The Emergence of Competitive Intelligence: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

It has been demonstrated by several studies that new curriculum initiatives such as enterprise systems have a predictable lifecycle. This paper looks for trends in competitive intelligence (CI), a new area of study that is finding a place in the curricula around the world. In this paper, an attempt is made to examine existing research concerning CI, to list the varied approaches through which CI’s role in educational curricula is considered and to trace the history of its emergence. A survey of CI course offerings was conducted in US and Australia with an objective to identify trends outside a single culture or education system. It shows that CI is an independent degree program rather than just a component of other programs. The methodology used in this study reveals how historical perspective can be helpful to the curriculum planners to identify the new issues.