The Role of Competition in Private Enterprise and Its Effect on the Economic Growth of the Country: A Study on Private Enterprises in China

Document Type : Review article

Authors

Department of Management Sciences, Preston University, Islamabad Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan

10.22059/ijms.2025.392195.677482

Abstract

This study investigates competition among private enterprises and whether competition positively affects China's economic performance. It uses a cross-sectional dataset of 500 firms collected over five years. The research uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) model to manage endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity. The analysis focuses on essential factors, such as work output efficiency, cost recovery, market rivalry, innovation (proxied by research and development intensity), firm size (FS), firm age (FA), financial leverage (LEV), and economic growth rate. It has been observed that moderate market rivalry increases a company's productivity and creativity, while heavy competition can hinder its performance. Innovation usually results in greater productivity and economic growth. An increase in firm size and commitment time leads to higher productivity, but excessive debt leads to poorer performance. GDP growth is mainly driven by competition and innovation at the big-picture level. It points out that balanced competition, along with policies that support innovation, is necessary. They provide guidance to policy officials and CFOs on how to design companies for maximum advantage, support innovation, and achieve sustainability goals. Researchers are invited to examine differences by sector and region to increase the scope of their findings.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Aghion, P., & Howitt, P. (1998). A Schumpeterian perspective on growth and competition. In New theories in growth and development (pp. 9-49). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-26270-0_2
Ahn, S. (2002). Competition, innovation and productivity growth: a review of theory and evidence. Available at SSRN 318059. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.318059
Aksar, M., Hassan, S., Arshad, J., & Janjua, I. A. (2024). Does Permanency Matter by Controlling Corporate Governance? Evidence from Emerging Economies. Global Business Review, 09721509241251546. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509241251546
Al-Matari, E. M., Al-Swidi, A. K., & Fadzil, F. H. B. (2014). The measurements of firm performance's dimensions. Asian Journal of Finance & Accounting, 6(1), 24. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ajfa.v6i1.4761
Anderson, B. S., & Eshima, Y. (2013). The influence of firm age and intangible resources on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm growth among Japanese SMEs. Journal of business venturing, 28(3), 413-429. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2011.10.001
Andreoni, A., Chang, H.-J., & Labrunie, M. (2021). Natura non facit saltus: Challenges and opportunities for digital industrialisation across developing countries. The European Journal of Development Research, 33, 330-370. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00355-z
Assensoh-Kodua, A. (2019). The resource-based view: A tool of key competency for competitive advantage. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 17(3), 143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.17(3).2019.12
Balasubramanian, N., & Sivadasan, J. (2011). What happens when firms patent? New evidence from US economic census data. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 93(1), 126-146. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00058
Barro, R. J. (2003). Determinants of economic growth in a panel of countries. Annals of economics and finance, 4, 231-274. https://doi.org/http://down.aefweb.net/WorkingPapers/w505
Bos, J. W., Chan, Y. L., Kolari, J. W., & Yuan, J. (2017). Competition, concentration and critical mass: why the Herfindahl–Hirschman index is a biased competition measure. In Handbook of Competition in Banking and Finance (pp. 58-88). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781785363306.00011
Bui, Q.-T., & Lo, F.-Y. (2022). Technology multinational enterprises from emerging markets: Competitive interplay of international entry timing decisions. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 1(3), 100019. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stae.2022.100019
Caglar, A. E., & Askin, B. E. (2023). A path towards green revolution: How do competitive industrial performance and renewable energy consumption influence environmental quality indicators? Renewable Energy, 205, 273-280. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.01.080
Challoumis-Κωνσταντίνος Χαλλουμής, C. (2024). THE ROLE OF COMPETITION IN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKET EFFICIENCY. Constantinos Challoumis, 27-34.
Coates, T. T., & McDermott, C. M. (2002). An exploratory analysis of new competencies: a resource based view perspective. Journal of Operations Management, 20(5), 435-450. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(02)00023-2
Gilbert, R. (2006). Looking for Mr. Schumpeter: where are we in the competition--innovation debate? Innovation policy and the economy, 6, 159-215. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1086/ipe.6.25056183
Inekwe, J. N. (2015). The contribution of R&D expenditure to economic growth in developing economies. Social indicators research, 124(3), 727-745. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0807-3
Jackson, E. A. (2021). Fostering sustainable innovation through creative destruction theory. In Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (pp. 367-379). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95873-6_19
