Course detail

Information about competitors

FP-KikPAcad. year: 2025/2026

The subject is focused on the issue of obtaining information about competition in a legal and ethically appropriate way. Students will acquire theoretical backgrounds and methodological procedures needed to acquire and acquire knowledge in the field of preparation and acquiring information about competition. Emphasis is placed on acquiring procedures for analyzing acquired information as a basic procedure of gaining added value forming a new knowledge of a competitor

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. František Bartes, CSc.

Department

Institute of Economics (ÚE)

Entry knowledge

The knowledge of organization and managerial functions of firms (basic level), the knowledge of work with PC and Internet (basic level).

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Course completion:
Credit: elaboration of semester work.
Exam: The exam can have either: a) a written form. The student receives two questions for which he has a limited time to answer. The exam is classified according to the ECTS scale. b) form of test through e-learning. The exam is classified according to the ECTS scale. Students will be informed about the form of the exam at the beginning of the semester.

Completion of the course for students with individual study:
Credit: elaboration of a semester work, which will be sent to the lecturer.
Exam: The exam can have either: a) a written form. The student receives two questions for which he has a limited time to answer. The exam is classified according to the ECTS scale. b) form of test through e-learning. The exam is classified according to the ECTS scale.

Students will be informed about the form of the exam at the beginning of the semester.

Completion of the course in distance form:
Credit: elaboration of semester work.
Exam: test through e-learning. The exam is classified according to the ECTS scale.


Control of results of independent work on specified tasks.

Aims

The aim is to enable students to understand the issues of information systems which are necessary to gather information about competitors and equip students with skills for obtaining legal information about competitors and their subsequent evaluation.
Students will understand modern approaches and methods for gathering and evaluating information about a competitor, about the competitive environment including the creation of added value which is needed to obtain intelligence. Students will become familiar with the software tools used in Competitive Intelligence. They will also master the protection of business secrets of the company.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

BARTES, František. Konkurenční zpravodajství. Tvorba podkladů pro strategické rozhodování podniku. Praha: Grada, 2022. ISBN 978-80-271-3504-2.   (CS)

Recommended reading

FULD, LEONARD, M. The New Competitor Intelligence. New York: 2005. (EN)
KAHANER, L., 1997: Competitive Intelligence. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 978-0-684-84404-6. (EN)
LIEBOWITZ, J. Strategic Intelligence. New York: Auerbach Publications, 2006. 223p. ISBN 978-0-8493-9868-1.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BAK-EP Bachelor's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. František Bartes, CSc.

Syllabus

1. Competitive environment information. The concept of information. Basic concepts.
2. Determining the necessary information for senior management of the organisation (Problem analysis, KIT determination).
3. Data and information sources (Basic distribution of data and information sources).
4. Methods of data and information acquisition (Data collection and information phase).
5. Processing of data and information obtained. Determination of the quality of the information and its source.
6. misinformation Defining the concept of misinformation, Types of misinformation. rumour
7. Disinformation - Detection and identification of misinformation.
8. Disinformation - Analysis of disinformation.
9. Prediction of competitor reaction. Reactive approach, Late access, Appropriate approach, Proactive approach. Determining the reaction of a competitor.
10. Business secrets of the organization. Defining the concept. The principles of the protection of the organisation's business secrets.
11. Organisational forms of the Competitive Intelligence process in an organisation. Examples of monitoring competition abroad.
12. Requirements for staffing the Competitive Intelligence process in the organization.
13. International organization Competitive Intelligence. International aspects of Competitive Intelligence.

Exercise

13 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. František Bartes, CSc.

Syllabus

1. Information on the competitive environment (The importance of information on the competitive environment for the senior management of the organization, The concept of information, Basic concepts: symptoms, data, functions, evidence, arguments, hypotheses news).
2. Determining the necessary information for TOP management organization (Analysis of the problém, Determination of IQ, Determination KIT, strategic decisions and actions suggestions for early warning, profiles and descriptions of key players).
3. The methods of obtaining data and information (Phase collecting data and information, Traditional methods for collecting data and information, Software tools for data collection and information).
4. Disinformation (Definitions of Disinformation, Disinformation, Fama).
5. Disinformation (Disinformation Identification, Disinformation Analysis).
6. Prediction of a competitor's reaction (Reactive Approach, Late Approach, Appropriate Approach, Proactive Approach, Determination of Competitor Response).
7. Personnel requirements for organizational Competitive Intelligence process (General Requirements, Specific Requirements).