An oligopoly (from the Greek, few sellers) is a market that is dominated by a few large and powerful players. As Steve Hannaford documents with numerous examples, virtually every industry today—from medical equipment to airlines, toy retailing to oil—is trending in this direction, in the greatest movement toward industry consolidation since the turn of the 20th century. Charting the course of this trend around the world, Hannaford examines the motivations behind consolidation resulting from mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, and alliances; how companies exert political pressure to their advantage; and how the actions of the most dominant players—such as Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Viacom, Dell, ExxonMobil, Citigroup, and others—affect the choices we make at the supermarket, the drugs we are prescribed, and the movies we watch. Everyone who reads the newspapers is aware of the dizzying pace of mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, and alliances, between big companies and small companies in every industry. Such deals, along with the growing social and political clout of the biggest companies, are critical issues for the economy and for our future as consumers. Charting the course of this trend around the world, Hannaford examines the motivations behind consolidation into corporate empires, how companies exert political pressure to their advantage, and how the actions of the most dominant players, such as Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Viacom, Dell, ExxonMobil, Citigroup, and others, affect the choices we have at the supermarket, the drugs we are prescribed, and the movies we watch. Considering the implications of industry concentration on competition, technological innovation, business management, strategy, consumer behavior, and politics, Hannaford paints a provocative, but ultimately balanced, picture of big business and its impact on society.

Examines patterns of international competition since the 1960s.

`I found myself questioning my current views on globalization and international competition. In so doing, I have come to a fuller understanding of the dynamics of the process and have enjoyed a unique view into the minds of the decision makers′ - Organization Studies `This book is an unusual and valuable addition to the literatures of international business′ - International Business Review `The first interesting feature of this study is the selection of industries.... The book provides some valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the world in the mind of the chief executives... a matter of interest not only to industry and academia, but also to policy makers.... The classification of international strategies deducted from the interview data is another contribution that book makes.... The book has achieved its main goal of linking theory and practical experience [and] provides interesting reading.... The book translates the logic of the industry world into a nice theory leaving it up to the reader to accept or reject the accompanying business ethics and values′ - Prometheus `A highly effective analysis of the changing patterns of competition viewed from an international perspective. There is a plethora of books on globalization and internationalization of industries, but most are long on words and speculation, but short on hard evidence and perspective. Here, the approach of the authors is not to argue that the world is becoming more (or less) global, but to provide a valuable insight into just how these forces are shaping industries, whether managers can influence these forces and what they might mean for those involve′- Charles Baden-Fuller, City Business School, Series Editor This book uses in-depth current data from a range of international business, and provides an important new framework for understanding international competitive systems and formulating international business strategy.

The annual Global Competitiveness Report is widely recognized as the world's leading cross-country comparison of data and information relating to economic competitiveness and growth. Over the years, the Report has become the most authoritative and comprehensive assessment of the comparative strengths and weaknesses of national economies throughout the world. The World Economic Forum continues its tradition of excellence with The Global Competitiveness Report 2002-2003, which provides the most updated and recent data, rankings and analysis of 75 industrialized and emerging economies and the latest thinking and research from prominent academics and international institution leaders on global competitiveness. This year's report begins by presenting the widely quoted global competitive index that really comprises two indices-one for growth and one for productivity. It then provides global and regional analyses, with examinations of the competitive landscapes of Africa., Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Essays on a wide range of special topics follow, including national innovative capacity, governance, foreign direct investment, and trade performance. The Report concludes with detailed country profiles, data presentation and an exhaustive survey of senior business executives that touches on business conditions, infrastructure, the character of the regulatory regime, the quality of government, organized labor, corruption and tax evasion. The Global Competitiveness Report 2002-2003 provides essential information for business leaders, government decision-makers and for academics to examine the critical challenges facing a multitude of the world's economies.