SWOT analysis of the use of competitive intelligence in small enterprisesin the clothing industry

Abstract

Many of existing studies analyzing Competitive Intelligence (CI) practices have been conducted within the context of large organizations, which tend to have complex CI models. However, despite the importance of CI in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), CI practices have been underexplored within the context of SMEs. The present study aims at assessing the conditions of SMEs to implement CI processes. The study was conducted within the context of SMEs in the clothing industry because it is in a highly competitive market where any advantage over the competition can be significant for the permanence of these businesses. Six SMEs with similar characteristics were studied. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and were further analyzed using thematic analysis as informed by Braun and Clarke (2006). This analysis was complemented by an analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) by which it was possible to assess the current conditions of the SMEs studied for implementing CI processes. The results show that the characteristics that have in common SMEs are areas of opportunity for this process.