Enhancing competitiveness of India Inc. : Creating linkages between organizational and national competitiveness

Purpose – Quality and business excellence awards that recognize excellent organizational performance have become a major driving force in enhancing the competitiveness of Indian firms in the global economy. While the frameworks underlying these awards have been used extensively by organizations, little empirical evidence exists regarding the validity of these frameworks as a predictor of building competitiveness. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach – This study critically examines the framework of one of the leading awards of India by testing the relationship between stakeholder results and enabling practices using regression analysis, structural equation model and data envelopment analysis. Findings – The results of the study reveal that the framework is used by the organizations to enhance firm level competitiveness but not as a tool to contribute to national competitiveness. Research limitations/implications – There is scope for further research to review the effectiveness and validity of this model by applying the model in selected organizations and to examine whether there is any significant improvement in results and practices over a period of time. The findings can also be compared with results and practices of those organizations not practising this model. Practical implications – This study suggests a framework that not only helps an organization in positioning existing initiatives and identifying gaps in its journey of competitiveness but also links its enabling practices and planned results to the growth process of the country. Originality/value – Global competitiveness serves as the starting‐point for instituting the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) theme of “Competitiveness of India Inc.” and initiating CII Institute of Quality's (IQ) task of developing a model of competitiveness that aspires to integrate the process of building competitiveness of an organization with that of a country. These two become the driving factors for forming a basis of the model of competitiveness that aims to build competitiveness at the organizational level contributing to competitiveness at the country level.