Page 5 - Economy_Efficiency and Competitiveness2

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Chapter 1

Competitiveness of the company

1.1 Competitiveness of the company general concept

There are three stages of competitiveness that have been taken into account in history. These are price
competitiveness, innovation-based competitiveness, and quality competitiveness. Nowadays, we are
dealing with one more stage - the pro-ecological approach.

The first definition of a company’s competitiveness was established in the 1970s. At that time, one of the
scientists, M. Porter, was involved in studying competitiveness on a mezo and macro scale, while at the
same time paying attention to the role of companies in this process .
1

The competitiveness of a company is dependent on the competitiveness of the individual products it
offers. Many factors affect a company’s competitiveness, such as the competitiveness of sectors or econ-
omies in a given country. In its strategy, a company should also take into account the creation of the most
competitive products possible. Competitiveness is defined for a particular product, in a particular market
and over a certain period, so it is important to remember that a product that is competitive in one market
may not be competitive in another and vice versa.

1.2 Competitive advantage

A competitive advantage is a feature which a company possesses and which enables it to gain an
advantage over its competitors. It is a factor in which purchasers pay attention when choosing between
products on the market. Various factors influence the competitive advantage, among others: cost
structure, quality of the product offer, customer service, etc.

1 E. Szymanik, „Konkurencyjność przedsiębiorstwa – głowne aspekty”