Skip to main content

Economic Competitiveness: An Overview of Multilevel Concept

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Responsible Consumption and Production

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

  • 289 Accesses

Definitions

According to Oxford Dictionary, competitiveness is the ability of an economy to supply “increasing aggregate demand and maintain exports” (Law 2016). At the same time, the competitiveness at microeconomic level is the ability of an organization to compete successfully with its commercial rivals. Aiginger offered defining “competitiveness” as “the ability of a country or location to create welfare” (Aiginger 2006).

Michael Porter, one of the biggest contributors into modern theory of competitiveness, noted that competitiveness can be represented at several layers: endowed resources of the country, middle layer which is presented by macroeconomic competitiveness and microeconomic layer as a combination of environment that surrounds the firm itself, and clusters of firms, or concentration of firms in particular field, where a critical mass is enough to create supporting institutions (Porter 2011).

The recent sustained definition which is used at the World Economic Forum was...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aiginger K (2006) Competitiveness: from a dangerous obsession to a welfare creating ability with positive externalities. J Ind Compet Trade 6(2):161–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ajitabh A, Momaya K (2004) Competitiveness of firms: review of theory, frameworks and models. Singap Manag Rev 26(1):45–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Amin A (2002) Spatialities of globalisation. Environ Plan A: Econ Space 34(3):385–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo SG, Carvalho H, Cruz-Machado V (2016) LARG index: a benchmarking tool for improving the leanness, agility, resilience and greenness of the automotive supply chain. Benchmark: Int J 23(6):1472–1499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey D (2015) The metrology of organizational performance: how Baldrige standards have become the common language for organizational excellence around the world. no. July. http://www.ses-standards.org. pp 1–17

  • Chakravarthy BS (1986) Measuring strategic performance. Strateg Manag J 7(5):437–458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan Kim W, Mauborgne R (2005) Value innovation: a leap into the blue ocean. J Bus Strateg 26(4):22–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesbrough HW, Appleyard MM (2007) Open innovation and strategy. Calif Manag Rev 50(1):57–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho T, Mun H (2013) From Adam Smith to Michael Porter evolution of competitiveness theory, Asia-Pacific business series, vol 7, Extended edn. World Scientific, Hackensack

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen CM, Bower JL (1996) Customer power, strategic investment, and the failure of leading firms. Strateg Manag J 17(3):197–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen CM, McDonald R, Altman EJ, Palmer JE (1997) Disruptive innovation: an intellectual history and directions for future research. J Manag Stud 55(7):1043–1078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Aveni RA (1998) Waking up to the new era of hypercompetition. Wash Q 21(1):183–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davoudi S (2003) European briefing: polycentricity in European spatial planning: from an analytical tool to a normative agenda. Eur Plan Stud 11(8):979–999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng Q, Ji S (2015) Organizational green IT adoption: concept and evidence. Sustainability 7(12):16737–16755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dicken P, Malmberg A (2001) Firms in territories: a relational perspective. Econ Geogr 77(4):345–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dubois A (2016) Transnationalising entrepreneurship in a peripheral region – the translocal embeddedness paradigm. J Rural Stud 46:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Competitiveness Report (2003) Working document. Brussels. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/3020/attachments/1/translations/

  • Fagerberg J, Srholec M (2015) Capabilities, competitiveness, nations, No. 2015/2. Lund University, CIRCLE-Center for Innovation, Research and Competences in the Learning Economy, Lund

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster E, Contestabile M, Blazquez J, Manzano B, Workman M, Shah N (2017) The unstudied barriers to widespread renewable energy deployment: fossil fuel price responses. Energy Policy 103:258–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman RE (1984) Strategic management: a stakeholder approach. Cambridge university press, Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Gangi F, Trotta C (2015) The ethical finance as a response to the financial crises: an empirical survey of European SRFs performance. J Manag Gov 19(2):371–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gjølberg M (2009) Measuring the immeasurable?: constructing an index of CSR practices and CSR performance in 20 countries. Scand J Manag 25(1):10–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamel G, Prahalad CK (1990) The core competence of the corporation. Harv Bus Rev 68(3):79–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang S, Kim J, Von Zedtwitz M (2017) The importance of spatial agglomeration in product innovation: a microgeography perspective. J Bus Res 78:143–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jessop B (1997) The entrepreneurial city: re-imaging localities, redesigning economic governance, or restructuring capital. In: Realising cities: new spatial divisions and social transformation, Eds: N. Jewson and S. MacGregor, London: Routledge. pp 28–41

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan RS, Norton DP (1993) Putting the balanced scorecard to work. Harv Bus Rev V 5, September-October. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1993/09/putting-the-balanced-scorecard-to-work

  • Khusaini M (2015) A shift-share analysis on regional competitiveness-a case of Banyuwangi district, East Java, Indonesia. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 211:738–744

