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The aim of this chapter is to draw attention to the changes that have taken place in Czechia in the last 20 years in the field of foreign trade, focussing on the key milestones of 2002, 2012 and 2022. The chapter also explains the important link between the performance of foreign trade and economic growth; this link has its support in theory, and above all in empiricism. The importance of foreign trade for economic growth is key, especially from the point of view of changes in the territorial and commodity structure, which saw several important changes in the observed period 2002–2022, so we can relevantly explain the effects on the economic growth of Czechia. However, the chapter finds a connection with yet another economic category, which is competitiveness. The method of measuring and subsequent ranking of competitiveness is also of utmost importance. If the economy is to be competitive, it must have its own strategy, and this directly concerns the key instruments of pro-export policy.

This study aims to establish the position of the European Union (EU-28) countries in the dynamics of international trade openness linkages and the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) in correlation with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, research and development (R&D) expenditures, innovation capability and information and communication technology (ICT) adoption.

In the panel data set, comparative analyses were applied to scatter diagrams, correlation and regression analyses and structural equation models using Eurostat and World Economic Forum (WEF) data for the EU-28 countries in the period 2008–2019.

The empirical results did not confirm the hypotheses that a positive correlation exists between GCI and trade openness indicators and between GDP per capita and GCI. The ICT adoption and innovation capability increase GCI, which affects GDP per capita.

The empirical results provide a better understanding of the importance of trade policies, particularly in terms of trade openness and trade shares of the EU-28 countries, as it could contribute to increasing the GCI of the EU-28 countries. Furthermore, the results of this study underline the importance of ICT adoption and innovation capability and the need for appropriate government policies that improve global competitiveness.

This study, through empirical analysis, demonstrates the existence of correlations between trade openness (exports as % of GDP, imports as % of GDP and export market shares as % of world trade), R&D expenditures, innovation capability, ICT adoption, GDP per capita and the GCI in the EU-28 countries. In addition, this study contributes managerial and policy-based implications on driving forces of global competitiveness.

Defining and measuring competitiveness has been a major focus in the business and competition literature over the past decades. The paper aims to use data-driven principal component analysis (PCA) to measure firm competitiveness.

A “3Ps” (performance, potential, and process) firm competitiveness indicator system is structured for indicator selection. Data-driven PCA is proposed to measure competitiveness by reducing the dimensionality of indicators and assigning weights according to the endogenous structure of a dataset. To illustrate and validate the method, a case study applying to Chinese international construction companies (CICCs) was conducted.

In the case study, 4 principal components were derived from 11 indicators through PCA. The principal components were labeled as “performance” and “capability” under the two respective super-components of “profitability” and “solvency” of a company. Weights of 11 indicators were then generated and competitiveness of CICCs was finally calculated by composite indexes.

This study offers a systematic indicator framework for firm competitiveness. The study also provides an alternative approach to better solve the problem of firm competitiveness measurement that has long plagued researchers.

The data-driven PCA approach alleviates the difficulties of dimensionality and subjectivity in measuring firm competitiveness and offers an alternative choice for companies and researchers to evaluate business success in future studies.

This study aims to identify the main factors affecting export competitiveness and its barriers, focusing on the minerals industry so that a scale is achieved for measuring export competitiveness in this industry.

The research was conducted with a mixed method approach in the minerals industry. Among the active companies involved in this industry, 34 export companies and export management companies were selected and evaluated. In the qualitative phase, 18 experts and managers of the industry were interviewed to identify the factors affecting the export competitiveness of these companies and the barriers ahead of them. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was distributed among 412 managers and experts in this industry to categorize the identified factors and to measure the relationships among them. For data analysis in the qualitative phase, theme analysis was used. For the quantitative phase, factor analysis and structural equation modeling were adopted.

In addition to identifying the main components affecting the competitiveness of companies in exporting minerals as well as the main barriers ahead of them, the findings of the current research categorized these components using factor analysis. These components were categorized into factors, such as manufacturing factors, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, structural factors, competitive strategy and governmental supports. Afterward, their impacts on export competitiveness were measured and supported.

Although some studies have been conducted to examine the competitiveness in different industries, no research has been found that has examined and identified the main factors affecting export competitiveness and their impacts in the minerals industry with a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. The findings of this research may help managers and policymakers, at the industrial and national levels, to reach a scale for assessing the export companies involved in this industry by identifying the most essential factors of export competitiveness of minerals. Furthermore, the findings of this research can act as a model for future researchers to develop a scale for export competitiveness in other industries.

National intellectual capital is generally considered a strategic advantage for national competitiveness. However, the measurement of intellectual capital across countries for comparison purposes appears to receive little attention. This study aims to use a new index of national intellectual capital (INIC) to examine the relationship between national intellectual capital and national competitiveness.

