What is the features of oligopoly market?

 Characteristics of Oligopoly:

1. Interdependence:

The firms under oligopoly are interdependent in making decision. They are interdependent because the number of competition is few and any change in price & product etc by an firm will have a direct influence on the fortune of its rivals, which in turn retaliate by changing their price and output. Thus under oligopoly a firm not only considers the market demand for its product but also the reactions of other firms in the industry. No firm can fail to take into account the reaction of other firms to its price and output policies. There is, therefore, a good deal of interdependences of the firm under oligopoly.

2. Importance of advertising and selling costs:

The firms under oligopolistic market employ aggressive and defensive weapons to gain a greater share in the market and to maximise sale. In view of this firms have to incur a great deal on advertisement and other measures of sale promotion. Thus advertising and selling cost play a great role in the oligopolistic market structure. Under perfect competition and monopoly expenditure on advertisement and other measures is unnecessary. But such expenditure is the life-blood of an oligopolistic firm.

3. Group behaviour:

Another important feature of oligopoly is the analysis -of group behaviour. In case of perfect competition, monopoly and monopolistic competition, the business firms are assumed to behave in such a way as to maximize their profits. The profit-maximizing behaviour on his part may not be valid. The firms under oligopoly are interdependent as they are in a group.

4. Indeterminateness of demand curve:

This characteristic is the direct result of the interdependence characteristic of an oligopolistic firm. Mutual interdependence creates uncertainty for all the firms. No firm can predict the consequence of its price-output policy. Under oligopoly a firm cannot assume that its rivals will keep their price unchanged if he makes charge in its own price. As a result, the demand curve facing an oligopolistic firm losses its determinateness.

The demand curve as is well known, relates to the various quantities of the product that could be sold it different levels of prices when the quantity to be sold is itself unknown and uncertain the demand curve can't be definite and determinate.

5. Elements of monopoly:

There exist some elements of monopoly under oligopolistic situation. Under oligopoly with product differentiation each firm controls a large part of the market by producing differentiated product. In such a case it acts in its sphere as a monopolist in lining price and output.

6. Price rigidity:

Under oligopoly there is the existence price rigidity. Prices lend to be rigid and sticky. If any firm makes a price-cut it is immediately retaliated by the rival firms by the same practice of price-cut. There occurs a price-war in the oligopolistic condition. Hence under oligopoly no firm resorts to price-cut without making price-output decision with other rival firms. The net result will be price -finite or price-rigidity in the oligopolistic condition.

 feature and characteristics  is same word, so donot get confused .........!

Following are the features of oligopoly market

1 There are only few firms and that also big firms like Ford motors, GM motors

2 There is high degree of interdependence

3 It is difficult to determine firm's demand curve

4 There is formation of cartels or collusive oligopoly