Preview

The Prisoners' Dilemma in the Airline Industry

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2096 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Prisoners' Dilemma in the Airline Industry
The Prisoners’ Dilemma in the airplane industry

Games of Strategy Home Assignment

Tamás Seres

Introduction 3
The Prisoners’ Dilemma 3
An Oligopolistic market: 5
The Case Study 6
Conclusion 8
References: 8

Introduction

In today’s world the Prisoners’ Dilemma is a common phenomenon in business, politics and in social life as well. This paper will analyze a real life example. It will describe the airplane manufacturing industry and their two giant manufacturers: Airbus and Boeing. The two companies find themselves in a business environment where both parties take the others decision into consideration and act in respect of those. The companies can have two choices: to cooperate with each other for higher prices or to compete at lower price to win more customers. The case study is played in a special business environment where only two companies are operating on the market. The action of one company has major effect on its competitor. Therefore it is essential for the players to analyze the decision of their competitor. Firstly I would like to present the Prisoners’ Dilemma in detail. Afterwards I will write a review on the economical terms of an oligopolistic market. Then the detailed analysis of the situation will be presented. Finally a conclusion will be given.

The Prisoners’ Dilemma

According to an internet article (Investopedia.com) a simple definition of the Prisoners’ Dilemma is the following: „A paradox in decision analysis in which two individuals acting in their own best interest pursue a course of action that does not result in the ideal outcome. The typical prisoner’s dilemma is set up in such a way that both parties choose to protect themselves at the expense of the other participant. As a result of following a purely logical thought process to help oneself, both participants find themselves in a worse state than if they had cooperated with each other in the decision-making process.”

The well



References: • Dixit, Avinash. Skeath, Susan. (2004). Games of Strategy, 2nd Edition. W. W. Norton & Company • Investopedia.com. Available at: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/prisoners-dilemma.asp#axzz1hAd0Dee1. [Accesed on: 19th December 2011] • Bianco, David P. Oligopoly Available at: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Oli-Per/Oligopoly.html#b. [Accesed on: 19th December 2011] • Mehta, Foham. (2011). Bertrand’s Theory Available at: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bertrand-competition.html. . [Accesed on: 19th December 2011]

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Xecom Uop Week4

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To consider different roles in the economy we will have to look at competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies. We will discuss in this paper exactly how each of these roles play a part in our economy. Some of the things we will discuss are the characteristics of each of these market structures, along with how price is determined in each of these structures. Other topics will include how the output of each market structure is determined in terms of maximizing profits. The last two things we will look at are the barriers to entry if and ultimately the role in which each market structure plays in this economy.…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A monopoly is an industry composed of only one firm that produces a product for which there are no close substitutions and in which significant barriers exist to prevent new firms from entering into the industry (Case, 2009). In a different definition, it can be distinguished by a lack of financially viable competition to produce the goods or services as well as to substitute goods. Monopolies often refer to a procedure by which a company could gain a determinedly larger market than what would be expected under an ideal competition. This paper will emphasize on several components such as how a monopoly can benefit towards stakeholders or owners. Also, how the changes could take place according to price and output of the goods and services in a particular market place and how the market structure can be beneficial to the Wonks potato chip monopoly.…

    • 1755 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Case Study

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages

    References: Johnson, K. & Cohen, A. (2000, January 1). Dilemma at Devil 's Den - Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review Case Studies, Articles, Books. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://hbr.org/product/dilemma-at-devil-s-den/an/BAB081-PDF-ENG…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The term ethical dilemma refers to a situation in which there are two morally correct paths to take, but to follow one…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Prisoner's Dilemma is a canonical example of a game analyzed in game theory that shows why two individuals might not cooperate, even if it appears that it is in their best interest to do so. By saying that , that breaks it down saying that they think that they have to act and do what ever to get through. They have to watch their backs and make Peace in many different ways to survive that punishment to the crime they committed. During…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Monopoly Vs Monopoly

