CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEVELOPING COUNTRIESTHROUGH MARKETING: LESSONS FOR OMAN

The main thrust of this research will be to strategically analyse national development planning, competitiveness and marketing best practice scenarios of the United States of America, Germany, South Africa and Oman and see how they have designed national development plans, created international competitiveness and achieved marketing excellence for their countries. The aim is to establish reasons for success and what Oman can learn from these three countries to fine tune its national development plans and marketing practices. The same countries can also learn from Oman its success stories like good international relations, peaceful co-existence, good national image and admirable quality of life. The analysis will also cover the strengths and weaknesses of each system, the positives and negatives, cultural dynamics and the effect on international competitiveness. The Case Study Method was used where themes were formed and analysed using the metrics:- GDP, FDI, Per Capita and Population. Other factors also considered include Institutions, corruption, employment rates, poverty rates, ease of doing business, national competitiveness and infrastructure.Major findings were that closed economies get nowhere, development must cascade all institutions and systems, national image must be built, the national education system must be benchmarked to global best practice and be revised regularly, a good health system is an asset, marketing education at the highest level needed to be developed as well as marketing professional bodies and marketing is the key to unlock national potential both locally and globally and maximize market share and global outreach.Findings also revealed the need for Oman to do away with restrictions in expatriate labour movements (NOCs) and to embrace GCC and global best practice in this area to promote FDI and economic growth. The quality of some Oman graduates was discovered to be below industry expectations and more needed to be done to improve graduate compliance with labour market/industry requirements (a minority though, majority are excellent).