Competence (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what competition is and what its meaning is in different areas. Also, some examples of this term.

What is competition?

Competition can be defined as the aptitude that a person has, made up of abilities, skills and abilities with which you have to carry out an activity or meet an objective within the work, academic or interpersonal field.

The term competition is also used to refer to certain contexts in which two people, teams or companies interact in an environment and try to outdo each other. For example: a sports competition in which each competitor will try to reach the finish line before another does.

Furthermore, competition can be biological when one or more individuals of the same or different species confront each other to obtain the same resource.

Economic competition

The term competition in the economic field refers to the situations that occur within a market in which there are several suppliers and demanders of a good or service.

in the competition Companies in the same industry try to position themselves above other competitors by offering facilities or opportunities. that others don't have. Companies generate strategies that allow them to highlight their product over that of the competition.

To be competitive, a company must strive to minimize costs, maximize profits and offer a differential compared to the rest.

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Market competition: perfect and imperfect

Within the market there are two types of competition that vary according to the role that the market plays within each one.

Perfect competition. It occurs when there are many companies that market a good or service and many demanders. As there is a balance between supply and demand, the price (which is usually low) is determined by the market and not conditioned by the suppliers or demanders. In this type of ideal competition there are no restrictions on the entry of new suppliers into the market.
Imperfect competition. It occurs when there are few companies that offer a good or service so they have the power to control prices. The most extreme case of imperfect competition is monopoly, a market situation in which only one company offers a good or service and therefore has control of the market. Oligopoly is another case of imperfect competition in which there are few suppliers of a good or service, so the price is not determined by the free play of supply and demand, but by the suppliers.

Biology proficiency

competition in biology — Living things can compete for food, territory or mates.

Competition in biological terms refers to the relationship between individuals of different or the same species that try to access the same resources (food, territory, partner).

Competition between members of the same species is called: intraspecific competition, and that which occurs between individuals of different species: interspecific competition.

Depending on the interaction that occurs between individuals, competition can be:

By interference. It is a type of direct competition in which one or more individuals exercise violence to prevent another from accessing a resource, reproducing or inhabiting a territory.
For exploitation. It is a type of indirect competition in which two individuals use the same resource (food, sunlight), so the fact that only one obtains it means scarcity for the other.

Interpersonal competence

People tend to compete healthily among friends, family or close people when playing a board game or practicing a sport. Play competitive games helps promote the development and growth of peoplesince the conducive environment is generated to exchange points of view, generate motivation and verify that the effort has a reward.

Job competence

Labor competence refers to the ability of an individual to perform a specific task and meet objectives sued by the company or organization in which they work.

The skills, aptitudes and attitudes of the worker are factors that influence when measuring their performance and development in the work context. These factors are classified into:

Attitudinal. They are the skills that a worker has related to attitude, values and predisposition.
Instrumentals. They are the skills that a worker has, what he knows how to do.
Cognitive. They are the skills that a worker has in the field of knowledge, that is, what he or she knows about. This knowledge can come from personal experience, studies or previous work experience.

The development of work skills usually becomes an engine of growth, generating dynamic and thriving work environments. In addition, it is key to facing challenges and meeting objectives.

Educational competence

Within the field of learning, competence is presented as the sum of skills, knowledge and attitudes that a student has and develops within the educational environment. It is through these competencies that the individual performs activities, meets objectives and solves problems.

This approach seeks the development of the student taking into account: social skills, linguistic skills, communication skills, mathematical skills, digital skills, among others.

Examples of competition

Economic competition

Telmex manages the telephone market in Mexico (monopoly).
Intel and AMD manage a large part of the processor market in the world (oligopoly).

Biological competition

One individual of the Japanese eel species competes against another for food (interference competition).
In the jungle, trees of different species compete for sunlight (competition by exploitation).

Job competence