The concept of economic concentration in theory

Abstract

The article considers in chronological order the scientific views of scientists of both modern and past centuries on defining the essence of economic concentration. The article analyses and compares them, and as a result reveals the main criteria of the concept of economic concentration, identifies its components and mechanisms as a theoretical value.
 The article highlights the historical aspect of the origin and development of scientific thought on the essence of economic concentration and the impact on it of events that took place in society in a particular period of time, such as the industrial revolution of the XVIII century, which became the driving force for intensifying scientific research in the field of economic mergers.
 The main aspects of concentration processes and their impact on the economic situation both within a particular state and abroad are clarified. The author outlines the range of possible consequences of economic concentration and gives an assessment of them, according to which the impact of concentration on the economy and society is both positive, leading to the flourishing of competition as a driving force of economic and social progress, and negative, leading to the formation of monopolies, oligopolies and imperfect competition, rising unemployment, production restrictions, rising prices, and slowing down scientific and technological progress.
 The importance of theoretical consolidation of the concept of economic concentration as a way to avoid negative consequences of concentration processes is revealed.
 It is established that due to the diversity of criteria for economic concentration, it is theoretically quite difficult to capture its essence in one concept, since it is necessary to separate its types, levels, volumes and other criteria. In a generalised form, economic concentration is a complex economic process that consists in the controlled combination of production, technology, economic relations, labour, labour, capital, resulting in an increase in the size of production, labour resources, capital, production technologies, which in turn may lead to the formation of monopolies and restriction of competition.