Monopoly Power:
Problem 1. I remember in late March/early April of 2000 that Microsoft was involved in some form of an anti-trust suit that centered on some form of Monopolistic powers. Wal-Mart continues to expand worldwide not just with their traditional stores, but with their Sam's Club warehouse stores as well. McDonalds has continued their expansion from the traditional brick-and-mortar stores to showing up in Wal-Marts and food courts inside your local mall. As competition has grown from the likes of Target and name-your-fastfood-chain here (Burger King?), these organizations have found a way to consistently stay on top of the price wars. Does this make them a monopoly, or just plain smart?
Problem 2. Have your wages keep pace with inflation over the last year? Did the increase in your nominal wages rise more or less than the increase in inflation? Why should business managers be concerned with the trends in real wages?