The introduction of the Euro in 1999 has led to significant economic divergences among European countries, particularly between Northern and Central European nations like Germany and Austria, and Mediterranean countries such as France and Italy. These divergences are prominently reflected in trade imbalances. This dissertation investigates the primary drivers of these economic disparities, focusing on the role of international competitiveness. Competitiveness, defined as a nation's ability to market its products globally, is analyzed through both price and non-price factors. The research highlights several methodological challenges in assessing trade flows and competitiveness. Key findings indicate that price competitiveness, measured through unit labour costs, significantly impacts export performance. Empirical evidence reveals a negative export elasticity to prices in the European context, emphasizing the importance of cost competitiveness even for high-tech sectors. Non-price competitiveness factors, although less robust in empirical models, contribute to a comprehensive narrative when assessed descriptively. The dissertation’s contributions enrich the debate on intra-European trade imbalances, particularly through comparative analyses of Germany and Italy. The findings suggest that Germany’s export success is strongly linked to price competitiveness, while Italy’s weaker performance is due to deteriorations in both price and non-price competitiveness. These insights underline the necessity for economic policies to prioritize cost competitiveness as a determinant of industrial success. In conclusion, this dissertation provides a clearer understanding of the complex factors influencing international trade dynamics within the Eurozone, offering a foundation for future research to explore causal relationships and further investigate non-price competitiveness.:List of contents Preface of the Author i Overview of Research Papers iii List of Tables iv List of Figures v I. Executive Summary 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Background and Literature Review 2 1.2.1 Cumulative causation and export-led growth 2 1.2.2 The Kaldor paradox and the discovery of non-price competitiveness 3 1.2.3 The case of Germany and Italy 5 1.3 Presentation of Research Articles 7 1.3.1 Idea 7 1.3.2 Shared methodological framework 8 1.3.3 Summary of Research Article I 8 1.3.4 Summary of Research article II 10 1.3.5 Summary of Research article III 11 1.4 Conclusion 12 1.4.1 Main results 12 1.4.2 Contribution to the European debate 13 1.4.3 Closing remarks 14 II. Research Articles 15 2.1 Article I: The Challenging Estimation of Trade Elasticities: Tackling the Inconclusive Eurozone Evidence 15 2.1.1 Introduction 15 2.1.2 The empirical export equation 16 2.1.3 The unreliable price coefficient 21 2.1.4 Inferential Evidence 26 2.1.5 Conclusion 33   2.2 Article II: Competing for Manufacturing Value Added: How Strong is Competitive Cost Pressure on Sectoral Level? 35 2.2.1 Introduction 35 2.2.2 Background 36 2.2.3 Empirical approach 39 2.3.4 Results 43 2.3.5 Conclusion 51 2.3. Article III: Assessing the Role of Non-Price Factors: Shedding New Light on the European Competitiveness Puzzle 52 2.3.1 Introduction 52 2.3.2 Non-price competitiveness: Meaning, proxies and procedural Issues 53 2.3.3 Empirical Evidence 57 2.3.4 Discussion 70 2.3.5 Conclusion 74 References 76 Appendix I i Appendix II viii Appendix III xvii

