Kübelböck, G (2013) Constructing a conceptual framework for market intelligence in the European plant building industry. PhD thesis, University of Gloucestershire, UK.
Abstract
“If there was only one truth, you could not paint a hundred canvases on a single theme.” Pablo Picasso, 1966 Companies are faced with changing markets, stiffening competition, increasing uncertainty and as a result are thus confronted with a situation that makes it ever more difficult to keep abreast of the latest developments in technology and trends in society. Market intelligence as a methodology of practice provides an organisation with the opportunity to capture competitive information and to transform it into valuable intelligence in order to identify opportunities and threats at an early stage. Systematically reviewing the existing literature on market intelligence and related concepts has shown that, apart from a fragmented state of research worth its while to reconsider, no conceptual framework on market intelligence in the plant building industry is available. An exploratory and qualitative case study that used semi-structured interviews with experts from the industry has led to negotiating a shared sense of understanding and to a refined conceptual framework on plant building market intelligence. The conceptual framework developed consists of three pillars: (1) central intelligence, (2) decentralization to operational divisions and (3) inter-departmental intelligence communities influenced by the characteristics and peculiarities of the very industry. This framework allows for a conceptualization that connects market intelligence to many organizational units and layers, therefore supporting diffusion of intelligence throughout the company. It furthermore fosters exchange of information and knowledge by looking beyond computerized databases, connects with learning processes and builds on integrated analysis frameworks based on social networks as an organic strategy. Significantly, inter-departmental intelligence communities are well suited to provide the connection between intelligence, reflection, action and learning. This is deemed particularly valuable in times where decision making has become ever harder due to turbulent environments, reducing the relevance of plain cost-benefit and probabilistic reasoning approaches.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Bown, R and Gear, T |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building industry; case study; competition; decision making; diffusion; interview; learning; market intelligence; markets; reasoning; uncertainty |
| Index terms: | negotiating, competition, methodology, decision-making, conceptual framework, society, market intelligence, reasoning, interview, social network, strategy, building industry, reflection, markets, case study, decentralization, database |
| Subjects: | political science, industry analysis, decision analysis, sociology, conflict resolution, data management, professional development, management, data collection methods, communities and social development, cognitive psychology, market analysis, research methods, theoretical framing, economic analysis, strategic management |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management, Stakeholder Management, Governance, Risk Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here