Preview

Concentration Ratio Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
831 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Concentration Ratio Essay Example
Industry structure is often measured by computing the Four-Firm Concentration Ratio. The concentration ratio of an industry is used as an indicator of the relative size of firms in relation to the industry as a whole. This may also assist in determining the market form of the industry. One commonly used concentration ratio is the four-firm concentration ratio, which consists of the market share, as a percentage, of the four largest firms in the industry.
There are four major types of market structures: Perfect competition, with a very low concentration ratio, is a market structure with many firms, each selling an identical product to many buyers. There are no restrictions on entry of new firms to the industry. With thousands of firms having a market share there is little power amongst any few firms. Monopolistic competition, below 40% for the four-firm measurement, is a market structure with many firms; each firm produces similar but slightly different products. Each firm possesses an element of market power with no restrictions on entry of new firms to the industry markets in which numerous firms supply products which are each slightly different. Oligopoly, above 40% for the four-firm measurement, is a market structure in which a small number of firms compete. The firms might produce almost identical products. The barriers limiting entry into the market the market power lies within 4 top producing firms. Monopoly, with a near-100% four-firm measurement because there is only one market holding the majority of the market power, is a market structure in which one firm produces the entire output of the industry There are no close substitutes for the product. There are barriers to entry that protect the firm from competition by entering firms.
An industry with 20 firms and the CR of 30%, from a market structure standpoint, if the four firm concentration ratios is less than 40% it is monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition refers to a market structure that

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Week 4 Assignment Xeco212

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The three important market structures in economics are competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies. Each market plays a different role in the economy. Competitive markets are when no firm has the power to affect the market price of a good and “many buyers and sellers trading identical products so that each buyer and seller is a price taker” (Mankiw, 290). A monopolistic market is when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a certain good. An oligopoly is a market in which a good has only a few “similar or identical” (Mankiw, 346) products for sale.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The structure of a market is defined by the number of firms that are competing in that market, along with factors such as: the ways in which these firms are alike or different, and the obstacles that exist in any new firms entering that market. In this report I will discuss Competitive Markets, Monopolies, and Oligopolies. I will point out what role each of the market structure play in the economy. This report will list the characteristics of each market structure. I will share how the price is determined in each market structure in terms of maximizing profits. This report will share how the output is determined in each market structure in terms of maximizing profits. I will share what the barriers are to the entries.…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Perfect competition is described as a market structure where competition us at its greatest possible level. The four key characteristics of perfect competition are multiple firms in…

    • 1201 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Unit 41 Business - P5

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There is a spectrum of markets structures that exist. At one extreme you have the monopoly structure, where the market is dominated by one company with little competition. At the other end of the spectrum you have perfect competition, where the market is made up of about 100 small companies who would own about 1% of the market each. Towards the middle of the spectrum you have the oligopoly structure where the market is of about 4-10 companies who each control a big chunk each.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Monopolistic competition is a type of market structure where their are many producers that sell…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are different classifications of markets and the structure of a business determines which classification it will fall into. Markets are divided according to the composition of the business and what it provides to the specific market. Business composition is determined by the structure of market characteristics, and this helps determine level and area of competition. The characteristics in a market with the most concentration focus on number of purchasers and retailers, level in which a product has a substitute, price, entry and exit ease, and the level of mutual dependence. These structured variables are classified in the following market structures: perfectly competitive markets, monopolistically competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies (Colander, 2010).…

    • 1637 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are a variety of different business structures that comprise the market in the world today. The most common ones found in the business world today are sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. From these you will also find monopolies and oligopolies. Economists assume there are a number of different buyers and sellers in the market which leads to competition which allows prices to change in response to changes in supply and demand.(1) In many industries you there are substitutes for products, so if one type of product becomes too expensive the consumer can choose an alternative product that is cheaper, or one of better quality. This is called perfect competition within different companies. However, in some industries there are no substitutes for a product. In a market with only one supplier of a good or service, the producer can control the price meaning that the consumer does not have a choice, cannot maximize his or her total utility, and has very little to no influence over the price of the good or service they require. This is called a monopoly, where the single business is the industry. In slight contrast, you have the oligopoly which is at least two companies competing for market share. In an oligopoly, products are usually very similar, if not identical to each other, and in order to make their product more attractive they will lower their prices, forcing the other one out of the market until that firm lowers their price. Finally, the fourth type of business structure is called monopolistic competition. Like an oligopoly, these firms produce similar or identical products where substitute products usually aren’t available, although monopolistic competition is between many firms, where an oligopoly is usually two or three different companies controlling the market. In monopolistic competition, a firm takes the prices charged by its rivals as given…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Perfect competition describes several small firms competing with one another, many products, many buyers and sellers, and many substitutes. Prices are determined by supply and demand and the producer has no leverage. In a monopoly there is only one producer or seller for a product. Competition to monopolies may be limited to high prices or copyrights. In the oligopoly market…

    • 1412 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This week we learned that industries consist of all firms making similar or identical products. Their market structure depends on the number of firms in the industry and the ways in which they compete. Our text discussed four basic market structures.…

    • 642 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first structure that was discussed was the Perfect competition. Here the Perfect competition is characterized by many buyers and sellers, many products that are similar in nature and, as a result, many substitutes. “Perfect competition means there are few, if any, barriers to entry for new companies, and prices are determined by supply and demand. Therefore, producers in a perfectly competitive market are subject to the prices determined by the market and do not have any influence” (Investopedia, 2006). For example, in a perfectly competitive market, should a single firm decide to increase its selling price of a good, the consumers can just turn to the nearest competitor for a better price, causing any firm that increases its prices to lose market share and profits.…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Brown, K. (2010, December). An explanation and analysis of market and market structures to include monopolies, oligopolies, monopolistic, and pure competition. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/article/the-market-a322381…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Carnival Cruises

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In general, the level of competition in an industry increases with the number of firms in the industry. If all firms in an industry are small in size, relative to the size of the industry, it is a fragmented industry. If a small number of firms controls a large share of the industry’s output or sales, it is a consolidated industry.…

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Market Structure

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Economists classify the market in different ways. In the main, types of markets are examined in four categories which are ‘monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition and perfect competition’. There are some major features that separate these types of markets.…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If Industry A has twenty firms with a concentration ratio of thirty percent this is known as a monopolistic company with a low concentration. There are many characteristics of this type of industry one example is that it has limited control over the market; this is because there are many buyers and sellers. Another example is a monopolistic industry generally has a decent control over the price. If a company has enough influence over the market can be perceived as a price maker. A third characteristic is product differentiation. A product can have the same qualities as another but a few things determine its appeal. Product: location, packaging, and brand name all play a role on whether or not it will be sold. For example if a product is at an eye level it has a better chance of selling versus something on the top or bottom shelf. If the packaging looks pretty it has a more marketable appeal and finally if a product is made by a well-known brand such as Redbull. The last characteristic of a monopolistic company is that it is easy to enter and exit in and out of the market and still obtain some sort of profit.…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Economists usually classify market structures into four main types: Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly. These types of market structure are different according to the following characteristics:…

    • 5304 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Good Essays