This paper uses the INIC, developed by Vo and Tran (2021), to measure, compare and contrast differences in the level of national intellectual capital across 104 countries. INIC comprises the most crucial intellectual capital components: human capital, structural capital and relational capital. Various economic and social indicators are used as the proxies for these components of intellectual capital. Principal component analysis is used to derive INIC.

The results indicate that during the study period the level of national intellectual capital gradually increased. Europe has attained the highest level of national intellectual capital, whereas Africa has achieved the lowest level. This study’s findings confirm a close relationship between the national intellectual capital level and the national income level. Among the ten biggest countries, the USA achieved the highest national intellectual capital level, and China has significantly improved its cumulative level. Finland achieved the highest level of national intellectual capital in the world. National intellectual capital enhances a country’s competitiveness.

Findings in this study shed light on an international comparison of intellectual capital across countries and understanding how national intellectual capital contributes to and improves national competitiveness. Policymakers can consider and use these findings to support the accumulation of national intellectual capital and boost national competitive advantage, especially low-income countries and emerging markets.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to estimate a degree of national intellectual capital around the world and examine its impact on national competitiveness based on publicly available data.

This paper aims to analyse the wine market in relation to international competitiveness and international market structure.

To describe the international market structure, this paper uses Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and Net Export Index to measure export competitiveness revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA). Finally, survival function analyses were developed using the Kaplan–Meier product-limit estimator to characterise the stability and duration of the competitiveness in the international wine market of each country and after they were grouped into Old and New World wine-exporting countries, and Wilcoxon and the Log-rank tests were used to compare the survivor functions.

The findings have revealed that the import market structure has remained unconcentrated, whereas the export market structure is moderately concentrated. Concerning trade characteristics, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa and Georgia are exporters. Austria is a trader (re-exporter), and the USA, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands are importers with strong domestic consumption. Regarding the RSCA, the New and Old World wine-exporting countries have high scores, specifically France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa and Georgia. However, the advantages have weakened for most of the countries analysed. Only a few Old World wine-exporting counties (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Georgia) have demonstrated stable comparative advantages over time. However, when grouped into Old World and New World, their survivor functions present little statistical differentiation during the period.

The originality of the paper is that it applies the industrial organisation and comparative advantage approaches to the wine international market, highlighting the top global players. The paper also makes valuable contributions to the wine literature by analysing the duration and stability of comparative advantage in the worldwide wine trade at a country level and comparing them grouped into Old and New World wine-exporting countries.

This study aims to provide a systematic review of the literature on destination competitiveness. It explores research themes and approaches, and outlines an agenda for future research.

One hundred and eighty-three journal articles on destination competitiveness published in English since 2010 were collected. Content analysis was performed.

The authors found that sustainable development and smart tourism were popular themes related to destination competitiveness. Recent studies still relied heavily on Ritchie and Crouch’s (2000) model or Dwyer and Kim’s (2003) model. The authors also offer constructive insights for future research, proposing that research seek more input from residents, take an advanced integrated approach between supply and demand, adopt more core theories, focus on less researched types of destinations, explore the further contribution of smart tourism and adopt a negative lens to study the antecedents and consequences of destination competitiveness. The adoption of a longitudinal study approach is also suggested.

This paper contributes to the literature because of the scope of its review and perspective of discussion. Previous review papers have only focused on the factors and indicators of tourism destination competitiveness in different settings. We extend our literature review to research themes and approaches, and make suggestions for future research directions.

本研究对目的地竞争力相关的文献进行了系统性回顾, 以探讨研究主题、方法和未来议程。

本研究收集了自2010年以来以英文发表的183 篇关于目的地竞争力的期刊文章, 并进行了内容分析。

我们发现可持续发展和智慧旅游是与目的地竞争力相关的热门主题。近期的研究仍然主要依赖Ritchie 和Crouch（2000）的模型或Dwyer和Kim（2003）的模型。我们为未来的研究提供了建设性的意见, 建议研究寻求更多居民的意见, 采取进阶的供给与需求的综合方法, 采用更多的核心理论, 关注较少研究过的目的地类型, 探索智慧旅游的进一步贡献, 并采用反向的视角来研究目的地竞争力的前因和后果。我们还建议采用纵向研究的方法。

本研究在评论的范围和讨论的角度对文献作出了贡献。以往的文献综述性文章只关注不同环境下的旅游目的地竞争力的因素和指标。我们在回顾研究主题、方法和对未来研究的建议等方面进行了扩展。

Se recopilaron ciento ochenta y tres artículos de revistas sobre la competitividad de los destinos publicados en inglés desde 2010. Se realizó un análisis de contenido.

Este estudio presenta una revisión sistemática de la bibliografía sobre la competitividad de los destinos. Se analizan temas y enfoques de investigación y se presenta una agenda para futuras investigaciones.

