“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”
Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)
Nowadays knowledge is the economic basis of each company. One needs to know the product, the technology behind it, but also the customer, the competitor and other circumstances that influence the business . The scientific term for the necessity of information gathering and its transformation into applicable knowledge is Competitive Intelligence (CI).
This thesis focuses on three questions regarding CI which are linked in a model. Firstly it gives an overview about the most important types of CI. Based on three types, namely Market Intelligence, Competitor Intelligence and Internal Intelligence, it raises the question if there are industry-specific requirements and general key aspects of the activity. The focus group consists of 15 multinational companies from 6 different industries which were analysed with respect to information gathering and types of CI activities.
Secondly the thesis considers legal aspects. It asks how effective international treaties and European laws are in terms of criminal prosecution of unfair competition and protection of intellectual property rights. The considerations are limited to those facts that might be taken into account for CI actions. In addition it analyzes if the results from the first part of the thesis are legally allowed or if some activities are legally questionable.
Thirdly it looks at the strategic relevance of the legally gathered information. Therefore it assesses the opportunities of CI activities for strategic implementation based on the existing strategic tool “Scenario Planning” and proves that the fit of CI and Scenario Planning has potential to create a sustainable Competitive Advantage (CA).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- Table of contents
- Table of figures
- List of tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Topic
- Goals of this thesis
- Introduction
- Fundamentals
- Competitive Intelligence
- Sub-groups
- Internal Knowledge Management / Counter Intelligence
- Competitor intelligence
- Market Intelligence
- CI evolution phases
- The concept of "weak-signals"
- Business Intelligence
- Sustainable Competitive Advantage
- Model Setup and Assumptions
- Industry-specific requirements for CI
- Industry classification
- CI activities
- ISIC 10
- ISIC 20, 21
- ISIC 25, 51
- ISIC 26
- ISIC 35
- ISIC 62
- Quantitative results
- Overall result of the analysis (Thesis part one)
- SMEs and CI activities
- Legal frameworks and their influence on CI in Europe
- Relevance of law for CI activities
- Effectiveness of law in international environments
- EU-specific legal frameworks
- In general
- The structure of European criminal law
- The division of legislative power in the field of law relating to economic offences
- Unfair competition
- Data protection
- Intellectual property rights
- Community patent
- Community design
- Community trademark
- Implications of globalization for protective effect
- Implications of the law for CI activities in Europe
- Legal filter of CI activities
- Actual unenforceability because of public attention
- Strategic decision making based on CI
- Importance of CI for strategic purposes
- Scenario Planning as a combination opportunity
- Scenario Planning as a strategic tool in brief
- Scenario Planning as strategic tool for CI
- Identification of key influencing factors
- Interim result
- Achievement of a sustainable CA
- Scenario Planning as tool to create a CA
- CI as sustainable competitive advantages
- The fit of CI and Scenario Planning creates CA
- Overall result of the analysis (Thesis part three)
- Discussion and Outlook
- Conclusion
- Managerial Implications
- Limitations
- Implications for research
- Bibliography
- Books
- Journal articles
- Internet / Electronic publications / others
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to explore the multifaceted role of Competitive Intelligence (CI) in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. It investigates three key questions. First, it analyzes the different types of CI and their industry-specific requirements. Second, it examines the legal framework surrounding CI and its impact on practical application. Finally, it explores the strategic implications of CI, particularly in conjunction with Scenario Planning.
- Types of Competitive Intelligence and Industry Requirements
- Legal Aspects of Competitive Intelligence
- Strategic Relevance of Competitive Intelligence
- Sustainable Competitive Advantage and Scenario Planning
- Influence of Legal Frameworks on CI Activities
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of Competitive Intelligence (CI) and outlines the goals of the thesis. It highlights the importance of knowledge in today's business world and emphasizes the role of CI in acquiring and applying information for competitive advantage.
- Chapter 2: Fundamentals: This chapter delves into the concept of Competitive Intelligence, defining its sub-groups: Internal Knowledge Management / Counter Intelligence, Competitor Intelligence, and Market Intelligence. It explores the evolution of CI and introduces the concept of "weak signals," which are subtle indicators of potential future trends.
- Chapter 3: Model Setup and Assumptions: This chapter lays out the methodological framework for the thesis, outlining the model and assumptions used to analyze the relationship between CI and sustainable competitive advantage.
- Chapter 4: Industry-specific requirements for CI: This chapter examines the industry-specific requirements for CI activities. It analyzes a sample of 15 multinational companies from 6 different industries, exploring their information gathering practices and the types of CI they utilize.
- Chapter 5: Legal frameworks and their influence on Cl in Europe: This chapter focuses on the legal aspects of CI in Europe. It discusses the effectiveness of international treaties and European laws in combating unfair competition and protecting intellectual property rights. The chapter also analyzes the legal implications of different CI activities.
- Chapter 6: Strategic decision making based on CI: This chapter explores the strategic relevance of CI, particularly in conjunction with Scenario Planning. It examines how CI can be used to inform strategic decision-making and create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis focuses on the key concepts of Competitive Intelligence (CI), sustainable competitive advantage, industry-specific requirements, legal frameworks, strategic decision-making, Scenario Planning, unfair competition, intellectual property rights, and data protection. The study examines how these elements interact to influence the effectiveness and ethical application of CI activities.
- Citation du texte
- Lucretia Löscher (Auteur), 2010, Competitive Intelligence as a Sustainable Long Term Competitive Advantage, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/164220
