And could it be, that certain structures are less optimal (profitable) for the single "firm", but more optimal for the economy as awhole. Could there even be a distinction?
Sure. The extreme example is competition vs a monopoly. It is certainly more profitable for a single firm to be a monopoly and be able to set prices. It is always less optimal to have real competition, but it is always better for the economy as a whole.
Taken to the extreme of course, the economy might be best if perfect competition ruled everywhere, which would mean largely a nation of small businesses, artisans, and shopkeepers. But this would be bad for Microsoft, as it would likely mean networks of open source developers controlling the software market.
Sure. The extreme example is competition vs a monopoly. It is certainly more profitable for a single firm to be a monopoly and be able to set prices. It is always less optimal to have real competition, but it is always better for the economy as a whole.
Taken to the extreme of course, the economy might be best if perfect competition ruled everywhere, which would mean largely a nation of small businesses, artisans, and shopkeepers. But this would be bad for Microsoft, as it would likely mean networks of open source developers controlling the software market.