Yet without free access to American markets, such firms will struggle to remain competitive against South Korean rivals, especially with the yen climbing against the dollar.

ECONOMIST: Japan��s free-trade dilemma

Besides opening your eyes to the world of sabermetrics, Michael Lewis lifted the proverbial curtain and allowed the reader to finally see the inner workings of a small market ball club as they struggle to assemble a competitive roster.

FORBES: The Brilliance and Defiance of 'Moneyball's' Player Development Strategies

Marketing and information-technology expenses, in particular, have gone through the roof, as managers spend more to win and retain customers in an increasingly competitive industry, and as they struggle to bring their systems up to scratch for the launch of Europe's single currency and to deal with the millennium bug.

ECONOMIST: Fund management

But the struggle to be one of these art connectors is also highly competitive.

FORBES: Public Funding for the Arts

The competitive pursuit of knowledge is not a dog-eat-dog Darwinian struggle.

FORBES: The Wonders of Wealth, the Path Out of Poverty

Every day, organizations struggle to stay relevant, riding the choppy waves of economic uncertainty, competitive pressure and customer demands.

FORBES: Change Is Coming! Are You Ready?

Yes, Mexico continues to struggle with grave security threats, but it is also fostering a globally competitive marketplace, a growing middle class, and an increasingly influential pro-democracy voter base.

FORBES: The Mexico Paradox

But universities more likely to struggle to attract students need to "realise that they're competing in a very competitive world" he said.

BBC: University changes: Threat or opportunity?

Nuclear power may struggle in Brazil, where the industry is being carved up and privatised so as to create a competitive market in electricity.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear energy in Brazil