Have you heard of game theory? Probably, the most famous example of game theory is “Prisoner's Dilemma.” There are two criminals and the police have sufficient evidence to send them to jail, but the police want to have other evidences to convict on more serious charges. Two criminals are offered some options as follows. If one criminal admit his guilty and the other doesn't, the jail term of the 'honest' man will be shorter, say one year. On the contrary, if he remains silent and his partner confesses, he will be charged with more serious criminal and will get ten-year sentence. If both of them admit their guilty, they will receive seven-year sentence. If both of them don't confess, they will get three-year sentence.
Provided they can talk to each other and make a firm promise not to confess, they would be likely to receive three-year sentence. However, they are kept in isolation, and can't talk to each other. In other words, they must make decisions based on how the other person is likely to behave. Then, both of them result in going prison for seven years.
The Prisoner's Dilemma seems to be applicable to competition among firms. Cooperation might be preferable in a price destruction situation. But these companies tend to defend their interests and end up more fierce competition. Of course cartels are undesirable. However, companies should seek the win-win situation.
To find win-win solutions is easier said than done. But fortunately, companies are not kept isolated, and they can talk to each other.
（学習記録）
(1) English Grammar in Use
・unit 109 Word order 1: verb+object; place and time
・unit 110 word order 2: adverbs with verbs
(2) 英語で意見を論理的に述べる 技術とトレーニング（ベレ出版） p.150～p.159