Monopoly profit optimization scale of productivity is estimated by associating its Total income, Value of product or price, marginal cost, at monopoly, a firm uses to estimate its equilibrium level of output.
An illustration would explain which product combination has to be chosen in order to have maximum level of profit under monopoly.
Illustration 1
- Given that Total Productivity, Value of the Product and Total cost in a monopolist condition is represented in the below tablet. Ascertain Total earnings, Marginal earnings, Average Total Cost, Marginal cost and Profit under monopolist situation.
- Also ascertain the level of productivity which a monopolist selects in order to get optimum profits.
Total Productivity in units |
Value of the Product in $ |
Total Cost in $ |
0 |
42 |
6 |
10 |
36 |
18 |
20 |
30 |
24 |
30 |
24 |
36 |
40 |
18 |
60 |
Solution
(i)
Total Productivity in units |
Value of the Product in $ |
Total Cost in $ |
Total Earnings in $ |
Marginal Earnings in $ |
Average Total Cost in $ |
Marginal Cost in $ |
Profit under monopoly in $ |
0 |
42 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-6 |
10 |
36 |
18 |
360 |
360 |
1.8 |
12 |
342 |
20 |
30 |
24 |
600 |
240 |
1.2 |
6 |
576 |
30 |
24 |
36 |
720 |
120 |
1.2 |
12 |
684 |
40 |
18 |
60 |
720 |
0 |
1.5 |
24 |
660 |
Workings of the above calculations
- Total earnings is ascertained by multiplying total productivity and value of the product
- Marginal earnings is computed by deducting one unit upward of total earnings, i.e. $600 - $360 = $240
- Formula for estimating average total cost
is Total
Cost = 60 = 1.5
Total Productivity 40 - Similar to marginal revenue, marginal cost is also ascertained by deducting one unit upward of total cost, i.e. 36 – 24 = 12
- Profit under monopolist condition is obtained by deducting total cost from total earrings, i.e. 0 – 6 = -$6 (which is a loss under this combination).
(ii) To ascertain the next condition, that is the combination which the monopolist select in order to earn optimum profit
And the solution to this is the combination 4 will be the best choice since, the total earnings as well as total profit is at the maximum. Also while we consider the marginal earnings and marginal cost, marginal earnings has depreciated as the productivity has increased and it goes below the marginal cost at the stage of producing 40 units. Hence we cannot judge the optimum profits with the help of marginal earnings and marginal cost for this kind of combinations.
Hence we could suggest the monopolist to choose 30 units, which would yield him total earnings and total profit at the optimum level.
Degree of Monopoly Power
We can consider Lerner’s measure for estimating the degree of monopoly.
Lerner’s Measure
Lerner’s measure
is considered to be the oldest methods of calculating the monopoly power of negotiating
potency. The disparity between price and marginal cost is the actual measure of estimating
degree of monopoly power. A seller’s monopoly power depends upon his ability
to sell his goods at a value much above the marginal cost. Greater the lag between
the price and marginal cost, larger is the monopoly power. A competitive seller has
no monopoly power at all, since under perfect competition price is equal to marginal
cost. And the formula for estimating the degree of monopoly power under Lerner’s
model is
(P – MC)
/ P
Where, P denotes price and MC denotes Marginal cost.
Moreover if the seller is a monopolist the difference between price and marginal cost is always there. The index of monopoly will hence vary between zero and unity. For instance, if the price of a product is $10 and marginal cost is $4, then the index of monopoly power is (10-4) / 4 = 1.5
Illustration 2
Calculate Index of monopoly power by using Lerner’s measure. Given that the total output, Price and Average Cost. Also calculate monopoly power at output 40 units.
Total Output in units |
Price of the output in $ |
Average Cost in $ |
0 |
100 |
- |
20 |
200 |
5 |
40 |
400 |
4 |
60 |
600 |
3 |
Solution
- With the above tablet we come to know that average cost of the corresponding units of output are given and with these values it is not possible to compute under Lerner’s measure.
- Lerner’s model requires two aspects, price and marginal cost. Hence first we have to ascertain marginal cost. Now only average cost is given we have to ascertain the total cost first and subsequently the marginal cost.
Workings
Total Output in units |
Price of the output in $ |
Total Cost |
Marginal Cost |
Average Cost in $ |
0 |
100 |
50 |
- |
- |
20 |
200 |
100 |
50 |
5 |
40 |
400 |
160 |
60 |
4 |
60 |
600 |
180 |
20 |
3 |
- From Average cost which is provided to ascertain total cost is estimated by multiplying average cost and total output, i.e. 20 x 5 = 100
- Similarly, marginal cost is ascertained by deducting one unit upward from the total cost, i.e. 180 – 160 = 20
- Now after ascertaining total costs and marginal costs for all the units of output, we can proceed with the measure of monopoly power at 40 units.
Computation of Lerner’s measure
By applying the formula (P-MC) / P, we obtain the value.
Monopoly power at 40 units is (400 – 60) / 400 = 0.85.
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- Applications of Demand and Supply Analysis under Perfect Competition
- Concepts of Revenue
- Derived Demand, Joint Supply
- Determination of Profit Maximisation under monopolist situation
- Duopoly and Oligopoly
- Equilibrium of the Firm and Industry
- Forms of Market Structure
- Importance of Time Element in Price Theory
- Joint Demand Supply
- Linear Programming
- Long Run Equilibrium of Firm and Industry
- Market Structures
- Monopolistic Competition
- Monopsony and Bilateral Monopoly, Price output Determination
- Objectives of Business Firm
- Oligopoly, Cournot's Oligopoly Model
- Pricing of Public Undertakings
- Profit Maximisation, Full cost, Pricing and Sales Maximisation
- Pricing Under Perfect Competition - Demand Supply - Basic Framework
- Profit Price Policy
- Resource allocation under monopoly
- Short, Long Run Supply Curve of the Firm and Industry
- Similarities and Dissimilarities between Monopoly Competition and Perfect Competition
- Supply Its Law - Elasticity and Curve
- The Nature of Costs and Cost Curves
- Williamson's Utility Maximisation
