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Competitiveness
Kinds of Competitiveness Selected AbstractsCLOSER ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: SPECIALSIATION, COMPETITIVENESS, COMPLEMENTARITYECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 3 2003ELIZABETH PETERSEN First page of article [source] VIRULENCE AND COMPETITIVENESS: TESTING THE RELATIONSHIP DURING INTER- AND INTRASPECIFIC MIXED INFECTIONSEVOLUTION, Issue 9 2010Peter A. Staves Understanding the reasons why different parasites cause different degrees of harm to their hosts is an important objective in evolutionary biology. One group of models predicts that if hosts are infected with more than one strain or species of parasite, then competition between the parasites will select for higher virulence. While this idea makes intuitive sense, empirical data to support it are rare and equivocal. We investigated the relationship between fitness and virulence during both inter- and intraspecific competition for a fungal parasite of insects, Metarhizium anisopliae. Contrary to theoretical expectations, competition favored parasite strains with either a lower or a higher virulence depending on the competitor: when in interspecific competition with an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema feltiae, less virulent strains of the fungus were more successful, but when competing against conspecific fungi, more virulent strains were better competitors. We suggest that the nature of competition (direct via toxin production when competing against the nematode, indirect via exploitation of the host when competing against conspecific fungal strains) determines the relationship between virulence and competitive ability. [source] PARTISAN COMPETITIVENESS IN POST-1990 U.S. HOUSE DISTRICTSPOLITICS & POLICY, Issue 4 2000John W. Swain This research looks at redistricting in terms of the partisan competitiveness of U.S. House election districts by creating a measure of partisan competitiveness based on the 1988 presidential election results for the two major parties. Nationwide, regional, and state means of district partisan competitiveness are computed for pre- and post-1990 congressional districts, and changes in those means are analyzed. This method holds constant all other factors besides redistricting. Post-1990 districts are less competitive between the two major parties than pre-1990 districts, despite predictions to the contrary. A regression model, predicting states' change in mean district partisan competitiveness, shows that states required to preclear their election districts under the Voting Rights Act and states gaining from reapportionment decline in mean district partisan competitiveness to a statistically significant degree. Surprisingly, one-party control of redistricting is associated with increased competitiveness to a statistically significant degree. [source] FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: CHANGING LOCATION-SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES AS SIGNALS OF COMPETITIVENESSTHE DEVELOPING ECONOMIES, Issue 3 2009Frank L. BARTELS F21; R3; P42; F23 This paper uses longitudinal factor analysis of location-specific advantages that are relevant to the foreign direct investment decisions of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to signal changes in location competitiveness. A total of 1,216 responses by MNEs to a survey in 15 SSA countries are analyzed. We find that, first, over a three-year period (2002,5), MNEs perceive a positive change in the market-servicing environment in SSA. Second, MNEs find negative changes in SSA regarding the availability of input factors and characteristics of market demand. [source] Lifelong Learning in the European Union: whither the Lisbon Strategy?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 3 2005HYWEL CERI JONES This article traces the Lisbon strategy back to the White Paper issued by President Jacques Delors in 1993 on Growth, Competitiveness, and Jobs as the launching point for the structural reform agenda needed to turn around the massive unemployment crisis and proposing a combination of policies for the structural reform of the labour market and stability-oriented macroeconomic policies designed to stimulate economic growth. The centrality of education and training in the Lisbon strategy is seen as key to the lifelong chances of every citizen linked to the need for Europe to compete on the basis of a knowledge-based economy if it is to maintain its high social standards. Describing the first years of the Lisbon strategy as ,a stuttering start', the mid-term stock-taking which offered European leaders the opportunity to fine-tune or radically modify the strategy is analysed. The article highlights the paradox that, although human capital is claimed to be Europe's most precious resource, there is inadequate focus on the weakest aspects of current systems. It also focuses on policy and financial levers which need to be mobilised within Member States as well as the implications for national budgets. It suggests the prioritisation of a small number of areas on which to concentrate efforts and echoes the Council calling for a ,quantum leap' in the ambition of the EU to ensure that the necessary follow-up is given to meet the challenges. Finally, a strong argument is put forward to take steps to move towards a unified set of proposals for lifelong learning. [source] Green Tax Reform and CompetitivenessGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 1 2001Erkki Koskela This paper studies a revenue-neutral green tax reform that substitutes energy for wage taxes