BU.360.701.

XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page1 of 10

Competitive Intelligence
2 Credits

BU.360.701.XX
[NOTE: Each section must have a separate syllabus.]

[Day &Time / ex: Monday, 6pm-9pm]

[Start & End Dates / ex: 8/20/18–10/15/18]

[Semester / ex: Fall 2018]

[Location / ex: Washington, DC]
Instructor
[Full Name]

Contact Information
[Email Address]
[Phone Number, ###- ###-#### (Optional)]

Office Hours
[Specify the day and time of the 2 hours that will be dedicated to office hours each week. For evening classes,
faculty may wish to hold their office hours by phone or email. While faculty are permitted to state “and by
appointment,” office hours should not be held exclusively by appointment.]

Required Texts & Learning Materials

The assigned readings associated with each session (1–8) are indicated in the course calendar as NT for the
2015 edition of the Fleisher/Bensoussan text and OT for the 2007 edition, allowing students to use either
textbook, whichever is easiest to obtain.

NT= Fleisher, C. S., & Bensoussan, B.E. (2015). Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new
and classic methods, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson FT Press.

OT= Fleisher, C.S., & Bensoussan, B.E. (2007). Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new
and classic methods. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education FT Press.

Additional readings will be provided within Blackboard, deposited in eReserves, or as links to websites from the
weekly syllabus, detailed below.

Course Description
Competitive Intelligence (CI), as defined by the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP), is a
systematic and ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and managing external information that can affect an
organization’s plans, decisions, and operations. Students learn to apply the CI process and CI-related
methodologies, techniques, and tools to better analyze an organization’s current and future competitive position.
Students apply analytical and socio-technical techniques to improve organizational decision making as related to
CI, and should understand the issues related to the collection, analysis, and management of external
information.

Prerequisite(s)
None

Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Articulate the role of Competitive Intelligence (CI) and Competitive Analysis (CA) within for-profit and
not-for-profit organizations.
2. Build a comprehensive and cost-effective information strategy—independent of media and format—that
is appropriate to your organization’s culture.
3. Organize CI in a logical fashion and make it accessible to those who need to/should use it, applying
appropriate measures of security, so as to point toward a solution.
4. Appreciate effective, ethical techniques for conducting primary and secondary research, as well as the
 BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page2 of 10

importance of ethics when presenting CA results and recommendations.

5. Develop actionable CI products to meet the needs of your organization/client.

To view the complete list of the Carey Business School’s general learning goals and objectives, visit the Carey
website.

Attendance
Attendance and active participation are part of each student’s course grade. Students are expected to attend all
scheduled class sessions. Each class will include opportunities for teams to work together. Failure to attend
class will result in an inability to achieve the objectives of the course. Excessive absence will result in loss of
points for team participation. Regular attendance and active participation are required for students to
successfully complete the course. Students who are ill or traveling for business should inform the instructor in
advance of class and utilize Adobe Connect to participate in the session. As guest speakers will be leading
off each session, either in-person or through Adobe Connect, promptness to class is essential and will be
made part of your grades.

Assignments

Assignment Learning Objectives Weight

Attendance and active participation in class discussion, including team 1,2 15%
project work conducted inclass and online discussion (Blackboard)
Primary research (team project) 4 15%
Homework assignments designed to demonstrate the topic covered in the 3 14%
readings and class discussion
Company profile (individual effort) 3 20%
Teaching of one analytic technique 4 16%
Team CI presentation 5 20%
Total 100%

Weekly assignments can be found in the Course Calendar below, with individual and team efforts clearly
denoted. Assignments are due by [date]. That way, the instructor can revise the content for the next class to
reinforce concepts not fully grasped the previous week.

Each meeting will include an in-class exercise during which concepts covered in the class will be applied,
and the results of team efforts shared with the rest of the class. (It would be helpful to bring a laptop or tablet
computer to class, though not essential, as students will be working in teams. As long as one person on the
team has a device, that should be sufficient.)

Students are encouraged to contribute to the Discussion Board throughout the semester, commenting on
postings and adding additional threads. Reading about an event in the news, for example, making a
connection between the event and your organization’s work, summarizing news items for others, and
distributing widely are essential activities for CI professionals. Thoughtful postings can help to raise your
grade.

Students will work in teams on an actual CI project introduced on Day 1 of the course. This semester, your
“client” is interested in a sector known as “population health.” The finalassignment,applying the lessons
learned throughout the course, will be a presentation to your “client.” Guidelines for developing these
presentations, including content expected, will be covered during class.

