THE ROLE AND PLACE OF COMPETITIVENESS IN THE FOREIGN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF ENTERPRISES

The article examines the relevance of studying the place and role of competitiveness within the system of a company’s foreign economic activity (FEA) under the conditions of transformation of the global economic order. Contemporary academic approaches to interpreting FEA are analyzed, and three main approaches are identified: the functional-operational approach, which focuses on the types and functions of company activities related to entering foreign markets; the institutional-systemic approach, which emphasizes the legal, organizational, and intergovernmental foundations of FEA; and the globalist-economic approach, which considers FEA as a tool for integrating the national economy into the global economic system. This framework allows for the disclosure of the essential characteristics of FEA and the identification of competitiveness as a crucial factor in ensuring the long-term sustainability of a company’s FEA. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of internal and external factors influencing competitiveness, as well as the systematization of approaches to its assessment. The article presents the content of three key strategic models for building competitive advantages: the product-based model, which views a company’s competitiveness as derived from the advantages inherent in specific types of goods and services as well as the overall product portfolio; the positional model, which defines competitive advantages through the company’s market position, particularly its market share and ability to effectively respond to competitors’ actions under both competitive and cooperative market conditions; and the performance-target model, which offers an integrated view of competitiveness as a multidimensional indicator reflecting the efficient use of a company’s resources (resource aspect), its market position among competitors (positional aspect), and its ability to produce goods and services that meet consumer needs (product-based aspect). Based on the analysis, the article substantiates the need for a comprehensive approach to managing a company’s competitiveness in the context of its FEA, viewing it as a critically important tool for strengthening its market positions at the international level