Jansson, J. O. (2013). The economics of services: Microfoundations, development and policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Javed, A., & Qazi, Y. I. (2024). How Does Corporate Governance Shape Investment Efficiency through Quality Financial Reporting in Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs, 9(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24088/IJBEA-2024-94001
Javed, A., Qazi, Y. I., Hussain, M., & Ullah, E. (2024). Raising Green Finance Allocation Through Robust Governance: Evidence from Pakistani Corporations. Administrative and Management Sciences Journal, 3(1), 25-36. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.59365/amsj.3(1).2024.106
Kanter, R. M. (2024). Mastering change. In Learning organizations (pp. 71-84). Productivity Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003578840-6
Liu, K. (2022). COVID-19 and the Chinese economy: impacts, policy responses and implications. In The Political Economy of Covid-19 (pp. 200-222). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003307440-13
Liu, Q., Qu, X., Wang, D., Abbas, J., & Mubeen, R. (2022). Product market competition and firm performance: business survival through innovation and entrepreneurial orientation amid COVID-19 financial crisis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 790923. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.790923
Liu, X. (2020). Structural changes and economic growth in China over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up. China Political Economy, 3(1), 19-38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/CPE-05-2020-0010
Long, W., Li, S., Wu, H., & Song, X. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: The roles of government intervention and market competition. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(2), 525-541. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1817
Marchica, M. T., & Mura, R. (2010). Financial flexibility, investment ability, and firm value: evidence from firms with spare debt capacity. Financial management, 39(4), 1339-1365. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-053X.2010.01115.x
Panjaitan, T. W. S., Dargusch, P., Wadley, D., & Aziz, A. A. (2023). A study of management decisions to adopt emission reduction measures in heavy industry in an emerging economy. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1413. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28417-2
Pundziene, A., Nikou, S., & Bouwman, H. (2022). The nexus between dynamic capabilities and competitive firm performance: the mediating role of open innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 25(6), 152-177. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-09-2020-0356
Sahlberg, P. (2006). Education reform for raising economic competitiveness. Journal of Educational change, 7, 259-287. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-005-4884-6
Siddiqui, F., Kong, Y., Ali, H., & Naz, S. (2024). Energy-related uncertainty and idiosyncratic return volatility: implications for sustainable investment strategies in Chinese firms. Sustainability, 16(17), 7423. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177423
Surya, B., Menne, F., Sabhan, H., Suriani, S., Abubakar, H., & Idris, M. (2021). Economic growth, increasing productivity of SMEs, and open innovation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010020
Szarowská, I. (2018). Importance of R&D expenditure for economic growth in selected CEE countries. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2018-4-008
Teece, D. J. (2014). The foundations of enterprise performance: Dynamic and ordinary capabilities in an (economic) theory of firms. Academy of management perspectives, 28(4), 328-352. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2013.0116
Ullah, S., Akhtar, P., & Zaefarian, G. (2018). Dealing with endogeneity bias: The generalized method of moments (GMM) for panel data. Industrial Marketing Management, 71, 69-78. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.11.010
Vanhaverbeke, W., & Peeters, N. (2005). Embracing innovation as strategy: Corporate venturing, competence building and corporate strategy making. Creativity and Innovation Management, 14(3), 246-257. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2005.00345.x
Varadarajan, R. (2023). Resource advantage theory, resource based theory, and theory of multimarket competition: Does multimarket rivalry restrain firms from leveraging resource Advantages? Journal of Business Research, 160, 113713. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113713
Volberda, H. W., Khanagha, S., Baden-Fuller, C., Mihalache, O. R., & Birkinshaw, J. (2021). Strategizing in a digital world: Overcoming cognitive barriers, reconfiguring routines and introducing new organizational forms. Long Range Planning, 54(5), 102110. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2021.102110
Wen, H., Zhong, Q., & Lee, C.-C. (2022). Digitalization, competition strategy and corporate innovation: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing listed companies. International Review of Financial Analysis, 82, 102166. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2022.102166
Wigger, A. (2023). The new EU industrial policy and deepening structural asymmetries: Smart specialisation not so smart. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 61(1), 20-37. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13366
Wu, B., Wang, Z., Tian, Y., & Zheng, S. (2024). The impact of industrial transformation and upgrading on fossil energy elasticity in China. Journal of cleaner production, 434, 140287. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140287
Yeo, Y. (2022). Varieties of state regulation: How China regulates its socialist market economy. BRILL.
Ziemnowicz, C. (2020). Joseph A. Schumpeter and innovation. In Encyclopedia of creativity, invention, innovation and entrepreneurship (pp. 1517-1522). Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15347-6_476