Each member of the team will select an individual organization within that industry sector to profile. While
the information gathered to complete each company profile should inform the team presentation, company
profiles must be submitted separately and will be graded as an individual effort. The team presentation is
due by [date]; company profiles should be submitted by [date]to give the instructor sufficient time to review
and grade within deadlines set by the registrar.

In addition to the secondary research to be conducted during the semester, teams will conduct primary
research. This will consist of developing a suitable data collection instrument, most likely an interview
 BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page3 of 10

questionnaire (and protocol for conducting the interview via email, telephone, or in-person), though survey is
another option. Criteria for identifying and selecting potential respondents for this primary research
gathering effort will be covered during class. Teams should post the data collection instrument, protocols,
and targeted respondents for primary research in their group discussion section in Blackboard so that the
instructor can comment and guide each team to a successful conclusion that will inform their final
presentation (and get a better grade on both deliverables as a result). The primary research project should
be completed by [date] and results used to inform the final presentation ([date]).

Students will be assigned one CI analytic technique to teach to the class during Week 6 ([date]). Your effort
will be measured by the instructor as well as by your classmates. A list of analytic techniques is posted on
Blackboard. Assignments will be made during an early session of the course to provide sufficient time for
students to research and develop a presentation for the class. Guidelines for presentations will be covered
in-class, with additional material posted in Blackboard. You’ll want to describe each technique, identify its
purpose, “best used for,” strengths and weaknesses, “how to do it,” and walk us through a quick example of
the technique in action.

Grading
The grade of A is reserved for those who demonstrate extraordinarily excellent performance as determined by
the instructor. The grade of A- is awarded only for excellent performance. The grades of B+, B, and B- are
awarded for good performance. The grades of C+, C, and C- are awarded for adequate but substandard
performance. The grades of D+, D, and D- are not awarded at the graduate level (undergraduate only). The
grade of F indicates the student’s failure to satisfactorily complete the course work.

Please note that for Core and Foundation courses, a maximum of 25% of students may be awarded an A
or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3.3. For Elective courses, a maximum of 35%
of students may be awarded an A or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3 .4. (For
classes with 15 students or fewer, the class GPA cap is waived.)
 BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page4 of 10

Tentative Course Calendar

The instructors reserve the right to alter course content and/or adjust the pace to accommodate class progress.
Students are responsible for keeping up with all adjustments to the course calendar.

In preparation for the course, please readthe following article: Bose, R. (2008). “Competitive intelligence process
and tools for intelligence analysis.” IndustrialManagement & Data Systems, 108: 510–528. This will help our
discussions over the coming weeks. Click on the FindIt tab on the JHU libraries site (library.jhu.edu) to
determine which database is likely to have this article available in full-text.

Week Content Reading Due

1 Personal introductions
Review of syllabus and formation of
teams (the basis for the semester’s
work)
The evolution of CI
CI function within a variety of settings
What’s required to manage an
enterprise-wide, comprehensive,
and ongoing CI program
Corporate culture and the importance
of buy-in
Positioning of the function within the
organization
CI Process and Cycle
Allocating your time: Achieving the
right balance in apportioning the
time you spend on CI
Building your proactive CI team and
an appropriate process
Exercise #1 (in-class):
This semester we will be working in
teams, focusing on specific
organizations, establishing CI
programs in each, from start to finish.
Today, teams will form and begin to
focus on a particular industry sector.
A link to an introductory recording
from your “client,” whose interest is in
“population health,” is posted in
Blackboard.
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan 2015
textbook.Preface + Chapters 1 & 2.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook, Chapters 1–4.
Reading:
Fuld, L. (1994). The new competitor
intelligence. Chapter 1 at
http://www.fuld.com/hubfs/JHU/Fuld-
New-Competitor-Intelligence-Excerpt.pdf
If you can’t reach the book via this link,
click Resources in the top navigation bar
and scroll to the References section.
This title is the second listed. (You may
need to complete a registration form in
order to gain access to the book online;
there is no charge.)
Reading:
Chapter 12 (Part 1)ofCompetitive
intelligencebyMatt H. Evans
(http://www.exinfm.com/training/pdfiles/c
ourse12-1.pdf)
Reading:
Chapter 12 (Part 2)ofCompetitive
intelligencebyMatt H. Evans
(http://www.exinfm.com/training/pdfiles/c
ourse12-2.pdf)
Homework assignment #1
(individual) due by [date]:
Please update the CI surveys
discussed during this first class
session by identifying more recent
surveys. You need not download
the full-text, nor find the
instruments themselves, but you
should be able to point to one or
two press releases or articles
discussing the results. Remember
to let me know how you found
these new CI survey reports and
how useful you think they are to
practicing professionals. Deposit
your work in the Assignment
section of Blackboard.

