Competitive benchmarking involves comparing a company to which of the following?

Competitive benchmarking is a critical practice that involves assessing a company's performance metrics and processes against those of a leading competitor within the same industry. This method allows organizations to identify best practices, understand competitive advantages, and discover areas for improvement relative to peers who operate under similar market conditions. By focusing on direct competitors, a company can gather relevant insights that are directly applicable to its own strategy and operations.

In contrast, benchmarking against a different industry could yield insights, but the differences in market dynamics, customer needs, and operational practices may limit the applicability of those comparisons. Comparing all departments within a company focuses more on internal processes and efficiencies rather than external competition. Lastly, non-profit organizations, while they can provide valuable lessons in certain contexts, operate under different objectives and performance measures, making them less relevant for competitive benchmarking in a commercial framework. Thus, the comparison to a leading competitor in the same field emerges as the most effective approach in competitive benchmarking.