Abstract
For CI to have the greatest contribution to strategic management, CI professionals need an understanding of the CI needs of decision makers. The aim of this research is to build an understanding of the CI needs of decision makers at the case organisation, a Financial Institution. The resulting analysis informs recommendations on how the Financial Institution's CI capability can be enhanced to better meet the CI needs of the organisation's decision makers. The conclusion and recommendations are compressed into a twelve point CI strategy framework. A strategy framework is a planning tool which can be used to explore ways to enhance an organisation's strategic planning capabilities.
The interpretivist research philosophy was used as the subject of the research needs to be understood in the context of the case organisation. This research has adopted a single qualitative case study approach. The existing base of theory on CI needs of decision makers in a financial institution is limited. In addition, there is no existing research on the CI needs of decision makers at the case organisation; hence the case approach was selected.
A self-administered structured questionnaire was used as a data collection method, targeting 500 managers and executives at the Financial Institution. A total of 124 questionnaires were returned out of the 500 questionnaires that was sent out, therefore the response rate was n=25%. Data from the research was analysed and thereafter conclusion and recommendations were made mainly based on the research problem: How can competitive intelligence needs of decision makers at a Financial Institution be better met?
Key findings of this research are that managers and executives at the Financial Institution have a good understanding of what strategic management is about as well as the role of CI in strategic management; they place considerable value on CI in...
M.Com. (Strategic Management)