Week Content
2 Establishing the scope and focus of
your CI efforts
Defining the competition and
selecting screening criteria
Key Intelligence Topics (KIT) and
Questions (KIQ)
Using the Web for gathering
intelligence, including social
networking tools. (We’ll discuss the
JHU library and databases
available through it, plus others, in
a later session.)
The importance of environmental
scanning, monitoring, and alerting
mechanisms in CI work
Demo:
FirstRain
Exercise #2 (in-class):
In an effort to limit the scope of your
team project, develop a set of KITs
and KIQs for your CI project. Use
your team’s group space on
Blackboard to post your input so that
the instructor can review and guide
you in modifying these through the
semester.
(NOTE: There is no grade for this
“assignment,” but the KITs and KIQs
developed here and refined
throughout the semester will be
included in your team presentation,
[date])
BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page5 of 10
Reading
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan 2015 textbook,
Chapters 3–5.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook,Chapters 5–7.
Reading:
Combs, R. (1993). Competitive
intelligence handbook. Chapters 1–2 at
http://www.combsinc.com/ (Click on CI
Book in left navigation bar.)
“Reading”:
BEK’s CI Favorites (Instructions
concerning how to gain access to
Delicious entries will be given during
class.)
Reading:
“Thoughts on building a quality website”
at
http://www.webdistortion.com/2011/07/21
/thoughts-on-building-a-quality-website/
Watch aYouTube Video covering KITs at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dDgTWgySUks&list=PL453B5F10B7A
AAB49&index=10&feature=plpp_video
Reference bookmark:
Sabrina I. Pacifici’sCompetitive
intelligence selective resource
guidehttp://www.llrx.com/features/ciguide
.htm
Due
Homework assignment #2
(individual) due by [date]:
Identify “comparables” (or peer
comparisons) for your team’s
chosen industry. (We’ll discuss
what this means during class.) Tell
me how you came up with this
group of competitors (e.g., where
did you look for competition and
what did you find that helped/did
not help). The purpose of the
exercise is not getting the “right”
answer, but to understand the
process of appropriately narrowing
the scope of any CI project. Points
will be given for innovative efforts
and multiple avenues of inquiry.
Why are these more important
organizations to monitor than
others operating in the same
space? Which have you excluded
from your market basket of
comparables, and why? Deposit
your work in the Assignment
section of Blackboard.

Week Content
3 Assessing the global business
environment and monitoring change
Scanning the environment
Benefits of a stream of information
Collecting data and information that
raises questions
Understanding complex market and
industry trends: Anticipating
innovation
Identifying and monitoring market
conditions: What’s driving change?
Gathering industry-specific
intelligence
Exercise #3 (in-class):
Within your team, create a PESTLE
analysis for your case. (Guidelines
will be provided in class.) These must
be incorporated into your team
presentation for [date].
Demo:
Archna Bhandari,
LuxidBioPharmaNavigator
4 Company-specific resources: official
and not
Building the company profile: key
elements (target and scope-
dependent)
Competitive Technical Analysis,
including patent research and
analysis
Demo:
Manzama
Exercise #4 (in-class):
FIND ME! Industry and company
online research team competition.
BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page6 of 10
Reading
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan 2015 textbook,
Chapters 6–8.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook,Chapters 19–22.
Reading:
Combs, R. (1993). Competitive
intelligence handbook. Chapters 3–4 at
http://www.combsinc.com/ (Click on CI
Book in left navigation bar.)
Reading:
Using the internet as a dynamic resource
tool for knowledge discovery by Marcus
P. Zillman
(http://www.knowledgediscovery.info)
Reading:
Klass, G. M. (2008). Just plain data
analysis: Finding, presenting, and
interpreting social science data. Chapter
1 has been placed on electronic reserve
for you by the JHU library.
There is a recorded demo of Gale
Business Insights at
http://connect.uky.edu/p6ooodh1wi6/
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan2015 textbook,
Chapters9–13.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook,Chapters 8–11.
Reading:
Freepint Buyers Guide/CI. 9/2011
(available in Blackboard)
Reading:
Building a competitor profileavailable at
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol4/com
petia.htm
Due
Homework assignment #3
(individual) due by [date]:
Tell me one thing that happened
(“event”) in the past month or two
that may affect your team’s industry
(and how you found out about it).
How might this development affect
the competition? Deposit your work
in the Assignment section of
Blackboard.
Homework assignment #4
(individual) due [date]:
Identify one resource that you think
will be helpful to you with your term
project and one that you likely will
not use. Explain the rationale for
your decisions. Please indicate
how you found the resources/were
familiar with them. (BEK’s CI
favorites and the Zillman reading
from last week may be helpful to
you.) The “answer” is not as
important as the process you use,
or the rationale for evaluating
quality. Deposit your work in the
Assignment section of Blackboard.
 BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page7 of 10

