9.2 : סיבות לקיומו של מונופול

Monopolies are formed when a single player dominates an entire market.

The dominance often arises due to exclusive ownership or access to resources, like control over diamond extraction, which establishes a monopoly.

Another reason is that governments grant monopoly status to specific companies in sectors like water and electricity to promote infrastructure development and quality control, restricting new entrants.

Technological innovations, like Microsoft's dominance in the operating system market, create barriers for competitors, promoting monopolies.

Also, industries with high upfront investment requirements, such as telecommunications and pharmaceuticals, discourage new players and consolidate power among existing ones.

Legal protections, such as patent rights, provide exclusive production and sales rights, strengthening a company's control over the market.

Additionally, the network effect, where a product's value increases with more users, contributes to monopolies, as seen with platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Finally, monopolies can form through acquisitions and mergers. The amalgamation of resources and market shares supports the monopoly status of the acquiring entity, as exemplified by Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods in the grocery retail sector.