Facets of Competitiveness

Narratives from ASEAN

The ten countries in the ASEAN region account for approximately 5% of world gross domestic product and 8% of world population and represent the most diverse group of nations in terms of the level of prosperity, political system, culture, language, and history. This diversity in ASEAN not only helps us understand the notion of national competitiveness, but also provides important policy lessons for both developed and developing countries.

This book — a collection of essays — provides insights on competitiveness challenges and policies. It provides an excellent overview of competitiveness for a group of countries at various stages of development. Written in a simple and accessible manner, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, business executives and government officials.

Contents:

• In Search of Competitiveness Policies (A Lall)
• The National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines: The Human Resource Development Focus of a Public-Private Partnership (F M Macaranas)
• Thailand: Automotive and Auto Parts Industry (N Wongtada & T Kanitpong)
• Challenges of Cluster Development in Thailand (A Vongpichet)
• Reengineering Policies: A Singapore Case (B S Neo & S Chung)
• Cambodia 1998–2008: An Episode of Rapid Growth (S Guimbert)
• Batam, Bintan & Karimum Special Economic Zone: Attracting Foreign Investment (K K Ng)
• Malaysia at the Crossroads Towards Vision 2020 (M Y Cheng)
• Whither Vietnam's Transition? (S Q Yu)
• Bigger Hurdles: Brunei, Laos & Myanmar (R Joshi)
• ASEAN's Merdeka Moment: A New Approach to Integration (J W Schwarz)

Readership: Students and academics interested in ASEAN; policy makers and general public.
Key Features:

• Seeks to explain competitiveness through the country narratives
• Addresses key challenges of competitiveness faced by policy makers