Week Content Reading Due

5 Planning and conducting primary
research
 Determining what you need to
know
 Locating experts
 Determining your approach
o Surveys and focus groups
 Getting around the gatekeepers
 Good interviewing techniques
Making the most of conferences and
exhibitions
 Identifying venues
 Collection techniques
 Debriefing and reporting
Critical thinking, ethics, and blind
spots
Demo:
Digimind
Exercise #5 (in-class):
Please review the two case studies in
your assigned reading for this week
(displayed in the next column) prior to
the session so that you will be able to
participate in the class discussion.
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan 2015 textbook,
Chapters14–15.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook,Chapters 12–16.
“In the company of spies: When
competitive intelligence gathering
becomes industrial espionage” (case
study by Andrew Crane, Indiana
University Kelley School of Business),
available from Business Horizons (2005)
48, 233–240 (Elsevier ScienceDirect
database, JHU library)
The ethics of competitive
intelligence(case study by Jennifer
Jordan and Professor Sydney
Finkelstein), available at
http://mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu/pdf/2005-
1-0095.pdf
Reading:
Musings on conducting competitive
intelligence ethically
http://steveshu.typepad.com/steve_shus
_weblog/2010/01/musings-on-
conducting-competitive-intelligence-
ethically.html
Homework assignment #5
(individual) due by [date]:
Identify upcoming conferences and
exhibitions you would attend if this
CI project were “for real,” indicating
individuals with whom you would
want to meet there and what you’d
hope to learn from them that you
don’t know already. Remember to
indicate the research process you
used to find announcements of
these conferences. Deposit your
work in the Assignment section of
Blackboard.
REMINDER:
Student presentation – assigned CI
analysis technique – due by [date]
(so that the instructor can upload
the presentations to Blackboard,
making them available for all
students to access)

Reading:
Are these 4 biases impacting your
market
research?https://blog.instant.ly/blog/2015
/05/4-biases-impacting-market-research/

Reading:
DIY detection: Competitive intelligence
for SMEs by Vernon Prior at
https://web.jinfo.com/go/newsletter/235#t
ips

Review this slide deck for additional

interviewing technique tips:
http://www.slideshare.net/EllenNaylor/im
prove-collection-interviewing-elicitation-
2013

Are these 4 biases impacting your

market
research?https://blog.instant.ly/blog/2015
/05/4-biases-impacting-market-research/

Interesting Infographic Quant vs.

Qual:http://community.spiceworks.com/bl
ogs/marketing/2053-research-
showdown-qual-vs-quant-infographic

