(A) for Each of the Following Calculate the Four-Firm Concentration

question 9

Essay

(a) For each of the following calculate the four-firm concentration ratio and the Herfindahl index.
Industry 1: 44 firms in the industry. The four largest firms each have a 15% market share, the remaining firms each have a 1% market share.
Industry 2: 7 firms in the industry. The six largest firms each have a 15% market share, the remaining firm has a 10% market share.
(b) Is it possible to state with certainty which industry is more competitive? Explain your answer by using your calculations from (a) in your explanation.

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Definitions:

Variable Costing

An accounting method that only considers variable costs in determining the cost of products.

Variable Costing

An accounting method that only includes variable production costs (materials, labor, and overhead) in product costs, excluding fixed costs.

Unit Product Cost

The total cost to produce one unit of product, including direct materials, direct labor, and a portion of all overhead costs.

Variable Costing

A system in accounting that considers solely the changing costs associated with production (direct materials, direct labor, and variable manufacturing overhead) in the calculation of product prices.