The Objectives of Competitive Intelligence as a Part of Corporative Development Strategy

Abstract

This paper deals with the issue of the management cycle of Competitive Intelligence. The author describes the process of Competitive Intelligence in Czech corporate management. He concludes that in most cases, the Competitive Intelligence operations are directed by the top management, and the attention of Competitive Intelligence is being paid to Key Intelligence Topics (KIT). The Competitive Intelligence is then focused on the output of strategic analyses, complemented in some cases with a summary (synthesis) of acquired intelligence plus some signal intelligence (SIGINT). The results of the Competitive Intelligence produced in such a way are actually the outputs mostly applicable in operational management and mostly unsuitable for strategic management. However, top managers abroad almost invariably need the data relevant to the future situation since their decisions are of strategic nature. The following section of the paper is devoted to the conceptual solution of Competitive Intelligence, i.e. the Competitive Intelligence objectives linked with the development strategy of the corporation. Here the author arrives at three basic development strategies: a.) the corporation desires status quo, i.e. to keep its market position as it is, b.) the corporation is out to expand, and c.) the corporation intends not only to keep its existing and dominant market position but strives for its long-term dominance to last.

This paper deals with the issue of the management cycle of Competitive Intelligence. The author describes the process of Competitive Intelligence in Czech corporate management. He concludes that in most cases, the Competitive Intelligence operations are directed by the top management, and the attention of Competitive Intelligence is being paid to Key Intelligence Topics (KIT). The Competitive Intelligence is then focused on the output of strategic analyses, complemented in some cases with a summary (synthesis) of acquired intelligence plus some signal intelligence (SIGINT). The results of the Competitive Intelligence produced in such a way are actually the outputs mostly applicable in operational management and mostly unsuitable for strategic management. However, top managers abroad almost invariably need the data relevant to the future situation since their decisions are of strategic nature. The following section of the paper is devoted to the conceptual solution of Competitive Intelligence, i.e. the Competitive Intelligence objectives linked with the development strategy of the corporation. Here the author arrives at three basic development strategies: a.) the corporation desires status quo, i.e. to keep its market position as it is, b.) the corporation is out to expand, and c.) the corporation intends not only to keep its existing and dominant market position but strives for its long-term dominance to last.