In concentrated industries, it's important for the union to organize most or all employers and to bargain with them on the same time schedule. In this way, all employers will encounter the same demands and will be less resistant because at least part of any negotiated wage increases can be passed on to consumers through simultaneous price increases. With globalization, this has been increasingly difficult because unions operate nationally, while product competition is international
A firm may also gain competitive advantage through patents. Companies in the pharmaceutical and information technology industries often earn higher profits from their monopoly positions as patent owners, either through higher prices for the patented products they produce or through license fees paid by other producers to use the patented attribute.