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Measuring our competitiveness - a critical examination of the IMD and WEF competitiveness indicators for South Africa

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  • David Kaplan

Abstract

This article examines the competitiveness indicators that are produced by the highly influential World Economic Forum (WEF) and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), specifically in respect of South Africa. Neither provides a clear and persuasive guide as to South Africa's overall competitiveness ranking, nor how this has altered over time. The problem resides principally in the assessment of technological capacities and the contribution that technology makes to overall competitiveness. The IMD and the WEF approaches to technology diverge significantly, but both are inadequate. As a consequence, there is a substantial discrepancy between the two as regards South Africa's current overall competitive ness ranking. Neither individually, nor collectively, are these competitiveness indicators - as they are currently constituted - useful as a guide to policy.

Suggested Citation

  • David Kaplan, 2003. "Measuring our competitiveness - a critical examination of the IMD and WEF competitiveness indicators for South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 75-88.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:20:y:2003:i:1:p:75-88
    DOI: 10.1080/0376835032000065499
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    Cited by:

    1. Ngai-Ling Sum, 2011. "The Making and Recontextualizing of ‘Competitiveness’ as a Knowledge Brand Across Different Sites and Scales," Chapters, in: Andy Pike (ed.), Brands and Branding Geographies, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Ngai-Ling Sum & Bob Jessop, 2013. "Competitiveness, the Knowledge-Based Economy and Higher Education," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 4(1), pages 24-44, March.
    3. Segundo Castro-Gonzales & Ericks Vazquez-Guzman & Jose C. Vega Vilca, 2015. "Ecuador, Peru And Colombia: South-American Competitors Or Complementaries? Global Competitiveness Analysis, Ecuador, Peru Y Colombia: ¿Competidores O Complementarios Sudamericanos? Analisis De Su Com," Revista Global de Negocios, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 3(6), pages 13-28.
    4. Lee, Chaehwa & Wilhelm, Wilbert, 2010. "On integrating theories of international economics in the strategic planning of global supply chains and facility location," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(1), pages 225-240, March.
    5. Castro-Gonzáles, Segundo & Peña-Vinces, Jesús C. & Guillen, Jorge, 2016. "The competitiveness of Latin-American economies: Consolidation of the double diamond theory," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 373-386.

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