COMPETITIVENESS OF NATIONS 2, THE

As countries around the world seek to enhance their economies while facing the challenges of climate change and income inequality, national competitiveness is an important marker of the related strengths and weaknesses that policymakers will need to address. Among the existing reports on national competitiveness and rankings, such as IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook and WEF Global Competitiveness Report, there are sizable discrepancies in the ranking order for the same countries. As a result, confusion arises as such an outcome creates difficulties for government officials when translating these findings into real-world policies.

The reality is that these discrepancies are due to the differences in logic and analytical models used by IMD and WEF. Therefore, in recognizing such problems and limitations, The Competitiveness of Nations 2 presents the IPS model as a new approach. Building on from Michael Porter's diamond model, it demonstrates a robust set of methodologies as well as offers several key policy implications for economies around the world that wish to enhance their competitiveness.

The analytical tools used in this book can be further utilized for other units of analysis such as industries and individual firms. As this book provides a series of sophisticated methodologies and specific guidelines for enhancing national competitiveness, both academics and practitioners can derive useful implications.

This annual book series was launched in 2021 and has included timely topics and in-depth discussion on national competitiveness. The first edition dealt with the COVID-19 global pandemic and the US–China trade war as its key focus. For this second edition, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issue has been selected given its growing impact on strategic decision-making at both firm and country levels for sustainable competitiveness. This edition explores the development of ESG in various regions including Asia (Japan, Korea, India), Europe (Russia), Latin America (Peru), and Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa). It addresses how firms can contribute to ESG, and what governments should do to incentivize or regulate firms' engagement in its practices.

Contents:

• About the Authors
• About the Contributors
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• IPS National Competitiveness Research (NCR) 2022:
  • Extant Literature on National Competitiveness and Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine War
  • Conceptual Framework and Analytical Methodologies
  • Highlights
  • Application of MASI: The Cases of Switzerland and Korea
  • Snapshot of Top 30 Economies
• Special Topics:
  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG): Where Has It Come from, and Where Will It Go?
  • Four Strategies for Improving the Efficiency of ESG Activities: The Case Study of Walmart
• ESG Cases:
  • Korea's Rise, Japan's Fall? Green Transition in the Automotive Industry
  • Corporate Environmental Strategy for Improved Competitiveness: The Case of Tata Group
  • Solving ESG Issues through CSO: A Case Study of Fuji Oil Holdings Inc.'s Sustainable Procurement Activities of Cocoa in Ghana
  • Environmental Challenges to National Competitiveness and Stakeholders' Response: A Case of the Russian Federation
  • A Case Study of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts of BIC Companies in Peru
  • Improving Wellness and Social Sustainability through Healthcare Spending in India
  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Status in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status and Required Conditions for Firm Engagement
• Appendix
• Index

Readership: Advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of competitiveness, international business, and corporate social responsibility/ESG/sustainability.

Key Features:

• Method: In using a solid theoretical framework, the factors and criteria used for evaluation are more comprehensive and systematic. Such an approach is very easy to apply, thereby making it attractive for not only researchers but also practitioners
• Data collection: To provide a comprehensive evaluation of national competitiveness, statistical and survey data have been compiled as well as text data through the method of text-information analysis. This reflects the most recent competitiveness development of nations, which can then be a useful reference for practitioners when studying recent trends
• MASI framework: Going beyond simply measuring competitiveness, strategic guidelines are also provided to help strengthen policy decisions. With the MASI framework at its core, this will be a very useful handbook for policymakers
• Diverse real-world cases: In addition to the conceptual frameworks, cases from developed and developing countries are examined for a more diverse readership
• ESG issue: With ESG becoming a global trend, firms are increasingly adopting these considerations into their key decisions and everyday business. Governments have also been strengthening regulations on ESG activities at both national and regional levels. Given the importance of these activities around the world, nine chapters are included in Parts II and III which investigate ESG by exploring various aspects and covering diverse regions