Competitive Intelligence Predicament

Case Study: Competitive Intelligence Predicament

Discussion:

Technology changes the way business nowadays operates. Data gathering, storage, manipulation, and transmission are revolutionizing the use and spread of information. Along the way, they are also creating problems for the business managers.

When using an information system to gather data about a competitor, it is important to consider ethical issues that governs it. Many companies believe it is important to gather information about competitors in order for them to have competitive advantage.

Miguel Vasquez, through his boss, got a competitive intelligence report of their closest competitor. He feels very uncomfortable about using these materials, knowing that they were illegally obtained.

Problem Statement:

Is it right and ethical for Miguel to use competitive intelligence which is illegally and questionably sourced?

• Miguel Vasquez, a new product manager for a biotechnology company, was handed with some competitive intelligence from another competing firm. These information contained proprietary and confidential information that can give a competitive advantage to the firm.

• This information was obviously obtained using an illegal tap into the competing firm’s servers.

• With no clear policy on matters that pertain to the above scenario, Miguel is left wondering what to do with the information given to him. Will he use the illegally obtained data for their benefit knowing full well the manner in which the information was obtained or will he opt to proceed without it?

Recommendation:

Any company has a right to information about competitors as long as they obtain the information through legal and ethical means. Information, which is obtained through illegal means, is