Open AccessThe linkage between competitive intelligence and competitive advantage in emerging market business: A case in the commercial vehicle industry
Author(s) -
Stefan Zwerenz
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of intelligence studies in business
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 2001-015X
DOI - 10.37380/jisib.v10i3.638
Subject(s) - linkage (software) , competitive advantage , competitive intelligence , business , product (mathematics) , process (computing) , industrial organization , marketing , european union , market orientation , knowledge management , business administration , process management , computer science , chemistry , international trade , mathematics , biochemistry , geometry , gene , operating system
To achieve competitive advantage (CA) in emerging markets (EM) firms aresuggested to increase market orientation, using competitive intelligence (CI) as a source toincrease firm performance. However, in-depth linkage between CA and CI, as well as itsawareness/culture and process/structure constructs, has been researched and understood onlyin a limited way in general and for EM business in particular. This paper gives in-depthclarification of six research questions relating to the connection between CI, its constructs andCA for EM business as well as how CI as a product/process could be adapted for a larger impacton CA. It reports on a qualitative, document and interview data based in-depth single case studyat a CI department of a European Union (EU) commercial vehicle manufacturer engaging inEM business. It finds that overall the linkage of CI for CA was traceable and transparent tousers/generators of CI in the specific case with ambiguously perceived limitations, andinfluenced by seven identified factors. Seven out of eight pre-identified CI constructs werepromoted but also heterogeneously understood as contributing to CA, with no other relevantconstructs identifiable. Adaptions for more impact on CA were recommended for CI as a productin a limited sense, and as a process with eight potential levers more comprehensively. Theseresults help businesses to improve CI, its constructs, its products and process for a betterlinkage to CA and firm performance.