Competitiveness

The creation of sustainable competitive advantage is a prerequisite of business for all firms whether they be competing domestically or in the international arena (see Porter, 1980, 1985 and 1986). Because markets are not static and change dramatically over time under the pressure of new technologies, new entrants, changing economic conditions and new business practices, the consequent challenge for firms centres on managing the process of competitiveness, that is ensuring that their business focus enables them to turn good performance results into potential for future competitiveness. Firms which rest on their laurels and expect their past successes to carry them through into the future are likely to atrophy and die.