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Purpose -The paper seeks to explore competitive intelligence as a complex business construct and as a precedent for marketing strategy formulation. Design/methodology/approach -In total, 1,025 executives were surveyed about their companies' usage of competitive intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination as well as their perception concerning certain organizational characteristics. Findings -This research develops and tests intelligence as a precedent to marketing strategy formulation, revealing multiple phases and contributing aspects within the process. It also discovers that the practice of competitive intelligence, while strong in the area of information collection, is weak from a process and analytical perspective. Research limitations/implications -While the sample was indeed a census of Canadian technology firms, care must be taken in generalizing the study beyond this industry, and certainly beyond the Canadian borders. Also, the questionnaire used only dichotomous variables (yes/no answers), which limited the testing that could be done. Practical implications -Using these results, competitive intelligence departments and professionals can improve efficacy within their approach and execution strategies. Originality/value -The contribution of this paper is two-fold. It reveals many of the "state-of-the-art" levels of practice within current competitive intelligence efforts, and it proposes a model of the intelligence process.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -Seeks to examine three empirical studies carried out in Canada, the UK and Europe with comparisons drawn on their approach and findings. Design/methodology/approach -The studies were compared using a framework, developed by the authors, along four central elements and two influencing drivers. Findings -Little measurement consistency or output value was evident. The current focus on isolated studies, carried out at a macro level, is discouraged. Practical implications -Future studies need greater rigour, and consequently might be of more value to academics and practitioners. Originality/value -The lack of research consistency is highlighted. Recommendations are made for stronger adhesion with other disciplines to develop a robust research agenda.After a review of the relevant literature, Calof and Skinner (1998) defined CI as:. . . the art and science of preparing companies for the future by way of a systematic knowledge management process. It is creating knowledge from openly available information by use of a systematic process involving planning, collection, analysis, communication and management, which results in decision-maker action.

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