INTELIGÊNCIA COMPETITIVA: NÍVEL DE USO E INFLUÊNCIA NAS RECEITAS NOS PEQUENOS NEGÓCIOS EXPORTADORES

Abstract

The elaboration of the strategies that orientate the future of the companies is, more and more, dependent of the information and of the knowledge generated by their competitive environment of businesses. Among the models that link with environmental scanning, outstands the process of Competitive Intelligence that it has been used with success, above all, in the larger businesses. Though, if this practice is common in the larger firms the same is not able to one to say as the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). From the analysis of the data collected through a survey made in 26 SMEs brazilian exporters of certified wood solids tried to identify in these companies the use level and the dynamics of the constructive elements of a structured process and systematized of Competitive Intelligence in support to the taking decision, besides verifying the influence of this process in the financial performance of those companies. The results reinforced the hypotheses that (1) a minority of the researched companies makes effective and regular use of a structured process seeking to monitor and to analyze their competitive environment of businesses, and that (2) there are evidences of an association among use of Competitive Intelligence with the obtaining of financial advantages.