Methods and indices of evaluation of the development and competitiveness of services in a knowledge - based society)

The present study deals with methods and indices used to assess the degree of development and competitiveness in the services sector in the modern economy (a knowledge-based society). Methods and indices that evaluate the development and competitiveness of services are presented in the context of new ideas referring to the contents and features of the modern economy, defined by specialists as an economy (and society) with the following characteristics: knowledge-based, new economy, services economy. The study presents different methods and indices used to assess the degree of development and competitiveness in the tertiary sector - of modern services and in some of the services' branches, an evaluation that is of crucial importance for setting the scientific bases of policies and development strategies in the tertiary sector. Regarding the overall development of the tertiary sector, the study highlights the relevance of indices that show, on the one hand, the amount and share of the resources used in the sector, and on the other hand, the volume and structure of the effects services have on reaching the objectives of the knowledge- based society. In this respect, we suggest the creation of global indices to measure the overall development of services as well as the development of advanced services that characterize a knowledgebased society. Extremely useful comparisons regarding the degree of competitiveness of different countries - on the whole economy or on certain services sectors that contribute to meeting the main objectives of the knowledge-based society - can be drawn on the basis of the analyses of competitiveness indices, such as: The Global Competitiveness Index, The UE Competitiveness Index. The analysis of the values of the respective indices for Romania reveals the necessity of setting and implementing strategies to bridge the gap existant in our country in the development of services characteristic to the knowledge-based society.