Pursuit Of Competitiveness Research Articles

Phenomenal similarities and phenomenological differences between religion and sport

ABSTRACT Sport as the pursuit of competition and the achievement of ever greater records goes beyond the dimension of mere physical activity and has many similarities not only with play, drama and art, but also with religion. Symbolic representations of sporting activity are then interpreted in religious terms, e.g. that sport has the power to create a new kind of religion, that sporting and religious experiences are identical, that a specific sporting sacred can be defined. The paper accepts the position that similar phenomenal resemblances (phenomenalism) are not sufficient proof of the essential correspondence of these modes of being (phenomenology), since they touch in different ways on the relation between transcendence and immanence. Sport may point to something beyond empirical reality, but it cannot be a presentation of the sacred. It can become a representation, a depiction, not a making present of it. Thus it is possible to adequately conceptualize the world of sport as an implicit, not explicit, religion.

The Significance of CSR in the Pursuit of Business Excellence and Competitiveness: Evidence from the Greek Supermarket Industry

The Significance of CSR in the Pursuit of Business Excellence and Competitiveness: Evidence from the Greek Supermarket Industry

KL-SG High-Speed Rail – a catalyst for national economic development

PurposeIn an increasingly interconnected world, transportation infrastructure has emerged as a critical determinant of economic growth and global competitiveness. High-speed rail (HSR), characterized by its exceptional speed and efficiency, has garnered widespread attention as a transformative mode of transportation that transcends borders and fosters economic development. The Kuala Lumpur – Singapore (KL-SG) HSR project stands as a prominent exemplar of this paradigm, symbolizing the potential of HSR to serve as a catalyst for national economic advancement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is prepared to provide an insight into the benefits and advantages of HSR based on proven case studies and references from global HSRs, including China, Spain, France and Japan.FindingsThe findings that have been obtained focus on enhanced connectivity and accessibility, attracting foreign direct investment, revitalizing regional economies, urban development and city regeneration, boosting tourism and cultural exchange, human capital development, regional integration and environmental and sustainability benefits.Originality/valueThe KL-SG HSR, linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, epitomizes the potential for HSR to be a transformative agent in the realm of economic development. This project encapsulates the aspirations of two dynamic Southeast Asian economies, united in their pursuit of sustainable growth, enhanced connectivity and global competitiveness. By scrutinizing the KL-SG High-Speed Rail through the lens of economic benchmarking, a deeper understanding emerges of how such projects can drive progress in areas such as cross-border trade, tourism, urban development and technological innovation.

Competition and cooperation: a coopetition strategy for sustainable performance through serial mediation of knowledge sharing and open innovation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the coopetition strategy (CS) (the simultaneous pursuit of collaboration and competition) on sustainable performance (SP) through the serial mediation of knowledge sharing (KS) and open innovation (OI). Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from corporate business enterprises, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Findings Empirical evidence supports the coopetition strategy's role in enhancing KS, which in turn fosters OI, leading to improved SP. It has also been concluded that KS and OI have a significant serial mediation effect on the relationship between CS and SP. Practical implications Through the integration of KS and inward-outward open innovation, the coopetition model enables coopetitors leverage each other’s resources and capacities for mutual sustainability. To fully benefit from it, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) must change their perception of free competition and actively engage in coopetition activities, particularly in the realms of knowledge and OI. Originality/value The most novel contribution of this study to the growing body of knowledge on SP is the establishment of empirical evidence regarding the crucial role of a serial mediation of KS and OI in the relationship between CS and SP. Unlike earlier research, this study provides a structured perspective and understanding of how and why CS, KS and OI were leveraged to enhance the SP of SMEs.

