Article or data-article in scientific journal (B1)
Book Review: Global Oligopoly. A Key Idea for Business and Society, C. Carr, Routledge, Abingdon (2020) Book Review.
List of Authors: Peter Zettinig
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication year: 2020
Journal: Journal of International Management
Article number: 100808
Volume number: 26
Issue number: 4
Number of pages: 2
ISSN: 1075-4253
eISSN: 1075-4253
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2020.100808
URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1075425320305809
The balance between parsimony and comprehensiveness is a matter of choice and Prof. Chris Carr develops an industrial organization perspective to address this question. The central thesis of his book, Global Oligopoly, in a specific sector, competition is the main determinant of firms' survival and success. Industries mature over time, they undergo consolidation and economic power gets concentrated, leaving the majority of the combined market share in an industry in the hand of very few competitors. An evolutionary perspective would argue that these are the firms that are best adapted to their operational environment. Carr remains skeptical. He asserts that our understanding of oligopolies, in the contexts of specific sectors and industries is underdeveloped or lacking. He doubts that good strategies can be created without understanding the competitive patterns generated by the top players in an industry. His promise is that, after absorbing this book, one will grasp the phenomenon of global oligopoly and how to handle it for strategic purposes. As such, the book targets audiences ranging from academic researchers to consultants, managers, students of a variety of disciplinary subjects and policy makers concerned with antitrust regulations.