in an open economy with unemployment. As long as the labour tax rate exceeds the energy tax rate, such a reform will increase employment, reduce the domestic firms' unit cost of production and hence increase international competitiveness and output of the economy. The driving force behind these results is the technological substitution process that a green tax reform will bring about. The resulting reduction in unemployment is welfare increasing since energy, which the country has to buy at its true national opportunity cost, is replaced with labour, whose price is above its social opportunity cost. [source] Competitiveness through political environmental strategies: The case of Michelin's green tiresGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 1 2009Julien Hanoteau There is a debate as to whether green firms may become economically more competitive, as well. The answer appears circumstantial, depending on the abilities of these firms to implement and benefit from environmental competitive strategies such as environmental differentiation or eco-efficiency. This article discusses corporate political strategies, targeting environmental regulations, as another source of competitiveness. Based on the case of Michelin's green tires, we characterize this strategy and its conduct, and analyze the conditions for its success. We show that it was the necessary complement to the environmental differentiation strategy developed and implemented by Michelin since the early 1990s. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Structural Development of Finnish Universities: Achieving Competitiveness and Academic ExcellenceHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2009Jarkko Tirronen This paper discusses strategic instruments that are used to enhance the competitiveness of Finnish universities in the context of globalisation, internationalisation and commercialisation of research and education. The Finnish higher education system is currently undergoing a major policy reform, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of Finnish universities through structural development. This article focuses specifically on three themes of structural development: institutional cooperation and mergers between universities; stratification and differentiation; and changes in governance and leadership. Three ongoing projects are used as illustrations. [source] Interdependence as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Competitiveness and Objective Sales PerformanceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 4 2005Chet Robie In this study, we investigated the moderating role of interdependence (a personality trait that measures the extent to which individuals desire working in a group-based, cooperative setting) on the relationship between competitiveness and one-year objective sales performance. On the basis of data from 133 sales representatives, results indicated that: (a) competitiveness was related to objective sales performance; and (b) interdependence moderated the relationship between competitiveness and objective sales performance such that competitiveness predicted objective sales performance more strongly for those who scored low in interdependence versus those who scored high in interdependence. Implications for sales selection and reward systems and directions for future research are considered. [source] A Stochastic Measure of International Competitiveness,INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF FINANCE, Issue 1-2 2009KENNETH W. CLEMENTS ABSTRACT Government agencies produce indexes that purport to measure international competitiveness. The most common version is the real effective exchange rate, which is some form of weighted average of the real exchange rates of the country's trading partners. Such indexes convey a false sense of accuracy as they ignore the volatility among the component real exchange rates of the partners. As long as all real rates do not move in an equiproportionate fashion, in a fundamental sense real effective exchange rates are subject to estimation uncertainty. We demonstrate how this uncertainty can be measured and used to enhance current practice. [source] Competitiveness and consumer preferences of U.S. fruits in TaiwanAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004Jane Lu Hsu This study utilizes the source,position,performance framework to examine the competitiveness and consumer preferences of U.S. fruits versus Taiwanese fruits in the local markets based on the views of retailers and consumers. Retailers who sell relatively more U.S. fresh fruits over total values of fruit sales favor the characteristics of U.S. fresh fruits. Consumers do not value the relative importance of characteristics of U.S. fresh fruits as much as retailers do. Strategic marketing plans need to be designed for both retailers and consumers to strengthen the acceptance of U.S. fresh fruits. A well-balanced promotion strategy emphasizing the overall superiority of profit-driven characteristics of U.S. fruits may encourage retailers to sell more U.S. fresh fruits. Highlighting information related to price and freshness of U.S. fruits may stimulate consumers to purchase more U.S. fresh fruits. [EconLit citations: M310, Q130.] © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 20: 433,448, 2004. [source] Leveraging Family-Based Brand Identity to Enhance Firm Competitiveness and Performance in Family Businesses,JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Justin B. Craig Drawing on the family-embeddedness perspective on entrepreneurship and the resource-based-view of the firm, we investigate