Recent post by on interviewing from

John
McGonagle:https://diy-ci.com/2016/08/26
/dont-let-calling-do-you-in/

Week Content
6 Individual student intros to
analyses. Students will choose from
a list (made available within
Blackboard) and devise presentations
that explain the use of their assigned
CI analysis technique to the class.
(Instructor will cover additional
techniques.) Elements to cover in
your presentation include:
 Description and purpose of the
analysis
 History regarding the development
of the analysis
 Strengths and weaknesses of the
approach
 Best used for…
 How to do it
 An example.
A rubric has been devised to help
students “grade” each presentation,
available on Blackboard.
Demo:
Victor Knip, M-Brain
7 Intelligence dissemination
 Alerting mechanisms: Push AND
Pull
 A regular forum
 Sharing raw data and mapping
information flows
 Visualization tools and
dashboarding
How do you convert data into
revenue-producing action?
Presenting what you know: Making
intelligence actionable
Developing, designing, implementing,
and altering strategies in response
to your intelligence and analysis:
The ‘best practices’ approach
Role of technology in supporting and
facilitating the CI function
Demo:
Sean Smith, InfoDesk
BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page8 of 10
Reading
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan2015 textbook,
Chapters 16–21.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook,Chapters 17–18.
A SWOT example from the American
Marketing Association
http://playbook.amanet.org/providing-
swot-example/?
pcode=XCRP&utm_source=t.co&utm_m
edium=referral&utm_content=playbook-
article
SWOT analysis becomes SWOC
analysis
https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/inde
x.php/swot-become-swoc/?goback=
%2Egde_37041_member_233446308
Porter’s Five Forces http://university-
essays.tripod.com/porters_5_forces_anal
ysis.html
War Games
http://whatifyourstrategy.com/2009/10/12
/honey-we-shrunk-the-industry-again
Scenario Analysis
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/
strategy/
Overcoming_obstacles_to_effective_sce
nario_planning?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-
mck-oth-1506
Win-Loss
http://businesspeoplevermont.com/2014/
cccreative0514.html
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan2015 textbook,
Chapters 22–25.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook, Chapters 23–24.
Watch the Comintelli recorded
webinarsthat most interest you at
http://comintelli.com/resources/recorded-
webinars/
You will need to sign in and get a
password, but there is no fee.
Due
Homework assignment #6
(individual) due [date]:
Based on your readings and what
you learned from your fellow
students in class today, determine
ALL of the analyses that would
help you to complete your team
presentation indicating what each
would tell you that would get you
closer to the “answer.” (Some of
these analyses should be
performed and contribute to your
team presentation on [date].)
Deposit your work in the
Assignment section of Blackboard.
REMINDER:
Primary research team projects,
discussed during Week 5, are
due next week ([date]).Only one
member of each team need deposit
the work via the Assignment
section of Blackboard, as long as
the names of all team members are
included in the submission.
Homework assignment #7
(individual) due [date]:
Tell me one new thing you learned
about your
industry/company/competition as a
result of your analysis that
surprised you. How will you
recommend that your organization
deal with this situation?

Week Content
8 Goals, Metrics, and Dimensions:
Evaluating your CI process and
program using a Six Sigma
approach
Course wrap-up and evaluations
Team presentations, designed for
senior management, explaining the
competitive situation within your
industry.
BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page9 of 10
Reading
Reading:
NT=Fleisher/Bensoussan2015 textbook,
Chapters 26–29.
OT= Fleisher and Bensoussan 2007
textbook, Chapters 25–29.
Watch the BI video at
http://www.knowledgeagency.com/conte
nt/bottom-line-intelligence
Due
Team presentations:
Only one team member need
submit the presentation to
Blackboard, but please include the
names of your team members on
the cover. Rubric for grading to be
provided in Blackboard.
Competitor profile (individual
effort):
Develop an in-depth competitor
profile for your team’s case.
Deposit your work in the
Assignment section of Blackboard.
 BU.360.701.XX –Competitive Intelligence – Instructor Name – Page10 of 10

Carey Business School Policies and General Information

Blackboard Site
A Blackboard course site is set up for this course. Each student is expected to check the site throughout the
semester as Blackboard will be the primary venue for outside classroom communications between the
instructors and the students. Students can access the course site at https://blackboard.jhu.edu. Support for
Blackboard is available at 1-866-669-6138.

Disability Support Services

All students with disabilities who require accommodations for this course should contact Disability Support
Services at their earliest convenience to discuss their specific needs. If you have a documented disability, you
must be registered with Disability Support Services (carey.disability@jhu.edu or 410-234-9243) to receive
accommodations. For more information, please visit the Disability Support Services webpage.

Academic Ethics Policy

Carey expects graduates to be innovative business leaders and exemplary global citizens. The Carey
community believes that honesty, integrity, and community responsibility are qualities inherent in an exemplary
citizen. The objective of the Academic Ethics Policy (AEP) is to create an environment of trust and respect
among all members of the Carey academic community and hold Carey students accountable to the highest
standards of academic integrity and excellence.

It is the responsibility of every Carey student, faculty member, and staff member to familiarize themselves with
the AEP and its procedures. Failure to become acquainted with this information will not excuse any student,
faculty, or staff from the responsibility to abide by the AEP. Please contact the Student Services office if you
have any questions. For the full policy, please visit the Academic Ethics Policy webpage.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the Johns Hopkins University’s regulation of student conduct is to promote and to
protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to
promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the
University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create
an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. Please contact
the Student Services office if you have any questions. For the full policy, please visit the Student Conduct Code
webpage.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center offers free online and in-person one-on-one and group coaching in writing,
presenting, and quantitative courses. For more information on these services and others, or to book an
appointment, please visit the Student Success Center website.

Other Important Policies and Services

Students are encouraged to consult the Student Handbook and Academic Catalog and Student Services and
Resources for information regarding other policies and services.

Copyright Statement
Unless explicitly allowed by the instructor, course materials, class discussions, and examinations are created for
and expected to be used by class participants only. The recording and rebroadcasting of such material, by any
means, is forbidden. Violations are subject to sanctions under the Academic Ethics Policy.