Question

2. The courts once decided that Microsoft was a monopoly. How has the interpretation of monopolies and the government’s role in dissipating their power changed over time? Would you consider Facebook a monopoly today?

3. What has been the response of many firms to the uncertainty brought about by increased globalization? How might partnerships help firms adapt to these opportunities and changes?

4. Contrast the barriers to entry into the fast food restaurant industry and the computer industry. Are barriers to entry getting higher or lower in each of those industries? Why?

Answer 1

2. The interpretation of monopolies and government's role in vanishing their power over time.

Governments can control the monopolies to protect the rights of the consumers. They can manage monopolies through various methods
a few are mentioned below
> - Limiting price increases through price capping
> - Nationalised products or government owned
> - investigates to unfair prices
> - regulation on incorporations etc
The Reason's for Government's modulating monopolies are
Prevention of excessive pricing - If there are no government regulations the monopolies are in a position to fix a price for the product they desired, that will lead to inefficiency and consumer rights declination
Quality of service - The quality of service will be deminished, the Governments interaction ensures that the business firm meets at least the minimum standards
Preventing monopsony power - A monopoly seller can exploit the monopsony power in the economy. This to a great extent is monitored through governments interaction in the market
To Promote competitions in the market - Many business have the scope of competitions , in such a situation its helpful for the government because only less attention are required
To control natural domination power - some industries and business are Monopoly by natural , in such cases government need to interfere to control any monopoly that can arise
these controls by the government has enabled in diminishing and to scrutinise the monopolies in the economy.
I would rather consider Social media platforms such as Facebook are natural monopolies for various online services due in large part to first mover advantages, network effects, and natural economies of scale involved with exceeding huge quantities of data and information. It's considered monopoly due to dominant user base, pricing power for the ads generated and lack of direct competition.
Unlike other utilities, these types of natural monopolies so far have gone virtually unregulated in many countries.

3. Globalization uncertainties brought about by the high degree of integration of domestic and local markets, intensification of competition, high degree of imitation, price and profit swings, and business and product destruction.
some business face unstable and unpredictable demand and business opportunities and their products quickly become commodities, leaving them little or no pricing power and under constant pressure by new competitors that undermine profitability.
other possible uncertainities are tight credit, deleverage, and declining money flows across local and national boundaries, as creditors tighten credit to both good and bad borrowers, depressing aggregate demand; setting the world economy into a vicious cycle of income and employment declines; and happiness is succeeded by negativity and a burst of asset bubbles, perpetuating the downward spiral of the world economy. other factors are income and employment declines through simultaneous currency devaluations and by raising trade blockades that in essence put an end to globalization and a beginning to trade wars.

4. the barriers to entry in the restaurant industry are lower than in many other fields, the distinctive demands and fancy of the field should cause any desiring restaurateur to pay heed before sticking into a startup restaurant. The following are some of the most significant barriers to entry for new restaurants, many of which are unique to the industry.
a few among them are below
regulatory requirements - requirements such as health inspection are important barrier in this industry , if you fail
location of the restaurant - it is one of the key factor in this business, a location to seek the attention of the customers etc
Difficult in winning over the customers - to be successful you need a solid customer base,
Insufficient of initial capital - starting a restaurant can be expensive with cost rising from purchase of land , furnitures , equipments etc

some barriers in computer industry are
> capital for the building in the first place without any incoming cashflow to help cover the costs,
> building a strong brand
> Presence of an existing organisation, that can help develop your product further quickly so that you always have a competitive offering

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(apologoies time constraints limited my answer)