Monopolistic Competition
Monopolistic Competition
Monopolistic Competition is a market structure which combines elements of monopoly and competitive markets. Essentially a monopolistic competitive market is one with freedom of entry and exit, but firms are able to differentiate their products. Therefore, they have an inelastic demand curve and so they can set prices. However, because there is freedom of entry, supernormal profits will encourage more firms to enter the market leading to normal profits in the long term.
* A monopolistic competitive industry has the following features: * Product differentiation * Many firms * Free entry and exit in the long run * Independent decision making * Market Power * Buyers and Sellers do not have perfect information (Imperfect Information)
* Diagram Monopolistic Competition Short Run
Short-run equilibrium of the firm under monopolistic competition: The firm maximizes its profits and produces a quantity where the firm's marginal revenue (MR) is equal to its marginal cost (MC). The firm is able to collect a price based on the average revenue (AR) curve. The difference between the firms average revenue and average cost, multiplied by the quantity sold (Qs), gives the total profit.
* Monopolistic Competition Long Run
Long-run equilibrium of the firm under monopolistic competition: The firm still produces where marginal cost and marginal revenue are equal; however, the demand curve (and AR) has shifted as other firms entered the market and increased competition. The firm no longer sells its goods above average cost and can no longer claim an economic profit.
Product differentiation:
MC firms sell products that have real or perceived non-price differences. However, the differences are not so great as to eliminate other goods as substitutes. Technically, the cross price elasticity of demand between goods in such a market is positive. In fact, the XED would be high. MC goods are best described
Monopolistic Competition is a market structure which combines elements of monopoly and competitive markets. Essentially a monopolistic competitive market is one with freedom of entry and exit, but firms are able to differentiate their products. Therefore, they have an inelastic demand curve and so they can set prices. However, because there is freedom of entry, supernormal profits will encourage more firms to enter the market leading to normal profits in the long term.
* A monopolistic competitive industry has the following features: * Product differentiation * Many firms * Free entry and exit in the long run * Independent decision making * Market Power * Buyers and Sellers do not have perfect information (Imperfect Information)
* Diagram Monopolistic Competition Short Run
Short-run equilibrium of the firm under monopolistic competition: The firm maximizes its profits and produces a quantity where the firm's marginal revenue (MR) is equal to its marginal cost (MC). The firm is able to collect a price based on the average revenue (AR) curve. The difference between the firms average revenue and average cost, multiplied by the quantity sold (Qs), gives the total profit.
* Monopolistic Competition Long Run
Long-run equilibrium of the firm under monopolistic competition: The firm still produces where marginal cost and marginal revenue are equal; however, the demand curve (and AR) has shifted as other firms entered the market and increased competition. The firm no longer sells its goods above average cost and can no longer claim an economic profit.
Product differentiation:
MC firms sell products that have real or perceived non-price differences. However, the differences are not so great as to eliminate other goods as substitutes. Technically, the cross price elasticity of demand between goods in such a market is positive. In fact, the XED would be high. MC goods are best described