Purchase Solution

Case Study/Monopolistic market

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Just prior to the last round of negotiations with the Major League Player's Association, baseball commissioner Bud Selig broke open the books to show that major league baseball (MLB) had lost $1.4 billion during the previous 5 years. Worse yet, operating losses of more than $500 million per year on stagnant revenues of $3.5 billion were threatening to kill the game, according to Selig. Obviously, Congress and the players' union needed to rally around Selig's plan to reduce player salaries and allow him to get rid of the Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins. Local governments also needed to pony up for new and more elaborate stadiums.
Selig's ploy was nothing more than public posturing ahead of tough labor negotiations. MLB operates much like a corporation with 30 different regional offices (local franchises). Although individual clubs compete on the playing field, they aren't economic competitors. In a competitive market, one competitor's gain comes at the expense of others. In baseball, the success of one franchise brings increased prosperity for all. Through revenue sharing, all clubs prosper when Barry Bonds chases Hank Aaron's career home run record. When the Giants or the Yankees come to town, home team ticket sales soar. Ineptitude at one franchise weakens the profit picture for everyone.
MLB is clearly concerned about its poisoned collective bargaining environment. On the other side of the table is the MLPA. The players' association is a monopoly seller of baseball player talent, and the owners are a monopsony employer. The labor-market standoff in major league baseball is a classic confrontation between a powerful monopsony employer (the owners) and a powerful monopoly employee group (the players' association). Without a union, the owners would be able to drive player compensation down and earn monopsony rents. If owners were powerless, the players would be able to earn excessive salaries. Facing one another, they have to fight it out. It will be interesting to see who wins and if Selig is successful in getting the general public to pay more of the tab for escalating player salaries and ever more elaborate stadiums.

A) How is the case described in this application related to the monopolistic market?

B) Explain the difference between monopoly and monopsony.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

Case Study/Monopolistic market

Solution Preview

A) How is the case described in this application related to the monopolistic market?

In a monopolistic market structure, the company and the industry are identical. The single company makes all the output and price decisions, it has complete control over the market (Gerber & Braun 1998). Comparing this definition to the above mentioned scenario, the Major League Baseball (MLB) is the whole industry. It makes all the decisions with respect to the baseball industry and has ...

Solution provided by:
Education
  • BCom, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi
  • MBA, Rochester Institute of Technology
Recent Feedback
  • "Thank you. "
  • "Thank you"
  • "Thank you. I got 20/20 last week for my discussion you help me out with."
  • "Thank you. Great Job. "
  • "Thank you. Great Job. "
Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Basics of Economics

Quiz will help you to review some basics of microeconomics and macroeconomics which are often not understood.

Pricing Strategies

Discussion about various pricing techniques of profit-seeking firms.

Economic Issues and Concepts

This quiz provides a review of the basic microeconomic concepts. Students can test their understanding of major economic issues.

Elementary Microeconomics

This quiz reviews the basic concept of supply and demand analysis.

Economics, Basic Concepts, Demand-Supply-Equilibrium

The quiz tests the basic concepts of demand, supply, and equilibrium in a free market.