Environmental monitoring and competitive intelligence and their impact on the core capabilities of the organization - an exploratory study of the opinions of a sample of managers of the Karbala Cement Manufacturing Company

Abstract

This Research aimed at determining the influence of environmental
scanningand competitive intelligence on the core competences of Iraqi
Organizations . For this purpose the researcher has depended on the processes of
environmental scanning ( scanning ,monitoring , forecasting , and evaluation )
according to ( Hitt et al , 2007 : 37)(Witcher&Chau , 2010 :90-91) (Dess et al
,2007 :43 ) , and depended on the processes of competitive intelligence (Planning
, gathering , analyzing and dissemination) according to ( Santos &Correia ,
2010:2) ( Dishman&Calof ,2008:768 - 770) ( Stratuss& Du Toit , 2010:306). The
dimensions of core competences ( resources , capabilities , human capital ) that
have been used are according to ( Jelassi and Enders , 2008 : 79 )(Bani – Hani
and Al- Hawary , 2009 :98 ) and (Vincent and Focht , 2009 : 166 ). The Karbala
Company for Manufacturing Cement has been chosen to verify this Research via
a questionnaire ( 75) individuals of the managers of the company , in addition to personal interviews. The Spearman connection factor , and the ( t ) test to
recognize the identity of this relation, and the ( f ) test to determine the identity
of the regression equation , also the ( R2 ) has been used to explain the degree of
the influence of the independent variable in the dependent variable . Some of the
most important conclusions the study arrived at are that environmental scanning
and competitive intelligence have a significant impact in the growth and
competition of organizations through building core competences of the company
that help in building sustainable competitive advantage and achieve strategic
succeeded . The study has been concluded with a number of recommendations
,some of which are :
 Focusing on the practice of the process of environmental scanning and
competitive intelligence in the company in a wider scope in the light of
Iraqi environment which is characterized by environmental uncertainty .
 Consolidating the company\\'s resources and capabilities on all levels in a
way that competitors find difficult to surpass.
 Keeping a high level of skills and knowledge , and increasing the staff\\'s
expertise in a way that gives the company a competitive advantage .