The MEREC-AROMAN method for determining sustainable competitiveness levels: A case study for Turkey

Sustainable competitiveness represents a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Macro-level competitiveness strategies are formulated based on the diverse capitals possessed by individual countries, thereby giving rise to variations in the sustainable competitiveness strategies of each country. This research introduces a novel hybrid method called the method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC)-alternative ranking order method accounting for two-step normalization (AROMAN) for determining sustainable competitiveness levels. This study aims to assess Turkey's sustainable competitiveness position vis -`a-vis its border neighbors. Natural capital, resource efficiency and intensity, social capital, intellectual capital and innovation, economic sustainability, and governance efficiency are the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI) indicators. The GSCI indicators are employed as criteria for determining the sustainable competitiveness scores of countries. The findings show that the "resource efficiency and intensity" criterion has the highest level of significance. The sustainable competitiveness level of Turkey to its neighboring countries is elucidated based on the results. Recommendations are formulated for the development of strategies aimed at determining Turkey's position in the race for sustainable competitiveness. The introduced MEREC-AROMAN can be utilized to provide rules of thumb for other countries to improve their sustainable competitiveness. This research offers decision support for the formulation of countries' sustainable competitiveness strategies and policies, fostering awareness in the planning and establishment of regional collaborations among nations.