The purpose of the thesis was to identify the tech startups main organizational resources and capabilities received from the Stockholm cluster. Correspondently, how those encourage to sustained competitive advantage internationally. The aim was to ensure a deeper understanding with a qualitative research method with a multiple case study and an abductive approach. The empirical findings were based on seven case companies that were committing within the tech sector and were internationalized. Further, the literature review takes off with the definition of the segment, namely the tech startups followed by industrial cluster, the network - and social network theory, the Resource-based view with concertation on the different firms’ resources, the VRIO framework, and capabilities, and thereby internationalization including international competitiveness. The conceptual framework has illustrated the correlation between investigated variables, mentioned above. Moreover, the empirical findings chapter was constituted of primary data presented by the seven companies. The analysis was established on the basis of the three voices, which are theoretical, empirical and authors to examine contrast and correlation with each other. The analysis part was followed by a conclusion chapter that presented the main findings/conclusions, thus answered the research question. In addition, the chapter provided with implications, , limitation and recommendations for future research.   The findings displayed that the main organizational resources and capabilities obtained from Stockholm consist of human and financial capital, alliances and relationships, innovation/technology and reputation. However, they are only three of them that bring sustained competitive advantage, which are the human capital, alliance and relationships, and reputation capability.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-07-06T12:45:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Manuela Gomes de Lima.pdf: 883281 bytes, checksum: 4b78d080e8a45e184d5ff754cbf2c0a8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-06T12:45:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Manuela Gomes de Lima.pdf: 883281 bytes, checksum: 4b78d080e8a45e184d5ff754cbf2c0a8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Nenhuma / O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi avaliar, com base na literatura recente sobre competitividade internacional, o desempenho exportador de China, Estados Unidos, Alemanha, Rússia, Coreia do Sul, Japão e Brasil entre 2000 e 2011. Por meio da aplicação do modelo de Constant-Market-Share foi possível quantificar a participação da composição da pauta, da distribuição dos mercados de destino e da competitividade na variação das exportações desses países. Verificou-se que o crescimento da demanda internacional favoreceu as economias exportadoras de bens intensivos em recursos naturais e que os países que priorizaram mercados mais dinâmicos (principalmente a Ásia) tiveram resultado positivo no fator mercado. Os resultados para o efeito competitividade foram menos precisos, pois seus fatores determinantes têm impacto variável conforme o padrão de especialização de cada economia. / The main objective of this study was to evaluate the export performance of China, United States, Germany, Russia, South Korea, Japan, and Brazil between 2000 and 2011, based on the recent literature on international competitiveness. By applying the Constant-Market-Share model, it was possible to quantify the contribution of the product composition, market distribution and competitiveness on countries’ exports growth. It was found that growing international demand favored the commodity exporters and also countries that have prioritized the most dynamic markets (especially Asia). The results for the competitiveness effect were less accurate because its determinant factors’ impact varies according to the specialization pattern of each economy.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjami Lietuvos tekstilės pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumo didinimo aspektai. Aprašoma tekstilės pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumo reikšmė šiuolaikiniam Lietuvos ūkio sektoriui. Mokslinių šaltinių analizės metu buvo nustatyta, kad pramonės tarptautinis konkurencingumas priklauso nuo tokių veiksnių kaip santykiniai ar absoliutūs šalies pranašumai (klimatinės sąlygos, geografinė padėtis, apsirūpinimas ištekliais ir pan.), naujų technologijų taikymo gamybos procese, investicijų, valstybės politikos įgyvendinant pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumo didinimą. Siekiant įvertinti Lietuvos tekstilės pramonės tarptautinį konkurencingumą buvo atlikti empiriniai tyrimai, kurie leido nustatyti veiksnius, labiausiai veikiančius šalies tekstilės pramonę ir jos konkurencingumą. Taip pat darbe analizuojama įvairių šalių patirtis tekstilės pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumo didinimo srityje. Išnagrinėjus teorinius ir praktinius aspektus, darbe yra pateikiamos rekomendacijos Lietuvos tekstilės pramonės tarptautiniam konkurencingumui didinti. Darbo pabaigoje yra suformuluotos išvados ir pasiūlymai. Darbą sudaro 7 dalys: įvadas, tekstilės pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumo didinimas – Lietuvos ūkio sektoriaus plėtros prioritetas; teoriniai modeliai, taikytini tekstilės pramonės konkurencingumui didinti; Lietuvos tekstilės pramonės tarptautinio konkurencingumui įvertinti skirti empiriniai tyrimai; rekomendacijos Lietuvos tekstilės pramonės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / At the master thesis Lithuanian textile industry international competitiveness improving aspects are being researched. The meaning of textile industry international competitiveness to modern Lithuania economics is being described. During scientific sources analysis it was found that the industry's international competitiveness depends on factors such as relative or absolute advantages of the state (climate, geographical position, resources and self-sufficiency, etc..), new technologies in the production process, investments, government policy in the international competitiveness of industry . In order to assess the Lithuanian textile industry international competitiveness empirical surveys were disposed, which allowed the identification of the factors most affecting the country's textile industry and its competitiveness. It was also examined the practice of the various countries in textile industry international competitiveness improvement. The examination of the theoretical and practical aspects of the work is presented recommendations Lithuanian textile industry to increase international competitiveness. At the end of the thesis conclusions and suggestions were performed. Structure: introduction; textile industry international competitiveness improvement is modern Lithuanian economics priority; theoretical models, whitch can be used to improve textile industry international competitiveness; empirical researches used to evaluate the international competitiveness of... [to full text]

Intense competition in the international markets has made the determinants of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) competitiveness an important asset in the export business, making of policies, strategies and decision making by businesses. SMEs are often seen to be disadvantaged for a variety of reasons, including inappropriate internal structures, lack of capabilities, insufficient resource support and apparent lack of foreign-market knowledge. The nature of international markets and the disadvantages SMEs face, make it imperative to examine the determinants of SME international competitiveness. Although some literature has recorded some studies on internationalisation of SMEs in developed economies, there is insufficient study of SME internationalisation, particularly in the context of non-traditional horticultural SME exporters in developing economies. Hence, the study aims to evaluate the determinants of non-traditional horticultural exporters’ international competitiveness by addressing the question: To what extent are non-traditional horticultural exporters in Ghana competitive in the international market? In the context of this study nontraditional horticultural exports exclude cocoa beans, logs and lumber. The study enriches the literature on internationalisation of SME exporters in developing economies by providing guidance for future research in a field of SME international business. The theoretical foundations of the study draw mostly on three perspectives: the resource based view, international entrepreneurship and institutional theory. From the review of literature, a conceptual framework was developed: ME international competitiveness is conceptualised in this research as government support factors, entrepreneurial factors and a firm’s internal factors. At the empirical level, the study employed qualitative and quantitative approaches which involved surveying 105 non-traditional horticultural exporters (respondents) in Ghana. Six hypotheses were tested on the key issues in this project, which were statistically analysed, employing logit regression, Pearson correlation and chi square. Secondly, the study uses six export facilitating institutions which were interviewed to gain understanding of the services these institutions offer to non-traditional horticultural SME exporters in Ghana. The main findings suggest that Ghana government support policies, access to finance, Technological Innovation, number of years in business, the size of the firm, Entrepreneurial Factors and the number of exporting destinations of the nontraditional horticultural SME exporters have had positive impact on the competitiveness of horticultural SME exporters in international markets. The findings also contribute, to some extent, to the advancement of the empirical, theoretical and managerial understanding of SME international competitiveness in developing economies. The research contributes to the international business literature by providing a model for understanding the determinants of horticultural SMEs’ international competitiveness. This highlights the important role of government, the entrepreneurial orientation, and a firm’s internal factors in realising SME competitiveness. The research also provides guidance for policy makers and SME business facilitators in implementing export-led programmes for horticultural exporting firms in Ghana.

