 500Q P
P = 100 - .002Q
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Determine MR Function:
Multiple Inverse Demand by Q to find TR:
MR is 1st Derivative of TR
2002.100 QQQPTR
QdQTRdMR 004.100)(
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Demand & Marginal Revenue for Aztec Electronics
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Given the estimated AVC equation:
Find TVC:
Find SMC:
Estimating AVC & MC
228 0.005 0.000001AVC Q Q
2)000001.03()005.2(28)( QQQTVCSMC
32 000001.0005.028 QQQQAVCTVC
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Find πMax Output for Aztec
Set MR = MC and put equation in general quadratic equation form
2100 0.004 28 0.01 0.000003Q Q Q
20 (28 100) ( 0.01 0.004) 0.000003Q Q
0 = -72 - 0.006Q + 0.000003Q2
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Find πMax Output for Aztec
Plug coefficients into quadratic formula
2( 0.006) ( 0.006) 4( 72)(0.000003)*
2(0.000003)Q
*
000,6000006.0
036.0Q
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Finding P*
Pricing decisionSubstitute Q* into inverse demand
* 100 0.002(6,000)P *
P * = $88
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Aztec’s Shut-Down Point
Shutdown decisionCompute AVC at 6,000 units:
$34
$88 $34P AVC Because , Aztec shouldproduce rather than shut down
2* 28 0.005(6,000) 0.000001(6,000)AVC *
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Total Profit at Aztec Electronics
Computation of total profit
TR TVC TFC
($88 6,000) ($34 6,000) $270,000
$528,000 $204,000 $270,000
$54,000
( * *) ( * *)P Q AVC Q TFC * * * *
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Profit Maximization at Aztec Electronics
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A Multiplant Firm
Firm produces in 2 plants A & B
Find total Q* by setting MCT = MR
Determine total MC: MCT = MCA + MCB
Set each plant’s Q where MR = MCT = MCA = MCB