Abstract:
Competitive intelligence (CI) as a strategic management tool is essential for organisations
in developing countries. This article provides an overview of the current state of CI in Brazil.
A questionnaire survey methodology was used where questionnaires were administered
to CI professionals in organisations in Brazil. Only 46.1 per cent of the organisations
indicated that they cope above average with changes in the external environment and
the majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the CI function assists to quantify/
qualify strategic choices. The respondents do not use sophisticated analytical techniques
to analyse data. It is recommended that organisations in Brazil should seek to engage
proactively with the global environment by revising their strategic priorities. They need to
redress critical competitiveness issues, most notably the establishment of the CI function
as a strategic tool.