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim WС, Mauborgne RA (2005) Blue ocean strategy: from theory to practice. California management review 47(3):105–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim WC, Mauborgne RA (2015) Blue ocean strategy, expanded edition: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Boston, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobrin SJ (1991) An empirical analysis of the determinants of global integration. Strateg Manag J 12(S1):17–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krugman PR (1979) Increasing returns, monopolistic competition, and international trade. J Int Econ 9(4):469–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krugman P (1980) Scale economies, product differentiation, and the pattern of trade. Am Econ Rev 70(5):950–959

    Google Scholar 

  • Krugman P (1994) Competitiveness: a dangerous obsession. Foreign Aff 73:28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krugman PR (1996) Making sense of the competitiveness debate. Oxf Rev Econ Policy 12(3):17–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law J (2016) Competitiveness. In: A dictionary of business and management. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordreference.com/abstract/10.1093/acref/9780199684984.001.0001/acref-9780199684984-e-1333?rskey=cY0e6O&result=3

  • Lyulyov O, Shvindina H (2017) Stabilization pentagon model: application in the management at macro-and micro-levels. Probl Perspect Manag 15(3):42–52

    Google Scholar 

  • McArthur JW, Sachs JD (2001) The growth competitiveness index: measuring technological advancement and the stages of development. The global competitiveness report, 2002. pp 28–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Nalebuff B, Brandenburger A (1996) Co-opetition: a revolution mindset that combines competition and co-operation: the game theory strategy that’s changing the game of business. Bantam Dubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc., New York

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (1992) Technology and the economy: the key relationships. OECD, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Panzar JC, Willig RD (1981) Economies of scope. Am Econ Rev 71(2):268–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen OK (2010) Institutional competitiveness: how nations came to compete. In: O K. Pedersen, G Morgan, J L. Campbell, C Crouch and R Whitley (eds), The Oxford handbook of comparative institutional analysis. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 625–658

    Google Scholar 

  • Penrose E (2009, 1st published in 1959) The theory of the growth of the firm. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pinch S, Henry N, Jenkins M, Tallman S (2003) From ‘industrial districts’ to ‘knowledge clusters’: a model of knowledge dissemination and competitive advantage in industrial agglomerations. J Econ Geogr 3(4):373–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popescu GH, Nicoale I, Nica E, Vasile AJ, Andreea IR (2017) The influence of land-use change paradigm on Romania’s agro-food trade competitiveness – an overview. Land Use Policy 61:293–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME (1979) How competitive forces shape strategy. In: Strategic planning: readings. Juta & Company, Kenwyn, pp 102–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME (1985) Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME (1989) From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. In: Readings in strategic management. Palgrave, London, pp 234–255

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME (2011) Keynote speech at global competitiveness forum on 25th of January. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZt6kUKE-88. Retrieved on 29 Sept 2018

  • Porter ME, Ketels C, Delgado M (2007) The microeconomic foundations of prosperity: findings from the business competitiveness index. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008, pp 51–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME, Delgado M, Ketels C, Stern S (2008) Moving to a new global competitiveness index. Glob Compet Rep 2009:43–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter JA (1942) Capitalism, socialism, and democracy, 3rd edn. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1950

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab K (2010) The global competitiveness report 2010–2011. World Economic Forum, Geneva. Retrieved from www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2010-11.pdf

  • Schwab K (2018) The global competitiveness report 2017–2018. World Economic Forum, Geneva. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2018/05FullReport/TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2018.pdf

  • Scott AJ (1995) The geographic foundations of industrial performance. Compet Chang 1(1):51–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siggel E (2006) International competitiveness and comparative advantage: a survey and a proposal for measurement. J Ind Compet Trade 6(2):137–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smorodinskaya N, Russell M, Katukov D, Still K (2017) Innovation ecosystems vs. innovation systems in terms of collaboration and co-creation of value. In: Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii international conference on System Sciences

    Google Scholar 

  • Teece DJ, Pisano G, Shuen A (1997) Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strateg Manag J 18(7):509–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tudose MB, Rusu DV (2015) Landmarks on the evolution of global competitiveness. Analysis on the example of the European Union member states. USV Ann Econ Public Adm 15.(2(22):42–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Urban GL, Carter T, Gaskin S, Mucha Z (1986) Market share rewards to pioneering brands: an empirical analysis and strategic implications. Manag Sci 32(6):645–659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woo CY, Willard G (1983). Performance representation in business policy research: discussion and recommendation. In: 23rd annual national meetings of the academy of management, Dalla

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X, Sun B (2016) The influence of Chinese environmental regulation on corporation innovation and competitiveness. J Clean Prod 112:1528–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported through a 2018–2019 Fulbright Scholar Award. We thank our colleague from Purdue University, Professor Vincent Duffy (School of IE, Purdue University), especially for his teaching in a sphere of bibliometric analysis. We thank the editorial team for the comments and suggestions that greatly improved the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hanna Shvindina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Shvindina, . (2019). Economic Competitiveness: An Overview of Multilevel Concept. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Responsible Consumption and Production. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71062-4_63-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71062-4_63-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71062-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71062-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics