This chapter investigates the possibility of anti-competitive behavior in the Ghana telecommunication sector and determines exploratorily if there is a need for the enactment of anti-trust laws to protect social welfare. The chapter first evaluates the available relevant literature on the subject, assesses the current situation, evaluates the current market structure, and identifies how market power is affecting consumer welfare. Reviews of available literature and secondary data were conducted to establish the relevant conditions for the applicability of such a law. Next, primary data was collected from stakeholders to solicit views on the impact of market structure on pricing and the need for anti-trust laws. Results suggest the Ghana telecommunication sector is open to “cartelization,” which can result in different forms of price collusion despite the existence of a state regulatory body (The National Communications Authority, NCA). The study highlights the Ghanaian consumers' susceptibility to unfair marketing practices due to the possible absence of pertinent anti-trust legislation.
In spite of the volume of literature produced over the years reflecting concern over the present state of the arts, the situation is likely to continue. However, there are several new ideas that offer some promise for improving our understanding and ability to project new relationships in the agribusiness sector of the Southern region.Although the title of this article implies a one-way set of forces working from agricultural industrialization to market structure, some of our colleagues regard this relationship as a two way process with forces at work in each sector having strong impacts on the other. It is these interdependencies that make the task of model building so difficult and empirical analysis so complex.
Hirschman’s Exit, Voice, and Loyalty highlights the role of “voice” when individuals confront an unexpected deterioration in quality. Yet, voice has received little attention. To motivate our empirical analysis, we develop a simple model of voice as the equilibrium of a relational contract between customers and firms. We use data on 4 million tweets to or about US airlines to study the relationship between quality, voice, and market structure. Voice increases when quality deteriorates. This relationship is greater for airlines that operate a large share of flights in a market. Supplemental analyses support a relational contracting role for voice. (JEL D83, L15, L82, L93)
Morphology, Modes of Behavior, and Measures of Market Power: A Framework for Evaluating the Impact of Industrialization of Southern Agriculture on Markets and Market Structure
