Competitiveness and attractiveness in leading gold mining companies in Peru: A multicriteria assessment of strategic positioning and inter-firm heterogeneity

Gold mining in Peru faces the challenge of operating in highly volatile environments, under strong social, regulatory, and technological pressures that affect its economic performance. This study proposes and applies a transparent and reproducible methodological framework to integrally evaluate both the external attractiveness of the operating environment and the internal competitive strength of the country’s main gold mining operations. The methodology combines public rubrics (scale 1–5), hierarchical weightings derived from the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), normalized scaling (0–100), and strategic positioning through the GE–McKinsey matrix. The results reveal clear differentiation among companies: in terms of competitiveness, Shahuindo leads with an index of 82.0, followed by Boroo Misquichilca (81.0) and Minera Yanacocha (79.4), while Consorcio Minero Horizonte shows the lowest value (69.5). Regarding attractiveness, Yanacocha ranks first (67.2), followed by Poderosa (61.4), with the rest of the group falling in a mid-range between 53.2 and 57.7. Sensitivity analysis, based on ± 20% variations in the weightings, showed controlled fluctuations in the indices (\(\:\pm\:\)1.0 to \(\:\pm\:\)1.5 points), confirming the robustness of the approach. Production factors exert the greatest influence on competitiveness, while market, economic, and technological dimensions dominate attractiveness, with social aspects acting as transversal constraints. Overall, the proposed framework offers a valuable tool for strategic decision-making, investment analysis, and the formulation of public policies aimed at the sustainability of the sector. JEL code · L72 – Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Other Nonrenewable Resources · L25 – Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope · Q32 – Exhaustive Resources and Economic Development Q38 – Government Policy