Abstract
M.Phil. (Information Management)
The purpose of this study was to establish what the current situation is within the South
African pharmaceuticals industry's competitive intelligence (CI) capacity. For a
developing country such as South Africa, its political history and newly acquired
democracy clearly make it vulnerable to the competitiveness of globalisation. South
Africa faces a massive challenge to implement quality social and economic policies to
redress the wrongs of the past. In so doing, it continues to disrupt natural market forces
through legislation and policies. It has set a goal of optimal growth by 2018 for the
pharmaceutical industry. Despite government s promotion of research and the funding
of certain aspects of the industry, to date the strategy seems to have failed. The
question can therefore be asked whether a legal and ethical business tool such as CI
assist in the industry s defence against competitive markets and whether senior
management can make use of CI s capacity to help with strategic planning, thereby
enhancing decision-making. The findings of the study confirmed that CI activity takes
place in the pharmaceutical industry. The study is mainly descriptive. A questionnaire
survey methodology was used. Questionnaires were administered electronically to
senior managers in the industry. The majority of the respondents were of the opinion
that a culture of information sharing and an environment of collaboration on competitive
issues existed in their companies. Furthermore, they endorsed the fact that CI
generates profit. Respondents confirmed that CI is used on a continuous basis in
strategic decision-making and that company strategies are being used to manage
competitors.