A Systematic Review of Sustainable Supply Chain Network Design: Optimization Approaches and Research Trends

In response to the ever-increasing pursuit of competitiveness among organizations in today’s global business landscape, the subject of supply chain management has become a vital domain encompassing a wide range of sectors and industries across the economy. The growing concern about sustainable development has prompted public and private supply chain players to incorporate the three pillars of sustainability, namely, economic, environmental, and social, into the design of their supply chain networks. This study reviews and examines the content of 102 relevant papers to discuss the mathematical models, modeling approaches, and solutions that have been explored in the existing literature on forward sustainable supply chain network design. This paper also investigates the sustainability elements and supply chain network peculiarities including design factors and decision levels. In this review, several limitations in the current literature on sustainable supply chain network design optimization models are highlighted. According to the analysis, it was found that a better understanding of the industry and its sustainability requirements and priorities is essential for designing sustainable supply chain networks that are tailored to the needs of a specific industry rather than achieving general sustainability objectives. In addition, integrating strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels in the design of supply chain networks is critical for evaluating their impact on each other in terms of sustainability. More sophisticated mathematical solution methods for dealing with real-life scenarios including nonlinearity and uncertainty sources are required. The paper concludes with new prospects of research to promote a better integration of sustainability into supply chain networks.

Evaluating High-performance Female Athletes’ Knowledge and Awareness of Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common cardiac arrhythmia with emerging evidence suggesting a high risk in athletes may exist, especially those engaged in vigorous physical activity. While substantial research has examined male athletes, limited data exists for female athletes, despite their growing presence in elite sports. AFib poses a health risk as it can progress without symptoms, potentially leading to severe complications, including heart failure and stroke. Athletes, accustomed to discomfort in their competitive pursuits, may delay seeking care even after retiring from sport, compounding the issue. Objectives: Therefore, we investigated the level of AFib-related knowledge in Canadian females, defined as high-performance athletes who had or were competing at a national or international level. Methods: Our online cross-sectional survey employed the 21-question Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge and Assessment Tool (AFKAT), with an additional question to assess awareness of an AFib diagnosis. Results: Participants were recruited through research websites and were mostly over 40 years old (45/52), Caucasian (50/52), university educated (39/53), from the sport of curling (41/52), and 62% (32/52) had competed at an international level. The mean knowledge score was 12.63 ± 5.79 out of 21 and was significantly different between international-level athletes (14.22 ± 4.38) when compared to national-level athletes (10.10 ± 6.91; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Varying levels of AFib knowledge were observed within this population, and our results importantly identified a discrepancy based on competition level, with international-level female athletes demonstrating higher AFib knowledge levels. This highlights the necessity for targeted educational interventions, to inform and increase athletes’ cardiovascular awareness of the potential risk of AFib.

Dlaczego rodzice edukują dzieci w domu? Motywy podjęcia edukacji domowej w świetle badań własnych

W artykule zostały zaprezentowane wyniki ilościowych badań własnych przeprowadzonych techniką ankiety internetowej wśród 393 rodziców edukujących dzieci w domu. Artykuł obejmuje zarówno krótką charakterystykę społeczno-demograficzną rodziców, jak i analizę motywów przenoszenia dzieci ze szkół systemowych na nauczanie domowe. Motywy wskazane przez badanych rodziców zostały poddane analizie zgodnie z przyjętą w literaturze przedmiotu klasyfikacją na motywacje pozytywne (czynniki przyciągające – pull factors) i negatywne (czynniki odpychające – push factors). Warto zaznaczyć, że wśród pięciu najczęściej wskazywanych motywów dominowały czynniki odpychające od szkół systemowych – brak indywidualnego podejścia do dziecka w szkole, zbytnie przeciążenie nauką oraz pogoń za ocenami i rywalizacja między uczniami w szkole.

Anxiety in the Capitalism of Late Modernity

The logic of capitalism affects both individuals and society. Alienation augments existential anxiety in the current precarity capitalism, which keeps urging competition among individuals to survive in capitalism and grow more. Excessive individualism, materialism, and consumerism in capitalism may weaken social ties and lower self-recognition, augmenting the existential anxiety of individuals. Losers in capitalism aggravate their anxiety whereas even winners may keep being anxious in the never-ending competition in capitalism. As long as people are kept engaged in capitalism, the pressure of the competition leads to a vicious cycle that keeps inducing anxiety, which signifies the precarity of capitalism. Existential anxiety triggered by precarity capitalism leads to growing social risks as the competitive pursuit of profits and growth will lead to increasing economic activities that expand material throughputs and affect the environmental and social situations. Facing such a situation, reconsidering individuals' awareness and socio-economic priorities would be a way to escape from the vicious cycle, mitigating existential anxiety and risks in society. Individuals would need to shift away from a growth-oriented mindset towards being as part of the ecosystem and the world. This perspective would be compatible with the posthumanism perspective at societal level. The emerging discussion on post-capitalism and degrowth would give hints to shift from the competitive pursuit of profits of the current capitalism.

Sustainable Efficiency of Sugarcane Mills in the State of Sao Paulo: A Data Envelopment Analysis

The pursuit of greater competitiveness and efficiency today goes hand in hand with concerns directly linked to sustainable development. The traditional sugar-energy sector, with a strong influence on the economy since colonial Brazilian periods, not only played a pioneering role in replacing fossil fuel with renewable resources but is also characterized by substantial production-related differences. The Brazil is currently the largest global producer of sugarcane, and the state of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, leads this production. The objective of this research was to analyze the sustainable efficiency of sugarcane mills in the state of São Paulo, through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). For this, the work was based on the Triple Bottom Line, considering environmental, economic and social approaches to the performance of the mills. Regarding the main results, it was possible to notice that the production scale factor favored large mills in some points of analysis, while at other times, small mills were highlighted.

Responsible Tourism and Hospitality: The Intersection of Altruistic Values, Human Emotions, and Corporate Social Responsibility

The burgeoning tourism and hospitality industry is plagued by numerous challenges that pose significant hurdles to its long-term success and sustainability. These challenges encompass a range of factors, including fierce competitive convergence, rapid obsolescence of innovative strategies, and the relentless pursuit of ever-greater competitiveness in the marketplace. In such a service-oriented industry, where customer satisfaction is the sine qua non of success, the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping consumer attitudes and behavior cannot be overstated. Despite this, the empirical evidence on the impact of CSR on brand advocacy behavior among hospitality consumers (BADB) remains somewhat underdeveloped and incomplete. In light of this knowledge gap, the basic objective of our study is to examine the complex interplay between CSR and BADB in the context of a developing country’s hospitality sector. The authors place a particular emphasis on the mediating role of consumer emotions and the moderating influence of altruistic values (ALVS) in shaping this relationship. Through rigorous empirical analysis, the authors demonstrate that CSR positively and significantly impacts BADB, with consumer engagement (CENG) serving as a crucial mediating variable that facilitates this relationship. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. Specifically, the authors show that the judicious deployment of CSR initiatives in a hospitality context can foster a positive behavioral psychology among consumers and, in turn, enhance their advocacy intentions towards the brand. This underscores the importance of carefully crafted CSR strategies to secure a competitive advantage in this dynamic and rapidly evolving sector.

Change of the National English Curricula in Korea and Considerations for the Next Curriculum

This study investigates the national English curriculum, social and academic culture, roles and positions of (English) teachers and students, and their changes in Korean history. Based on this exploration, the author discusses considerations to advance the current Korean English curriculum and where the next curriculum is to be headed in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Given that the 4IR welcomes people who have high qualities in complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, management, collaboration, decision-making and negotiation, significant changes in teacher and student roles and teaching practice are needed. The Korean pedagogical background of teacher-led practice, text- or grammar-based learning, test-preparation lessons and pursuit of competition in English education should not be obstructions for these changes. Thus, the author suggests the application of AI programmes and problem-based learning for the realisation of more learner-centred, democratic, and constructive learning. This study will provide educators in East Asian countries as well as in Korea with several rationales to deliberate for their next curriculum design.

Role of organisational culture in attaining organisational competitiveness

In the few decades, a significant development in the competitiveness of professionals in all industries has been observed. In the pursuit of service excellence, improved efficiency, profitability, and competition between companies have a significant impact on the members of the organization to instill a sense of competitiveness. The challenge of remaining competitive, highly innovative and responsive to dynamic customer needs has led companies to pay particular attention to culture as a key foundation for their survival and sustainability. Therefore, leading companies pay special attention to culture as a source of competitive advantage and as a basis for employee attitudes towards innovation, leadership, management and overall performance. For these companies, culture is seen as the root for gaining competitive business advantage and the stepping stone for meeting increasing dynamic market demands both locally and globally. Organizational culture gives organizations identity and personality and is considered an asset that cannot be imitated by competitors. It is the culture that provides the fundamental framework that governs operations, systems and management practices. This paper explains how organizational culture plays an important role in achieving organizational competitiveness. This paper is based on empirical literature and scientific evidence, the paper examines cultural elements that are crucial for the competitiveness of organizations. The model emphasizes the need to identify relevant resources and competencies and integrate them into organizational culture practices in order to achieve the desired level of competitiveness.

