ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on competitive intelligence activities, at the intelligence or wisdom end of the Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom or Intelligence (DIKW) hierarchy, opposite Big Data's data or information end. Results drawn from a study of Big Data by McKinsey and database on competitive intelligence (CI) activity show a strong relationship between the fields. Higher investment in Big Data capabilities appears to go along with higher levels of competitive intelligence activity. Competitors would appear to be interested in Big Data holdings. Further analysis of the relationship suggests that there are differences in the nature of the Big Data and related knowledge insights that can lead to further distinctions in the pattern of Big Data and CI activity. Knowledge management (KM)/intellectual capital (IC) certainly encourages action, but the focus of activities is often more about building the knowledge base and the network for sharing it.
