Competitiveness in International Business

  • Credits: 4
  • Ending: Examination
  • Range: 2P + 2C
  • Semester: summer
  • Year: 3
  • Faculty of Commerce

Teachers

Included in study programs

International Business

Teaching results

Students will possess following abilities:
- Ability to address the systematic and structured approach to competitiveness in terms of the concept of competitiveness on the level of enterprises, industries, regions and countries as well as competitiveness on the EU level;
- Knowledge of single-criterion and multi-criteria indicators of competitiveness;
- Knowledge of state-of-the-art trends in terms of competitiveness and understanding of their perspective as a prerequisite for further development of qualification.
Students will obtain following skills:
- Use of open access as well as licensed sources of data and identification of the potential in terms of competitiveness;
- Perception of the ethical, societal and economic context of competitiveness;
- Effective participation in teamwork addressing practical issues of competitiveness in terms of the concept of competitiveness on the level of enterprises, industries, regions and countries as well as competitiveness on the EU level, and appropriate presentation of teamwork outcomes;

Students will gain following competences:
- Familiarity with statistical databases (Eurostat, ITC, World Bank, etc.) as well as relevant official documents of institutions on the national, European or international level;
- Facts- and data-based argumentation skills, capability of creative and out-of-the-box thinking in terms of a contextual and interdisciplinary approach to competitiveness;
- Critical assessment, synthesis of theoretical background and interpretation of analyses.

Indicative content

Traditional and innovative approaches to the study and interpretation of competitiveness in international business; Porter effect; competitiveness pyramid. Single-criterion and multi-criteria indicators of competitiveness. Strategies and strategic documents on the corporate, national and international level.

Support literature

1. BALÁŽ, P. – HAMARA, A. – SOPKOVÁ, G. (2017). Konkurencieschopnosť a jej význam v národnej ekonomike: (zmeny a výzvy v období globálnej finančnej krízy). 2. vyd. Bratislava : Sprint 2, 2017, Economics. 240 p.
2. BALÁŽ, P. – ZÁBOJNÍK, S. – HARVÁNEK, L. 2019. China’s Expansion in International Business: The Geopolitical Impact on the World Economy. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, 335 p.
3. BALÁŽ, P. (1996). Rast konkurenčnej výkonnosti: cesta rozvoja slovenskej ekonomiky. Bratislava: SprintVfra, 1996, 176 p. ISBN 80-88848-03-2.
4. FIFEK, E. – KRAJČÍK, D. – STEINHAUSER, D. – ZÁBOJNÍK, S. (2015). Hodnotenie konkurencieschopnosti ekonomiky v medzinárodnom porovnaní. Bratislava: Vydavateľstvo EKONÓM, 105 p.
5. KRUGMAN, P. (1994). Competitiveness: A Dangerous Obsession. Foreign Affairs, 73(2), 28-44.
6. OBADI, S. M. – CHMELOVÁ, M. – PUŠKÁROVÁ, P. – STANĚK, P. (2018). Konkurencieschopnosť a inovácie: teoretické skúmanie a komparatívne analýzy. Bratislava : EKONÓM, 2018, 127 p.
7. PORTER, M. (1994). Konkurenční výhoda: Jak vytvořit a udržet si nadpruměrný výkon. Praha : Victoria Publishing, 626 p.
8. PORTER, M. E. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. 1. ed. New York: The Free Press, 1990. 855 p.
9. GARELLI, S. (2006). Top Class Competitors: How Nations, Firms, and Individuals Succeed in the New World of Competitiveness. New Jersey: Wiley, 2006. 288 p.
10. ZÁBOJNÍK, S. - ČIDEROVÁ, D. - KRAJČÍK, D. (2020). Competitiveness in International Business. Praha: Wolters Kluw
11. Online zdroje:
12. Európska únia, Eurostat
13. IMD. IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. [online]. IMD. Available online: https://www.imd.org
14. ITC (International Trade Centre). 2023. Databáza medzinárodného obchodu UNCTAD a WTO. Trade Map – Trade statistics for international business development. Available online: http://www.intracen.org/
15. UNITED NATIONS. Sustainable development goals. [online]. Available online: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
16. WEF. (2020). Global Competitiveness Report 2020: How Countries are Performing on the Road to Reovery. [online]. Geneva: WEF, 15. 12. 2020. Available online: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2020.
17. WEF. (2019). Global Competitiveness Report 2019: How to end a lost decade of productivity growth. 2019. Available online: https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-competitiveness-report-2019
18. WEF. (2018). The Global Competitiveness Report 2018. 2018. Available online: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-competitveness-report-2018
19. World Bank (WB). 2020. Measuring Export Competitiveness. Database. Available on: https://mec.worldbank.org/
20. Oficiálne dokumenty inštitúcií na národnej, európskej či medzinárodnej úrovni:
21. Lisbon European Council 23 and 24 March 2000 Presidency Conclusions.
22. EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2010). Communication from the Commission EUROPE 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. COM(2010) 2020.
23. EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2014). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Taking stock of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. COM(2014) 130final /2. Brussels, 19.3.2014.
24. EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2019). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Green Deal. COM(2019) 640.
25. UNCTAD. World Investment Report. Geneva: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Syllabus

1. Introduction into competitiveness in international business and theoretical background 2. Competitiveness pyramid 3. Single-criterion indicators of competitiveness I. 4. Single-criterion indicators of competitiveness II. 5. The concept of competitiveness: the enterprise level versus the country level 6. B&B (Best & bad) practices applied 7. Application of export competitiveness and certain related indicators I. 8. Application of export competitiveness and certain related indicators II. 9. Multi-criteria indicators of competitiveness I. 10. Multi-criteria indicators of competitiveness II. 11. The concept of (strategic) competitiveness on the EU level 12. Interdisciplinary approach to competitiveness 13. Competitiveness and state-of-the-art trends (decarbonisation and carbon tariffs)

Requirements to complete the course

20% - participation in seminars and assignments;
20% - semester coursework and its presentation;
60% - final exam

Student workload

Total study load: 104 hours
Attendance at lectures: 26 hours
Attendance at seminars: 26 hours
Individual preparation for seminars: 13 hours
Preparation of semester coursework: 13 hours
Preparation for the final exam: 26 hours

Language whose command is required to complete the course

Slovak, English

Date of approval: 06.03.2024

Date of the latest change: 25.10.2023