English as a global language?: Naturalization of English through intellectual habitus in Korean academia

Abstract The global expansion of English-medium lectures (EMLs) in higher education has predominantly been approached in the context of globalization characterized by neoliberalism. While the spread of EMLs has been viewed as an outcome of institutional pursuit of global competitiveness and internationalization, ongoing global approaches risk overlooking local elements critical for the ascendance of English in specific local contexts. This paper seeks to balance the scholarly inquiry into EMLs by offering a local historical perspective, with the higher education sector of South Korea as a key site of investigation. A focus is placed on the intellectual habitus of Korean higher education which the paper argues has served as a fertile ground for EMLs to take hold. Within the context of the global centre-periphery binary, the article specifically examines how the binary relationship has been internalized in Korean higher education through local historicity in which the U.S. has metaphorically been established as the centre. The superior-inferior binary divisions between the U.S. and Korea have contributed to the construction of the local intellectual habitus marked by the domination of American educated elite groups and the emergence of English as the language of the centre. In conclusion, the paper challenges the normative claim of English as a global language by illustrating EMLs in Korea as a historical-structural construct resulting from the interplays between the global and local power inequalities.

Knowledge Asset Metrics in The Public University

Higher education faces various challenges in sustaining its operations in the global business environment. In line with the resource-based view (RBV), higher education must use its resources, particularly its knowledge assets, to develop a competitive pursuit of university performance. This study aims to assess knowledge assets and their contribution to a university's performance. The respondent of the survey comprises academic administrators of Malaysian public universities. The findings indicate that most respondents believe their university supports all three knowledge assets: human capital, relational capital, and structural capital. Besides that, the respondents believed that their university’s performance was well established on the four dimensions: finance, customer, internal process, and learning growth. This study offers a model to measure knowledge assets from the public university perspective. The study highlights the importance of knowledge assets towards public university performance which eventually supports leaders in strategizing these resources to enhance the efficiency of public university management.

From progressiveness to perfection: Mothers’ descriptions of their children in print media, 1970–1979 versus 2010–2019

In this article, I address how mothers’ public discourse about their children has changed over time by analysing 130 interviews with mothers published in Icelandic magazines and newspapers in 1970–1979 and 2010–2019. The analysis is framed by scholarship on intensive mothering and the affective aspects of neoliberalism, including Berlant’s cruel optimism. The results show that in the former period, children are depicted as equality minded and independent, echoing the then public debate about mothers’ participation in the workforce and gender equality. In the latter era, the children are characterised as talented, perfect, happy and spiritually inspiring for the mothers. This stark contrast between the time periods suggests that today, the feeling-rules of neoliberalism influence mothers’ public portrayal of their children. In that way, children have become proxies to the neoliberal and competitive pursuit of perfection as well as perceived pathways to the personal enlightenment of adults.

Digital Winescape and Online Wine Tourism: Comparative Insights from Crete and Santorini

In the pursuit of sustainability and competitiveness, digital aspects of the tourism experience become increasingly more significant and wine tourism is no exception to this. Still, studies building on established concepts and sustainable practices in the corporate environment often prioritize physical attributes. One such example refers to winescape frameworks, which are yet to explicitly incorporate the digital experience, despite the growing importance of the digital servicescape. This study contributes to this area by commenting on available data on winery websites and adopting the winescape concept to analyze social media activity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The population of the study includes 53 wineries, located in two well-known Greek wine tourism destinations, namely Crete and Santorini. The results identify the most common winescape components that wineries emphasize, revealing similarities and differences across the two destinations. Implications highlight the winescape dimensions that (should) matter the most when considering digital experiences, and provide insights for wine tourism scholars and businesses alike towards a more sustainable wine supply chain.

Personal Competency and Behaviour Effect on Design Judgement Among Designers in Furniture Manufacturing

Malaysia furniture manufacturing is a lucrative industry with the majority are Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). Moving the SMEs from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is encouraged by the government in pursuit of global competitiveness. One aspect of transformation is hiring design personnel into the manufacturing organisation especially among the Bumiputra SMEs who are lagging behind the other manufacturers. The purpose of this study is to identify the qualities of designers who could improve design judgement for New Product Development (NPD) of furniture in their current operating context. This article is part of a series of studies in improving Bumiputra SMEs global competitiveness. This study in particular looks into aspects of the designer’s competencies and behaviour that will affect design judgement. A survey was conducted on 33 designers who are employed from among 106 manufacturers registered with the Bumiputera furniture manufacturer organisation of Malaysia. Statistical analyses including factor analysis, descriptive analysis, t-test, were employed to test relationships between dependent and independent variables. The study found personal skill, knowledge, ability, and experience representing designer’s personal competencies; and value, attitude, and trait representing designer’s personal behaviour are critical in making appropriate design judgement. The results are expected to contribute to the development of a Designer Personal Competency Model for the furniture NPD process to help Bumiputra furniture SME manufacturers transform their OEM practice to ODM. This study is significant in supporting Malaysia economic growth specifically among Bumiputra SME manufacturers.

Walking the Tightrope: Coopetition Capability Construct and Its Role in Value Creation

Prior research emphasizes the paradoxical nature of coopetition and the need for specialized capabilities—coopetition capability—to deal effectively with opportunities and challenges stemming from the simultaneous pursuit of cooperation and competition and to create superior value. However, we know little about the underlying conceptual properties of coopetition capability (construct clarity) and lack a reliable and valid scale to measure it (construct validity). We conduct a study in three phases to address this critical gap. First, building on paradox literature, we conceptualize coopetition capability as a multidimensional construct reflected by three underlying dimensions: coopetition mindset, analytical acumen, and executional skills. Second, we develop a 15-item psychometrically valid scale using a sample of 647 coopetitive alliances in high-technology sectors. Finally, using a matched sample of 536 coopetitive alliances, we extend the focal construct's nomological network by examining two relationships: coopetition experience's impact on coopetition capability and the effect of coopetition capability on the relationship between the coopetition paradox and value creation. Overall, our paper lays a foundation for deeper theory development and empirical research on coopetition by providing much-needed construct clarity and psychometrically valid measures for coopetition capability.

Analysis of Economic Efficiency and Influencing Factors of Commercial Banks based on Information Mining

In the field of commercial banks with a huge amount of data, in order to achieve long-term development, we must attach great importance to the application of professional data processing technology. With the gradual opening of the financial market, foreign banks, especially international multinational banks with strong comprehensive strength, have entered the Chinese financial market one after another, which will undoubtedly bring great impact and challenges to Chinese commercial banks. Information mining, as a professional data processing technology, has been widely used in the field of huge data in recent years. The application of information mining in commercial banks can effectively improve the data processing ability and competitiveness of commercial banks. Strengthening the application of information mining is the inevitable choice for commercial banks to develop in the future. Based on information mining, this paper analyzes the economic efficiency and influencing factors of commercial banks. The efficiency of commercial banks is a core part of national commercial banks' pursuit of progress and competition in the global economy. This paper analyzes and studies the efficiency and influencing factors of national commercial banks.

The discontents of competition for recognition on social media: Perfectionism, ressentiment, and collective narcissism

Individuals frequently utilize social media platforms (SMPs) to express their positive features and receive recognition. Axel Honneth proposes that recognition plays an essential role in social life, explaining both social conflicts and guiding normative social development. While SMPs appear as a perfect tool for the pursuit of recognition, they often fail to achieve the intended results. This paper argues that the failure to achieve recognition through SMPs occurs because SMPs operate according to the neoliberal principle of competition. Competition arises because several structural affordances (quantification, homogeneity, and availability of information) allow for comparing different expressions of recognition. I argue that the competitive pursuit of recognition on SMPs results in several problematic developments, causing the manifestation of perfectionism, ressentiment, and collective narcissism. I conclude that the normative potential of Honneth’s theory is compromised if recognition is pursued competitively.