The kaleidoscope of competitiveness

Competitiveness has become one of the main “standards” governing the ever-changing interplay of interests at the international level. Trade liberalization, structural adjustments, the retooling of production, intelligent coexistence with our natural resources, the struggle to eliminate poverty -all are viewed, in one way or another, through the prism of competitiveness. This has transformed competitiveness into some sort of compulsory principle by which international status is measured and which influences the formulation and implementation of business strategies and national policies. The literature on competitiveness offers a wide array of definitions, ranging from ones that focus on economic aspects to others that attempt to link up the techno-economic, sociopolitical and cultural aspects of the competitive process.