how the promotion of family-based brand identity influences competitive orientation (customer versus product) and firm performance in family businesses. Applying structural equation modeling to survey data collected from leaders of 218 family businesses, we demonstrate that developing a family-based brand identity positively contributes to firm performance (growth and profitability) indirectly, via a customer-centric orientation. In contrast, attempts to leverage family-based brand identity via a product-centric orientation do not impact firm performance. Our results suggest that family-based brand identity enhances the family business' ability to persuade customers to make purchasing decisions based on the perceived attributes of the seller. As a result, we contribute to the discussions centered on how to optimize the intricate synergy between family and business. [source] Regional Variations in the Competitiveness of Unemployed Job-seekers and the Rate of Outflows From UnemploymentOXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 1 2001Martin T. Robson First page of article [source] The effects of competition and competitiveness on cardiovascular activityPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Lesley K. Harrison Cardiovascular activity was measured at resting baseline and in response to a car racing game, undertaken in competition or in cooperation with an experimenter, or individually. Competitiveness and win and goal orientations were assessed by questionnaire. Competition provoked increases in blood pressure and heart rate, and a significant shortening of the preejection period, an index of enhanced beta-adrenergic influences on the heart. The cooperation task was largely without effect, and although the solo task affected cardiovascular activity, it did so to a lesser extent and much less consistently than did the competition task. The three task conditions, then, were largely distinguishable by their capacity to activate beta-adrenergic processes. Participants high in competitiveness and desire to win showed higher blood pressure reactions and greater shortening of the preejection period to competition than those low in these characteristics. [source] Intellectual Property Creation as Invention Patents for Development and Competitiveness in ASEANTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 5 2005Ngo Van Lam First page of article [source] The Political Theory of Trade Union Recognition Campaigns: Legislating for Democratic CompetitivenessTHE MODERN LAW REVIEW, Issue 6 2001Alan L. Bogg First page of article [source] International Competitiveness in Medical Device DevelopmentARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 4 2010Paul S. Malchesky DEng Editor-in-Chief No abstract is available for this article. [source] National Competitiveness: A Question of Cost Conditions or Institutional Circumstances?BRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2004Edmund R. Thompson The issue of national competitiveness is a matter of considerable importance to both managers and public policy makers alike. Business scholars reflect this importance by their annual production of international indices of country competitiveness. Nevertheless, the notion of national competitiveness is controversial and has both (i) a narrow, concise conception that relates primarily to cost conditions as determined by exchange rates, and (ii) a broader, more nebulous conception that comprises the institutional and systemic circumstances of an economy, such as legal, governmental, public policy and other factors framing countries' wider business environments. In practical managerial terms, national competitiveness is a combination of both these narrow and broad conceptions. However, exactly how important cost conditions as opposed to institutional circumstances are to national competitiveness from a practical business perspective has never been investigated and is not known. This study uses qualitative and quantitative data gathered from senior firm executives in a specimen economy to find out. Hierarchical regression analyses suggest that institutional circumstances are significantly more important than cost conditions to the competitiveness of an economy from a practical managerial viewpoint. [source] Determinants of Competitiveness: Observations in China's Textile and Apparel IndustriesCHINA AND WORLD ECONOMY, Issue 2 2009Chi-Keung Lau C15; F14 Abstract This paper attempts to explore key determinants of competitiveness in the textile and apparel industries, with special reference to Chinese Mainland. The authors conduct a survey that is designed to use productivity, supply-side and demand-side determinants to measure enterprises' competitiveness. The collected survey data is then analyzed using factor analysis to capture the related determining factors indicative of competitiveness at the enterprise level. The findings demonstrate that government policies and related industry infrastructure are the most important determinants of competitiveness in the textile and apparel industries, followed by domestic demand. This suggests that the improvement of industry infrastructure can foster industry performance, and that more resources should be endowed to enhance the domestic business competitiveness of local enterprises. The development of domestic demand will foster the competitiveness of the textile and apparel industries on a more sustainable basis. [source] Corporate Governance and Firm Performance: the effects of regulation and competitivenessCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2007Krishna Udayasankar We propose that the