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Not everyone has a “get out of jail free” card in life; unless of course they are playing the classic family board game, Monopoly. Those who monopolize a specific market most definitely do not have a “get out of jail free” card, as they are committing felonies. Both of these different monopolies are a great pleasure to win, but a pain to lose. In this paper I will compare and contrast these two different forms of monopolization.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the simulation Differentiating between Market Structures I learned about the four market structures, which are perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. I learned about cost and revenue curves within the market structures and how these structures work within an organization. The simulation also dealt with prisoner’s dilemma, price war and duopoly. The prisoner dilemma is known as a two-person game and demonstrates the difficulties of cooperate tactics when faced with different scenarios and situations. The simulation was informative and provided examples of the four market structure. The simulation presented the CEO of the transportation company with different scenarios in regard to the freight transportation industry. Within the competitive market the transportation company was able to maintain ground and run a successful company despite their competition. In perfect competition this includes sellers and buyers with no barriers for the entry of new firms and each seller happens to be a price taker: with maximize profits and complete information (University of Phoenix, 2012). Marginal revenues and marginal cost were also discussed. It showed how firms maximize their profits when marginal revenues are equal to the marginal cost. “A monopolist’s marginal revenue is always below its price” (Colander, 2012).…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Finance Test with Answers

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Two assets, A and B, have the same expected return (10%) and the same level of risk (average). Which of the following statements is true?…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    All dilemmas have different paths that should be taken to create some sort of resolution. Many people believe that in certain scenarios there is no way to solve the problem they are dealt with other than doing simple nothing, and letting the problem run them over. By standing up and fighting for what you want when faced with a dilemma…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Work Place Ethical Dilemma

    • 1040 Words
    • 5 Pages

    According to Freeman, S. (2000) Ethics: An introduction to philosophy and practice ethical dilemma is a complex situation that will involve conflicts between moral imperatives. This is also called ethical paradox which plays a central role in ethics debates. We are not animals and thus should not act and behave like animals. All humans have social acceptable behaviors we must abide from. Standards we all follow to what we believe, having our own opinions, from obeying the law and knowing what is morally right and wrong. For example the ethical admonition to “treat others as you would like to be treated” is not always easy to follow especially if the individual you should treat with respect does not in turn respect you. This is an example of ethical decision clashing.…

    • 1040 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Ethical Dilemmas

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The first dilemma I will be discussing involves a marine lieutenant in Afghanistan who must choose between either killing or releasing four Afghani goatherds who might or might not be Taliban partisans. In this scenario there are several stakeholders, the four goatherds, the marine lieutenant, the other personnel in the patrol, the Taliban and the Afghani civilians.…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A dilemma is a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives. An ethical dilemma can also be known as a moral dilemma or temptation. Moral temptations are viewed as “the right choice verses the wrong choice”. The right choice is not necessarily the easy choice. Any situation in which there are two choices to be made, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion nor provides a satisfactory outcome for the chooser adequately describes a dilemma. Ethical dilemmas assume that the chooser will abide by societal norms, such as codes of law or religious teachings, in order to make the choice ethically impossible. Knowing how to best resolve difficult moral and ethical dilemmas is never easy.…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethical Dilemma

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages

    An ethical dilemma is any situation which guiding moral principles cannot determine which course of action is right or wrong (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Moral Dilemmas). Often in the work place we are faced with dilemmas all the time. Many have the choice to do the right thing or doing the wrong one. However, doing the right is the moral thing to do, but some choose the alternate. When choosing both one must face the consequences involved.…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gametheory

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The striking aspect of the “confess”, “confess” outcome in the Prisoners Dilemma is that although it is the one we expect to arise, it is not the best outcome for the players jointly; both players would prefer that neither of them confess. For this reason, the Prisoners dilemma is the paradigmatic example of self-interested, rational behaviour not leading to a socially optimal result.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ethics

    • 6164 Words
    • 25 Pages

    The quandary people find themselves in when they have to decide if they should act in a way that might help another person or group, and is the “right” thing to do, even though doing so might not be in their own self-interest. A dilemma may also arise when a person has to decide between two different courses of action, knowing that whichever course he or she chooses will result in harm to one person or group even though it may benefit another. The ethical dilemma here is to decide which course of action is the “lesser of two evils.”…

    • 6164 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays