Concept Introduction:
Monopolistic Competition - An imperfect market competition where there are large numbers of sellers selling differentiated product and is called monopolistic competition. It exhibits the elements of both a

Explanation of Solution
The monopolistic market structure is a deviation from perfection with a faint degree of monopoly due to product differentiation creating an idea of difference from the other sellers’ product. It is an imperfect competition where large number of buyers and sellers interact in the product market for the determination of the
- Large number of firms The number of sellers in the market though far less than that in pure competition is so large that no single seller can influence market price. Every seller however, has some loyal buyers and each buyer and seller can affect the quantity demanded and supplied.
- Relative freedom and exit of firms - This refers to an economic predicament where the firms can enter the market of an economic good with few or no major barriers to the entry and exit. The entry and exit of firms is not free like that in the perfect competition but insignificant in comparison to that in an oligopolistic, duopoly or monopoly market structure.
- Product differentiation - The products produced by different sellers are close but imperfect substitutes. They differ in color, form, packing, size, name etc creating brand affinity. This differentiation helps create smaller markets of monopoly within the broader imperfect competitive framework. Further, this creates indirect barriers to entry of new sellers becoming a source of competitive advantage.
- Imperfect information - The price of and profitability from the same good varies across the markets owing to the lack of complete knowledge of the market conditions to the buyers and sellers.
- Transportation Costs The positive and varying transportation costs across the markets leads to the similar or near similar goods being sold at different prices in different markets, domestic or international.
- Advertising affects demand − Advertising, the most prevalent audio-visual form of marketing communication plays a significant role in the monopolistic competition as the sellers extensively resort to it to send across the non-personal message through mass media to promote or sell their product. In addition to the physical product differentiation, the advertisements create a psychological product differentiation in the minds of the buyers.
Inelastic Demand According to Prof. Lerner − “ The condition of imperfect competition arises when a seller has to face the falling demand curve.” In the monopolistically competitive markets, the sellers are price makers though with limited isolated monopoly powers. The product differentiation allows the sellers to price the output at a higher than efficient level yielding supernormal profits in the short run. In the long run however, this supernormal component is competed away by the new entrants into the market and the firms earn only normal profits.- Inefficient The downward sloping demand curve implying an inelastic demand, establishes the firm/
market equilibrium at a lower than efficient level. The Marginal Revenue and Marginal cost interacts at a cost level where the production plant is sub-optimally utilized. The Average Cost at the point of production is above minimum while the firm is still to reap the economies of large scale production.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
- Explain how much of emotional, mental and physical toll makes it so difficult to break the cycle of poverty.arrow_forwardCase Study: The Impact of Ebola on Tax Revenue in the DRC Background: The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced mulitiple outbreaks, with the 2018-2020 outbreak being one of the most severe. The outbreak had profound effects on public health, the economy and government operations. The DRC's economy already fragile due to policital instability and conflict, faced additional stain as the Ebola virus spread across several provinces. Economic disruption: The Ebola outbreak led to significant disruptions in the affected regions. Businesses were forced to close or reduce operations due to quarantine measures and the fear of contagion. this resulted in a sharp decline in economic activities, particularly in sectors such as agriculute, mining and trade. reduced consumer spending and interruptions in supply chains further exacerbated the economic downturn. Impact on Tax Revenue: the economic…arrow_forwardKey shortcomings of the Human Capital approach to measuring the monetary value of benefits of new treatments are that it Will generate lower benefits for male lives on average Will generate higher benefits for female lives on average Will tend to OVERVALUE improvements in quality of life Will tend to UNDERVALUE improved survival for people out of labour forcearrow_forward
- One of the key concepts in economics that underpins the necessity of making tough choices and confronting difficult tradeoffs through some form of collective decision-making is called Production Consumption Exchange Equity Scarcityarrow_forwardAllocative efficiency WITHIN the health care sector refers to What mix of nonmedical and medical goods and services should be produced in the macro-economy What mix of medical goods and services should be produced in the health economy What specific health care resources should be used to produce the chosen medical goods and services Who should receive the medical goods and services that are producedarrow_forwardProduction efficiency is most concerned with Choice of inputs in production process Quantity of outputs resulting from the production process The technological process of production All of the abovearrow_forward
- Choose all of the following that are assumed to be constant while constructing the production possibilities curve Technology Precise mix of inputs Institutional arrangements like judicial protection of business contracts Outputsarrow_forwardA point that lies OUTSIDE of the PPC can be achieved if A major technological innovation increases production efficiency A sudden influx of resources e.g., massive immigration of trained nurses Economic reform resulting in greater protection of intellectual property rights All of the above Only options 1 and 2arrow_forwardThe marginal benefit from each successive unit of medical care consumed declines BECAUSE each successive unit is more expensive to produce True Falsearrow_forward
- Principles of Economics (12th Edition)EconomicsISBN:9780134078779Author:Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, Sharon E. OsterPublisher:PEARSONEngineering Economy (17th Edition)EconomicsISBN:9780134870069Author:William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick KoellingPublisher:PEARSON
- Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)EconomicsISBN:9781305585126Author:N. Gregory MankiwPublisher:Cengage LearningManagerial Economics: A Problem Solving ApproachEconomicsISBN:9781337106665Author:Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward, Mike ShorPublisher:Cengage LearningManagerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-...EconomicsISBN:9781259290619Author:Michael Baye, Jeff PrincePublisher:McGraw-Hill Education