extent to which regulation and competitiveness play a role in the country environment has a complex, interactive effect on the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance. Using an analytical method, we develop an algorithm to express these effects, and offer proofs to show that our algorithm meets central conditions that are identified based on extant research findings in this domain. An illustration traces the performance of firms with different corporate governance standards across various environmental conditions. [source] Developing a successful sector sustainability strategy: six lessons from the UK construction products industryCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008Ian Holton Abstract Sector sustainability strategies can provide frameworks to help business sectors identify and manage economic, environmental and social risks in an integrated way, and unlock opportunities to improve competitiveness and enhance reputation. They can also help trade associations to become more effective champions for their members; however, little research has been undertaken on their development. Current best practice guidance simply provides frameworks for managing the strategy development process. To add to this guidance, the context, purpose, process and content of three strategies from the UK construction products industry have been investigated. Strategy context and content were found to be unique; it is therefore not considered feasible to develop a generic sector sustainability strategy. However, six lessons have been identified with respect to strategy purpose and process, which may improve the chances of success of a sector sustainability strategy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] A multicriterion classification approach for assessing the impact of environmental policies on the competitiveness of firmsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007V. Hontou Abstract The key objective of the European Union's environmental policy is to successfully combine environmental protection with sustainable economic growth in the long term. Nowadays, it is increasingly recognized that environmental policies, besides increasing production cost, may at the same time give incentives to firms for undertaking innovative actions and/or developing and exploiting differentiation opportunities. Both differentiation capacity and cost increase are strongly dependent on a multiplicity of internal and external factors, such as energy intensity, type of technology used, characteristics of the competitive environment etc. The present paper presents a multicriterion approach for classifying firms into discrete categories of possible impact, according to their sensitivity to cost increases and their differentiation potential. The resulting environment,competitiveness matrix can be exploited for establishing sustainability strategies and designing effective policies in the industrial sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The UK climate change levy: good intentions but potentially damaging to businessCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2004Ann Hansford The climate change levy (CCL) is an important part of the UK Government's response to being a signatory to the Kyoto agreement. Prior to the introduction of the levy there were sharply contrasting views, which ranged from Sir Robert May's view that it was ,an opportunity, not a threat' to the CBI's view that it should be an option of last resort. In order to consider the impact of the CCL on UK businesses, interviews were undertaken within one ,not for profit' and two commercial organizations to explore reactions to its introduction. The findings from the study suggest the primary foci of concerns are based upon increases to the cost base and threats to international competitiveness. Further, there is doubt that the ambitious targets signed up to by the UK Government are likely to be achieved, unless there are fundamental changes in support for businesses, or the targets are revised. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Using environmental management systems to increase firms' competitivenessCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Dr Gerusa Giménez Leal The traditional view that has predominated in the industrial world has been that of a total clash between economic activity and the protection of the environment. This perception has evolved somewhat and currently environmental considerations have become a fundamental part of business practices. The first step that may help organizations to face these new challenges lies in recognizing the competitive advantages that environmental management systems, EMSs, can bring. This article presents the findings of a recent survey of Spanish firms. The results suggest that a positive relationship exists between the effects of EMSs and improving firms' competitiveness. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] Sustainable Development and the Sustainability of Competitive Advantage: A Dynamic and Sustainable View of the FirmCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2002Miguel A. Rodriguez Does the need for sustainable development hinder businesses' ability to create value? Is a firm's competitiveness negatively affected by considering that need? After quickly reviewing the main literature contributions on the relationship between business and society, and drawing from resource-based view of the firm and sustainable development literature, this paper presents a proposal for a dynamic and sustainable view of the firm. It shows how considering the changes introduced into the competitive landscape by sustainable development influences the way in which companies develop their resources, capabilities and activities, fostering the persistence of competitive advantages based on knowledge and innovation. [source] Social Inequality in Education: A Constraint on an American High-Skills FutureCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 4 2007THEODORE LEWIS ABSTRACT Countries everywhere are turning to education in the quest for competitive edge in the global economy. How to attain the high skills needed in new reformed workplaces is a preoccupation that can be observed across developed countries. In this widening discourse of high skills and competitiveness, the U.S. skills production model is being seen as undesirable because it is perceived to be premised upon educational inequality and skills polarization. This article agrees with such characterization of the U.S educational condition. It examines skill tendencies in new reformed workplaces and conceptions of how schools must respond, then interrogates assumptions underpinning college-bound/non-college,bound formulations that would have low socioeconomic status (SES) children pursuing watered-down academic fare, or vocational education, while high SES children are set on college pathways. I contend that curricula approaches that are premised on alternative post-school destinations leave the children of underclasses in the same unfavorable position as their parents, such curricula serving only to reproduce inequality. The article rejects curriculum tracking, and the notion of the non-college bound, and instead argues for the democratization of high status knowledge as the best response to the challenge of a high-skills future. [source] Supply Chain Strategy, Product Characteristics, and Performance Impact: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturers,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2009Yinan Qi ABSTRACT Supply chain management has become one of the most popular approaches to enhance the global competitiveness of business corporations today. Firms must have clear strategic thinking in order to effectively organize such complicated activities, resources, communications, and processes. An emerging body of literature offers a framework that identifies three kinds of supply chain strategies: lean strategy, agile strategy, and lean/agile strategy based on in-depth case studies. Extant research also suggests that supply chain strategies must be matched with product characteristics in order for firms to achieve better performance. This article investigates supply chain strategies and empirically tests the supply chain strategy model that posits lean, agile, and lean/agile approaches using data collected from 604 manufacturing firms in China. Cluster analyses of the data indicate that Chinese firms are adopting a variation of lean, agile, and lean/agile supply chain strategies identified in the western literature. However, the data reveal that some firms have a traditional strategy that does not emphasize either lean or agile principles. These firms perform worse than firms that have a strategy focused on lean, agile, or lean/agile supply chain. The strategies are examined with respect to product characteristics and financial and operational performance. The article makes significant contributions to the supply chain management literature by examining the supply chain strategies used by Chinese firms. In addition, this work empirically tests the applicability of supply chain strategy models that have not been rigorously tested empirically or in the fast-growing Chinese economy. [source] Maintaining disciplinary competitiveness while chairDEPARTMENT CHAIR, Issue 1 2007N. Douglas Lees No abstract is available for this article. [source] ,Benchmarking' and Participatory Development: The Case of Fiji's Sugar Industry ReformsDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2001Darryn Snell Since the mid-1970s, opposition has grown within developing countries to the use of ,top-down' development approaches by foreign consultants. Disenchantment with these development strategies, it is often claimed, has led to the current incorporation of participation in consultants' development practices. This study is concerned with the practice and methods of participatory development planning. It evaluates the Strategic Plan adopted by the Fiji sugar industry in 1997 in response to challenges that are attributed to the pressures of globalization and international competitiveness. The authors assess the external consultant's self-proclaimed ,participatory methods' in the articulation of these challenges, in the design of restructuring programmes, and in shaping the discourses of reform more generally. The consultant's use of the fashionable ,benchmarking' methodology is seen to be one of the most problematic features of the ,participatory' process. [source] HAROLD WILSON'S DEVALUATION: A SALUTARY LESSONECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2008G. R. Steele The 1967 sterling devaluation opened the final act of the Keynesian epoch. The assurance ,that the pound here in Britain, in your pocket or purse or in your bank' had not been devalued, rests upon a ,fixed price' assumption invoked by John Maynard Keynes for the 1930s. It carried the implication that a currency revaluation is the only price change that is relevant to international competitiveness. That is nonsense. Devaluation succeeds in readjusting international payments only if it reduces the value of the pound in our pocket, purse or bank. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||