Se constató que el desarrollo sostenible y el turismo inteligente eran temas populares relacionados con la competitividad de los destinos. Los estudios recientes siguen basándose en gran medida en el modelo de Ritchie y Crouch (2000) o en el de Dwyer y Kim (2003). Se presentan ideas constructivas para futuras investigaciones, proponiendo que las investigaciones se centren en más aportaciones de los residentes, adopten un enfoque integrado avanzado entre la oferta y la demanda, se basen en mayor medida en las teorías fundamentales, se centren en tipos de destinos menos investigados, exploren la contribución adicional del turismo inteligente y adopten una óptica negativa para estudiar los antecedentes y las consecuencias de la competitividad de los destinos. También se sugiere la adopción de un enfoque de estudio longitudinal.

Este trabajo contribuye a la literatura por el alcance de su revisión y la perspectiva de la discusión. Los trabajos de revisión anteriores sólo se han centrado en los factores e indicadores de la competitividad de los destinos turísticos en diferentes entornos. Se amplía la revisión de la literatura a temas y enfoques de investigación, y se plantean sugerencias para futuras direcciones de investigación.

The burgeoning population has an adverse impact on the employability prospects in the emerging economies and has triggered entrepreneurial activities to steer this predicament. The purpose of this study is to explicate the major entrepreneurial competencies that drive firm competitiveness.

Three industrial estates were selected from the two major industrial districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. The study used a cross-sectional design and responses from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) entrepreneurs were collected by employing a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was applied to empirically validate the proposed hypotheses in the study.

The study discerns the enablers of firm competitiveness and pursuit of excellence. The results reveal that the need for achievement and locus of control competencies strikingly augment firm competitiveness while risk-taking capability and innovativeness competencies aggrandize pursuit of excellence competency. The study further adduces that pursuit of excellence partially mediates between the liaison of risk-taking capability and innovativeness on the one end and firm competitiveness on the other.

The study demonstrates the compelling determinants of firm competitiveness and pursuit of excellence that might embolden training institutes and banks to emphasize the identified competencies for enhancing firm competitiveness and advancing loans.

There is a paucity of literature on “pursuit of excellence” and “firm competitiveness” regarding the MSME sector in India. Therefore, the study contributes to the literature by synthesizing these constructs in an epigrammatic conceptual model. The study is distinctive because it is one of the rare studies to explore the mediating effects of the pursuit of excellence entrepreneurial competency.

This study aims to analyse the structure and the competitiveness of the international coffee market.

To describe the international market structure, this study uses Herfindahl–Hirschman index, net export index (NEI), and to measure export competitiveness revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA). Finally, survival function analyses were developed using the Kaplan–Meier product-limit estimator to characterize the stability and duration of the competitiveness in the international coffee market.

The results reveal that the imports and exports market structure are unconcentrated. NEI shows that several countries are stable in their commercial characteristics (imports, exports and re-exports), nevertheless, NEI also revealed countries transitioning through the commercial characteristics, that the international coffee market structure presents dynamic commercial characteristics. The result for (RSCA shows that Uganda, Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Indonesia had the highest values and also resulted in better survival rates along with Italy, India, Mexico and Switzerland. The stability of RSCA indices is investigated by regression analysis, showing a tendency to increase expertise in coffee exports from 2015.

This study provides a comprehensive and recent analysis of the international coffee market structure and competitiveness, contributing to the analysis of the international market of the product.

Economic Society 5.0 is the answer to the challenges of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 through the creation of new value from the development of advanced technology that aims to reduce the gap between human and economic problems. Excellent human resources and adequate digital infrastructure are requirements in an Economic Society 5.0. Cooperatives as community economic organizations are players in the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Because of low competitiveness, cooperatives cannot create new and sustainable income streams, particularly digitalization capabilities. This study aims to encourage the competitiveness of cooperatives in the West Java region, Indonesia, in an Economic Society 5.0 by identifying the correlation between digital capabilities, digital orientation, employee resistance, government support, digital innovation and competitiveness.

This study uses a quantitative method through surveys as data collection techniques by distributing questionnaires to 386 leaders of cooperatives in West Java. Hypothesis testing uses analysis technique of structural equation modeling with partial least squares tool.

There are five hypotheses that are supported in the proposed model in this study. Digital orientation and government support have a positif and significant effect on digital innovation, in contrary; digital capability and employee resistance do not show any effect. Digital orientation, government support and digital capability also have a positive and significant effect on competitiveness. Meanwhile, employee resistance and digital innovation have no significant effect on competitiveness. Digital innovation was also found not to mediate the relationship between digital orientation, government support, digital capability and employee resistance with competitiveness.

This study provides new insights into the study of cooperatives as community’s economic institutions. This study adds empirical evidence of the factors that influence the competitiveness of cooperative institutions in Indonesia as a driver of the community’s economy. This study also provides practical implications for the development of cooperative competitiveness in developing countries, particularly in Indonesia.