Role-players in the South African automotive industry have responded positively to the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) policy regime. Since 1995, South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (original equipment manufacturers – OEMs) have become fully integrated into the global networks of their foreign parent companies. As South Africa‟s leading manufacturing sector, the increasing importance of the automotive sector is reflected in its exports, investments and contribution to the country‟s gross domestic product. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the MIDP on the export strategies of the South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (1995–2008). The main findings of the research are that, since 1995, the MIDP has been the primary factor impacting on the export strategies of South African OEMs. Without the programme, the industry would not have been able to cope with global competition. It is important to note that without the MIDP there would have been no significant growth in exports from South Africa. The research found that the country‟s trade arrangements with the EU and the USA have enhanced the impact of the MIDP. It was also found that, given South Africa‟s distance to foreign markets, the most important constraint when accessing these markets is the cost of logistics. In addition, the most important determinant of foreign-market pricing when setting the export price, aligned with the influence of the OEM parent companies, is costs relating to manufacturing, transportation and marketing. The role played by the MIDP in sourcing decisions is the most important factor that has contributed to an increase in light vehicle exports. Furthermore, the perceived level of influence when determining new export destinations would seem to be higher for the US-based and the Japanese-based OEMs than the European-based OEMs. The new Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP) (to be introduced in 2013), which aims to double vehicle production to 1,2 million units by 2020, will reflect a quantum leap in terms of processes, technologies and the scale on which the domestic industry currently operates. In order for the South African automotive industry to achieve both its and government‟s objectives it will require priority attention. / Business Management / D. Comm. (Business Management))

The main contribution of this work is to evaluate the competitive position of the Czech Republic within the Visegrad countries and its weaknesses and threats related to the international competitiveness, or competitiveness in the Central European region.

Role-players in the South African automotive industry have responded positively to the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) policy regime. Since 1995, South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (original equipment manufacturers – OEMs) have become fully integrated into the global networks of their foreign parent companies. As South Africa‟s leading manufacturing sector, the increasing importance of the automotive sector is reflected in its exports, investments and contribution to the country‟s gross domestic product. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the MIDP on the export strategies of the South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (1995–2008). The main findings of the research are that, since 1995, the MIDP has been the primary factor impacting on the export strategies of South African OEMs. Without the programme, the industry would not have been able to cope with global competition. It is important to note that without the MIDP there would have been no significant growth in exports from South Africa. The research found that the country‟s trade arrangements with the EU and the USA have enhanced the impact of the MIDP. It was also found that, given South Africa‟s distance to foreign markets, the most important constraint when accessing these markets is the cost of logistics. In addition, the most important determinant of foreign-market pricing when setting the export price, aligned with the influence of the OEM parent companies, is costs relating to manufacturing, transportation and marketing. The role played by the MIDP in sourcing decisions is the most important factor that has contributed to an increase in light vehicle exports. Furthermore, the perceived level of influence when determining new export destinations would seem to be higher for the US-based and the Japanese-based OEMs than the European-based OEMs. The new Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP) (to be introduced in 2013), which aims to double vehicle production to 1,2 million units by 2020, will reflect a quantum leap in terms of processes, technologies and the scale on which the domestic industry currently operates. In order for the South African automotive industry to achieve both its and government‟s objectives it will require priority attention. / Business Management / D. Comm. (Business Management))

В работе рассмотрены теоретические аспекты международной конкурентоспособности промышленного предприятия; проанализирована деятельность ПАО «ГМК «Норильский никель» в контексте его международной конкурентоспособности; разработаны предложения по повышению международной конкурентоспособности ПАО «ГМК «Норильский никель». / The paper considers the theoretical aspects of the international competitiveness of an industrial enterprise; analyzed the activities of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel in the context of its international competitiveness; proposals were developed to improve the international competitiveness of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel.