The competitiveness of international scientific and academic associations.

Popa, Horia Liviu ; Mocan, Marian Liviu

Abstract: We define the new concept "integrative sustainable competitiveness Kid". We analyse the competitiveness of International Academic and Research & Development Associations {IARDA} in the globalised coopetition of the 21st century. We develop new concepts, models, methods for evaluation and increase of the International Academic and Research & Development Associations competitiveness. Key words: competitiveness, evaluation, factors, increase, {IARDA}.

1. INTRODUCTION

The accelerated process of globalisation after 1970 has gradually imposed the competitiveness priority for all intelligent systems. In the 21st century, the achievement of the "integrative sustainable competitiveness [K.sub.id]", in all environments, at all levels and for all resources, in more and more extended areas "space-time-resources" has become the main challenge/task of all the entities (from individuals to mankind).

The International Academic and Research-Development Associations {IARDA} can and must contribute to the K id achievement, both as suppliers and facilitators of value (total competitiveness) in the regional / global sustainable networks and competitive clusters. For the {IARDA}, are not rigorously studied: the competitiveness, its evaluations, the factors, the ways and programs for competitiveness increase yet.

The paper's aim is to contribute at the elaboration of new concepts, models, methods which determine, while developed and put into practice, the following:

* The systematic increase of {IARDA} competitiveness

* The opening of new research field in the integrated policies and management of competitiveness, applied to the international academic and scientific associations. Further researches will be considered thoroughly and elaborated based on the results of the present paper.

2. THE IARDA COMPETITIVENESS

2.1 The integrative sustainable competitiveness [K.sub.id]

The competitiveness K defined as the skill and the capacity of an entity to win in the coopetition (confrontation and / or co-operation) within the external environments, through in a time period. This very general qualitative definition (Popa et al., 2001; Popa et al., 2002) reflects the complexity of the concept and the variety of competitiveness.

Due to real life, our Universe is an infinite system of systems, should be defined the derivate concept [K.sub.id]. The integrative sustainable competitiveness [K.sub.id] is the skill and the capacity of a system of systems (SS) to optimise its internal environment and to win in the coopetition (confrontation and / or co-operation) in its external environment, during in an extreme long period of time. [K.sub.id] has two major impacts on the parallel-successive systems generations (g, g+1, g+2, ....) of the space-time-resources area under consideration:

* The minimisation of the competitive reply-time of the SS and of its components {S} in all time-horizon (historic / prospective, strategic, tactic, operative)

[T.sub.rK]{S} (g, g+1, ....) [right arrow] min (1)

* The maximisation of the life-cycle duration of the SS and of its performing components {S K}

[T.sub.cv{SK}] (g, g+1, ....) [right arrow] max (2)

The natural history, the history of mankind, the history of science, technology and management confirm the validity of these relations. Too long reply-time and / or insufficient competitive behaviours accumulated established, establish and will determine the demise of any entities (Popa, 2002). 2.2 The competitiveness of organisations and clusters After 1990, many countries in North America, European Union and Asia-Pacific Zone st arted to establish cluster-oriented measures in order to strengthen the industry's ability to innovate and increase national competitiveness (Porter, 1998). In order to establish competitiveness supporting instruments, building networks between industries, R&D-centres, academia and academic & scientific associations, schools etc. play a significant role and have a huge impact on the success of such activities, in public-private partnerships and clusters frames.

In this context the competitiveness of organisations and clusters must be defined unitary, as meta-performance (Popa & Pater, 2006) that integrates:

(1) Internal factors and aggregated performances: * [C.sub.K] [pcs, EUR, USD, ... / t.p.u.--the time period unit]--the competitive ability (capacity) of the organization / cluster, defined by the {[Q.sub.vi]} quantities of the {i} products with intrinsic competitiveness {[K.sub.i]} = {[N.sub.gi] / [P.sub.vi]} imposed by the exterior target (market / segment / niche with Ngi needs & [Q.sub.ci] quantities and solvency specific [C.sub.pli]) that can be produced and/ or efficiently purchased and sold in a period of time At, while meeting the present and future demand {[C.sub.ip/s/n]} of the target exterior environment,

* { i } & {[Q.sub.i]} / {Ti}--the supply flexibility F of the organisation / cluster defined by the variety { i } & quantity {[Q.sub.i]} / time period {[T.sub.i]} [life cycle of the offered assortment [T.sub.cvi] (months / range); new assortment assimilation [T.sub.cai] (days / sort); management, production and commerce [T.sub.cpci] (days / pcs; lot)] for the customers of the target market / segment / niche,

* {[N.sb.gi] / [P.sub.vi]}--the position (value) V of the organisation / cluster supply on the market defined by the global quality [N.sub.gi] / price Pvi for customers of the target market / segment / niche

* L [EUR, USD, ... / t.p.u.]--the liquidity of organisation / cluster given by cash solvability in bank accounts by which the cashing, payment, crediting etc. operations are made,

* [E.sub.e]--the economic efficiency of organisation / cluster functioning by restructuring, characterized by a large number of indicators (with threshold values, respectively with specific objectives: maximization or minimization).

(2) External factors

* {[I.sub.m]}: external conjuncture indicators at a mezo level (economic increase / decrease: pollution, population, professional training, inflation, unemployment, monthly medium-sized income / person, investments, patented and applied inventions, artistic production etc.),

* {[I.sub.M]}: external conjuncture indicators at a macro level (economic increase / decrease: pollution, population, professional training, political stability, inflation, unemployment, monthly medium-sized income / person, investments, patented and applied inventions, scientific production, artistic production, sport events, national defence, etc.),

* Present and future demand {[C.sub.i p/s/n]} of the target exterior environment (market / segment / niche) with needs (global quality [N.sb.gi] & physical quantity [Q.sub.ci]) and solvability [C.sub.pli] specific in a time period [DELTA]t.

* Time horizon [DELTA]t [decade, year, month] under consideration.

2.3 Defining the specific of IARDA competitiveness

In general {IARDA} are non--governmental organizations (NGO). Globalisation during the 20th century gave rise to the importance of NGOs. The number of internationally operating NGOs is about 40,000 (Anheier et al., 2001) and the national total numbers is even higher. Inevitably, the NGOs are in coopetition and have fluctuating competitiveness in their life cycle.

The {IARDA} competitiveness specific proceeds from the double nature of its targets:

(1) Internal targets: own members, who require a specific services / products assortment and contribute voluntarily to the activities and development of the organization; own employees;

(2) External targets, very different: organizations from the same / other domain, not yet IARDA members; customers which buy the services and the products of IAEDA; the public administration and the community which use / buy the IARDA services and products etc.

* The competitive ability (capacity) CKIARDA [pcs, EUR, USD, ... / t.p.u.--time period un it] is established from: the members & employees number, value / competence and intraprenoriale competitive spirit; own infrastructure / facilities (buildings, equipments etc.); the branches and internal networks programmes; the managerial capacity of IARDA teams (organisation, branches, projects etc.); the IARDA inclusion in competitive regional, continental and global clusters.

* The supply flexibility [F.sub.IARDA] defined by the ratio { i } & {Qi} / {Ti} is established from:

--Assortment { i }--knowledge dissemination (proceedings, journals, books, workshops, exhibitions, forum etc.) both in the core field and in the extended competitive / value areas; awards; competitiveness programmes and projects for the IARDA and for regional, continental and global clusters; promotion of R & D, education and industrial application both in the core field and in the extended competitive / value areas etc.;

--Quantity of the supply {[Q.sb.i]} - [Q.sub.i] [pcs, .../ t.p.u.] activity volume and physical selling; [Q.sub.r] [EUR, USD, ... / t.p.u.] income;

--Durations of the supply {Ti}--life cycle of the offered assortment [T.sub.cvi] (months / range); new assortment assimilation [T.sub.cai] (days / sort); management, production and commerce [T.sub.cpci] (days / pcs; lot);

* The position (value) VIARDA on the market of the IARDA supply defined by the ratio {[V.sub.i] = [N.sub.gi] / [P.sub.vi]} is established from:

--Global quality of the supply [N.sub.gi] for the members / customers of the target market / segment / niche;

--Price [P.sub.vi] for the members / customers of the target market / segment / niche;

Both the liquidity [L.sub.IARDA] and the economic efficiency [{[E.sub.e]}.sub.IARDA] are, actually, the reflection, the consequence of the flexibility FIARDA and position (value) on the market [V.sub.IARDA], determined by the management and systems engineering specific to the considered IARDA. Without management and high-level engineering / innovation it is impossible to ensure liquidity and economic efficiency (profitability, labour productivity etc.).

3. CONCLUSIONS

In the 21st century a new period of globalisation and global competition practically began intensively. This new period generates a needs and at the same time a new dynamic evolution towards policies and management of total competitiveness (value), integrated in all environments, at all levels, for all organizations, resources and performances.

The International Academic and Research-Development Associations {IARDA} shall contribute to the integrative sustainable competitiveness Kid achievement, both as suppliers and facilitators of values (total competitiveness) in the regional / global sustainable networks and competitive clusters. The International Academic and Research-Development Associations {IARDA} are / w ill be autonomous entities whose competitiveness must be unitary evaluated, within at least 7 categories of performances (variety of the supply in the internal / external targets; quantity of the supply in the internal / external targets; durations; quality of the supply; price / cost of the supply; liquidity; economic efficiency) and 4 metaperformances: flexibility, value, liquidity, economic efficiency. These performances must be strongly integrated.

The systematic increase of the {IARDA} competitiveness requires:

* Opening of new research field in the integrated policies and management of competitiveness, applied to the international academic and scientific associations,

* Development of new concepts, models, methods to determine the rise of integrative sustainable competitiveness in sectors, regions, continents and on the Earth,

* Enlargement of multidimensional networks in public private partnership, including {IARDA}, capable to develop the "critical--mass" necessary for the rise of integrative sustainable competitiveness in sectors, regions, continents and the Earth.

Further researches will be considered thoroughly and elaborated, based on the results of the present paper.

4. REFERENCES

Anheier, H.; Glasius M. & Kaldor M. (eds.). Global Civil Society, Oxford University Pres, 2001

Popa, H.L.; e.a. (2001). The management and engineering of the production systems. Methods, valuation, design, optimal decisions (in Romanian), Editura Politehnica, ISBN 973-8247-72-1, Timisoara

Popa, H.L.; e.a. (2002). Strategic management (in Romanian), Editura Dacia, ISBN 973-35-1524-8, Cluj-Napoca

Popa, H.L. & Pater L.R. (2006). The valuation of the enterprises and products competitiveness, Technical Gazette. Scientific-professional journal of technical faculties of the University of Osijek, Vol. 13, No. 1-2, January-June, 2006, pp. 637-642, ISSN 1330-3651

Porter, M.E. (1998) The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, ISBN 0-684-84147-9, New York