Top Class Competitors: How Nations, Firms and Individuals Succeed in the New World of Comp establishes a continuum between the concepts of competitiveness of nations, competitiveness of enterprises, the structure of work, value systems as well as management competencies and personal skills.

Competitiveness, is the most used and abused term in modern economics. Three decades ago it was unheard-of; today a Google search produces more than 35 million matches. Competitiveness has taken the world by storm with frequent name-checks from politicians, business leaders, journalists and academics alike. But is competitiveness a fad or for real? And, incidentally, what is it exactly?

Competitiveness, as defined in this book, is the ability of a nation, company or individual to manage a totality of competences to attain prosperity. Success today depends on more than managing a few well-established core competencies. Along with traditional policies, a nation must also tackle education and security to sustain economic development. A company must manage 'soft' issues such as brands and perceptions to beat the competition. And individuals must reinvent themselves and expand their skills to survive. These fields of economic research did not exist a few decades ago. Today, competitiveness makes the link.

Top Class Competitors is a journey through the brave new world of competitiveness. What are its historical origins? How does it impact the management of a nation? How do companies thrive on it in an international environment? What is the impact on work structures and value systems? Above all, is there a competitiveness mindset? Exploring how the concept works and how its issues are intertwined, Stéphane Garelli shows why competitiveness is the most powerful tool available to unleash new levels of prosperity for nations, profit for companies and success for people.

Three decades ago competitiveness was unheard-of; today it has taken the world by storm. But what is it? And will it last? In Top Class Competitors Stéphane Garelli - professor at IMD business school where he is also head of the World Competitiveness Centre, professor at the University of Lausanne, and former managing director of the World Economic Forum - defines competitiveness as the ability of a nation, company or individual to manage a set of disparate competencies to achieve prosperity. For instance, along with traditional policies a nation must tackle education and security to sustain economic development. Companies must manage soft issues such as brands to beat the competition. And individuals must reinvent themselves to survive. These fields of research did not exist until recently - now, competitiveness makes the link.

Top Class Competitors is a journey through the brave new world of competitiveness. What are its historical origins? How does it impact the management of a nation? How do companies thrive on it in an international environment? What is the impact on work structures and value systems? Above all, is there a competitiveness mindset? Exploring how competitiveness works, Stéphane Garelli shows why competitiveness is the most powerful tool available to unleash new levels of prosperity for nations, profit for companies and success for people.