International Competitiveness: Analysis of India and the Bangalore IT Hub Cluster

Running head: INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS
International Competitiveness
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Reflective Piece:.........................................................................................................................4
Where was I at the beginning?...............................................................................................4
Where am I now?...................................................................................................................4
What Skills have I developed?...............................................................................................4
What I think of the block learning?........................................................................................5
Description of the module and what I learnt from it..............................................................5
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................6
2. Country Profile.......................................................................................................................6
3. Economic Growth..................................................................................................................7
4. Assessment of national/regional competitiveness..................................................................8
4.1 GDP & Composition........................................................................................................8
4.2 Scorecards - WEF /Ease of doing business ranking.........................................................8
4.3 Country Competitive Issues.............................................................................................8
4.4 Policy Recommendations.................................................................................................9
4.5 PESTLE............................................................................................................................9
5. Key Competitiveness Issues facing the region.....................................................................10
6. Clusters and their role in national competitiveness..............................................................10
6.1 Definition.......................................................................................................................10
6.2 Benefits and Limitations of the cluster..........................................................................11
6.3 Nature of clusters...........................................................................................................11
6.4 Major clusters.................................................................................................................11

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6.5 Influence of government policy in fostering clusters.....................................................11
6.6 Factors that aided the cluster..........................................................................................12
7. Porter's Diamond analysis....................................................................................................13
8. Recommendations and Conclusions....................................................................................14
References:...............................................................................................................................17

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Reflective Piece:
Where was I at the beginning?
At the beginning of the module and curriculum, I was at an uncertain stage of my career, with
no specialized understanding of international businesses and administration. My professional
competencies then were significantly limited due to poor communication skills. Due to a lack
of experience, my team working skills as well as problem solving and analytical skills were
also limited. The lack of experience also resulted in a poor level of confidence which in turn
hampered my performance. Moreover, my limited knowledge at the beginning of the module
also was a significant barrier against by professional growth and development.
Where am I now?
After the completion of the module, my knowledge and understanding on international
business have increased. Undertaking researches on foreign business markets have helped me
understand the various variants that affect competitiveness of markets. The increased
knowledge and understanding have also helped me to develop better confidence. These
factors were essential to help me achieve professionals well as personal growth and
development. The knowledge gained from the module has therefore been pivotal to help me
improve my professional competencies that have in turn helped me to secure a stable
employment. Therefore I believe that I am in a much stronger employment position than
before.
What Skills have I developed?
Over the duration of the module, I have been able to develop several skills and competencies.
One of the most significant one was that of communication that I was able to develop through
continued practice and discourse on the subject and through repeated interactions with study

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peers and professors. The module also helped me gain knowledge and thereby improve my
confidence and competencies as well. By the completion of the module, I also was able to
develop my problem solving skills and time management skills that proved to be key
competencies in my profession.
What I think of the block learning?
Block Learning, or Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL) in my opinion is an effective learning
strategy that can ensure relevance as well as readiness of knowledge, to be used in real life.
Considering the rapid and tectonic changes in the IT sector, due to the continuous
development of new technologies and tools, it is necessary for the IT employees to be
continuously updated with the new systems to be able to successfully use and implement
them in working practice. Block Learning or RRL can support such a dynamic market,
helping to ensure that the IT professionals are always abreast with the latest trends and
developments in the industry and a knowhow on how to utilize them in real practice.
Description of the module and what I learnt from it
The module went through the systematic stages of understanding country profiles, factors that
represent economic growth, assessment of the national and regional competitiveness through
measures like GDP, scorecards, competitive issues and PESTLE analysis. The module also
helped to understand the factors that creates competitive issues and the role of lusters to
national development and growth. I also was able to learn about the Porter’s Diamond model.
This knowledge has helped me significantly increase my skills and competencies as a
professional.