The competitiveness conundrum: literature review and reflections

Abstract

The concept of competitiveness has been studied by researchers from a variety of perspectives using different methodologies. Though there is a large volume of literature on the subject, there is a dearth of systematic reviews of the extant literature. This paper is an attempt in that direction. It presents a classificatory scheme using two dimensions - level of analysis (nation, industry and firm) and types of variables used to explain competitiveness. The implicit and explicit research questions addressed and issues related to definition, measurement and sources of competitiveness at various levels are also discussed. It is suggested that given its complexity an eclectic approach combining different schools of thought and using multiple measurement schemes would be appropriate for doing research on competitiveness.