Competitive intelligence (CI) is one of the fastest growing fields in the business
world South Africa included; yet little quantitative research has been conducted
or published on the development and use of CI in South Africa. CI is concerned
with the methods companies use to monitor their competitors, their own
competitive position, and to improve their competitiveness. It is not a new
business activity but modern CI is more focused, formal, organised and
actionable.
CI is not an activity limited to a few countries or companies in certain industries;
it is a worldwide phenomenon. Most of the Fortune 500 companies use CI
extensively. Literature shows some countries such as France, Japan, Sweden
and the USA to be more advanced in their embracement of CI as a means to
enhance competitiveness. In these countries, CI is a recognised business
discipline and has become a major source to achieve competitive advantage.
They are also developed in terms of the role government plays in supporting CI
activities.
Another indicator of CI as a growing practice worldwide is the development of
the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP). Globally, SCIP
chapters have taken root in all continents. Moreover, SCIP Europe, SCIP Italia,
SCIP Australia and SClP Deutschland are part of a growing worldwide network of SCIP affiliates, i.e. independent organisations that have formally affiliated
with SCIP.
Leaders in the field of CI training are France, Japan, Israel, Sweden, and Korea
while Europe is beginning to appreciate the importance of CI as a corporate
tool. Some practitioners suggest that in the near future, all MBA programmes in
Europe will include CI as a core subject and that the investment community will
be looking at companies' track records in terms of their CI practices (Blagg,
2002).
In comparison, CI in South Africa is still in its infancy (Muller, 1999). However,
with South Africa's competitive landscape being reshaped, the need for CI as a
means to enhance competitiveness has grown rapidly. Research into CI in
South Africa has been limited. The first comprehensive research projects were
launched in the beginning of the century. Very few companies then knew about
CI, let alone practice it. But that did not mean that companies did not monitor
competitors and other external events. There was just no formalised structured
approach in assessing their environment. Since then, a team of researchers
came together to find an answer to the question: What is the level of
development and deployment of CI in South Africa? The findings of the
research indicated a realisation among South African companies that they will
have to take pro-active steps based on available information in order to survive.
An assessment of current programmes in CI at South African learning
institutions revealed a lack of formal academic programmes. Current
programmes are mainly limited to short courses in basic CI principles. At
present there are no CI courses presented at secondary schools in South
Africa, and although some progress has been made in the development of
courses, much still needs to be done. Programmes should also be presented at
business schools at MBA level or at least as part of management and
leadership training.
A detailed description of the development of CI in South Africa in the areas of
research, consulting and training is provided in Chapter 2. To illustrate the CI
practice in a company, a case study is discussed in Chapter 3 to examine and
analyse the development of the CI capability in one of the most prominent
pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical industry provides an
appropriate example of an industry that undergoes constant and rapid change.
Various areas of CI still need to be researched including CI in the academy as
well as further studies on how companies in South Africa conduct CI. This
study aims to add to the growing database of research into CI in South Africa.
For the first research article (chapter 2) two research methods were used i.e. a
literature study irto CI as a business discipline and a qualitative design
(interviews) to obtain information from leaders in CI in South Africa. Given that
CI is still in its infancy, the sample was small and included all recognised
knowledgeable people on Clin South Africa.
For the second research article (chapter 3) the same two research methods
were applied. Both a qualitative design (interviews) and a questionnaire were
used for the collection of primary information on the targeted company. The
interviews were conducted with the CI manager in the company that was
targeted for the case study. The sensitive nature of CI meant that permission
for the publication of the case study had to be obtained provided a disguised
name was used. / Thesis (MA (Public Management and Governance))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/220 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Muller, Marié-Luce |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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