The paper presents the issue of SME competitiveness in terms of determining their competitive position on the market. The proposed reference model, focused on the evaluation of the competitiveness of a selected group of SMEs on the market of medical services, was developed to support strategic decision-making. The usefulness of the model is verified in the process of determining the competitive position of a selected group of participants, applying research methods of strategic analysis. Relationships, observed during the study, occurring between the competitiveness factors and the competitive position taken by a company, provide knowledge, whose utilization directs the company's business to improving its market performance, organizational and economic conditions.
Studies on competitiveness and competitive advantage have been conducted by many researchers (e.g. Betts and Ofori, 1992, Hitchens et al., 2003, Pettigrew, 1988, Porter, 1980, Porter, 1982, Porter, 1985 and Porter, 1987). Competition is currently recognized as the most important mechanism, which by promoting best solutions, in terms of economic criteria, leads to the development of the economy, unleashing the creativity of competing market players (Garengo et al., 2005). It is therefore necessary to constantly monitor and promote their market condition, measured by the level of competitiveness achieved.
SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) need to have competencies in order to survive in a changing environment (e.g. Blackburn and Jarvis, 2010, Teece et al., 1997 and Tenai et al., 2009) and the model of competitiveness factors, supporting the strategic decision-making, is a way to achieve this target. The choice of medical clinics, as the object of the research, was due to the fact, that their functioning is regulated and constrained by separate legislation. 1 They are also subject to a competitive market of medical services, which constantly requires them to improve the model of management strategies. For all these reasons the paper presents the answer to the research question:Which of the key competitiveness factors have a decisive impact on the competitive position of SMEs in the medical services industry, and how they can be used in supporting the strategic decision-making?
In this context, the literature framework is presented in Section 2. Hypothesis and methodology are described in Section 3. It provides a basis for the developed reference model of competitiveness factors for a selected group of SME medical clinics, which can be found in Section 4. Verification of usefulness of the proposed model is illustrated in Section 5 and final conclusions of the research are in Section 6.
Based on the extensive literature documentation and own research the competitiveness factor reference model of the SME dental clinics in Poland was developed. The competitive factors, included in the reference model, were selected under research conducted both the entire SME sector and the dental services industry. The model structure contains sets of measurable result areas, competitiveness factors and their measures. On the basis of the reference model the competitive position CP of each clinic, occupied by it within the research group is determined. It is symptomatic that the function of determining the CP value is tailored to the type and the size of participants in the research group, their localization and the type of sold services/products. The usefulness of the reference model was verified during the research experiments, which included the analysis of key success factors and benchmarking of results.
The analysis of key success factors showed, that the defined set of competitiveness factors in the reference model actually shows on the competitiveness condition of the clinic. The dominant role has factor F5 (sales), because the volume of sales services is the key measure of the clinic competitiveness. Among other factors an important role plays F8 (personnel productivity), which especially in combination with such factors as: F1 (technological level), F3 (the timeliness of service delivery), F4 (lasting relationships with customers) or F6 (costs and expenses), shows a strong influence on the value of CP. The conducted experiments showed that the developed reference model with the set of competitiveness factors is beneficial and usable to analyze the competitiveness condition of the dental clinics in the SME sector at different periods of time, what is the answer for the Q1 research question and the proof of the H1 hypothesis.
The answer to research question Q2 was possible after the uses of benchmarking analysis of the results. As has been shown in research experiments, the observation of the reference models results in time allows to build management strategy, which aims will be to obtain the specific CP value. Therefore the reference model provides the knowledge, what the set of competitiveness factor values guarantees the assumed competitive position of the clinic, what is sought the answer to the Q2 research question and the proof of the H2 hypothesis.
The verified reference model can be used after an adaptation in various industries of companies and organizations to determine their competitive position and supporting the competitiveness strategy. The necessary conditions for using the model are follows:
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defining a group of model users that will be mutually comparable in terms of localization, range and forms of activities,
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identifying components of a model structure including: areas of measurable effects, competitiveness factors and their measures,
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collecting data needed to feed the reference model during all time of its functioning.
The condition of reference model utility is ability to identify new, previously unknown and potentially useful relationships, which are discovered between the competitiveness factors and the CP value. This in turn enforces the necessity of collecting data over a long period of time and ability to create a wide range of strategic analysis. Therefore a significant improvement to using the proposed model would be to apply an information analytical system. Technology, which should ideally meet these needs is Business Intelligence, dedicated to conducting multidimensional analysis of big sets of data. However this technology is currently used mainly in large enterprises. But the continuation of research presented in the article will aim toward testing the applicability of various information technologies, including Business Intelligence technologies, to support the use of the reference model of competitiveness factors of SME enterprises.
