Pre-Adoption Diagnosis of the Intelligence Process in Organizations: A Delphi Study with Intelligence Practitioners

Abstract

In turbulent and competitive scenarios, strategic intelligence is a crucial process for organizations to reduce uncertainties during decision-making and to anticipate changes that may affect their performance and sustainability. Despite the relevance of the activity, continuous and structured processes based on intelligence in organizations are not a reality due to the difficulty of implementing and formalizing it. Executing a diagnosis to evaluate conditions that precede the adoption of a structured intelligence activity allows companies to recognize their efficiency to perform monitoring, to further improve or implement it. This paper explores organizational, informational, individual, technological and material conditions that precede the adoption of the intelligence process, reviews six diagnostic models and proposes a diagnostic tool to evaluate issues that must be considered in advance. The Delphi method was used to exploit opinions among 30 intelligence practitioners in order to define which conditions of the process should be evaluated before its adoption in companies. As a result, this work contributes to filling the gap observed in the literature about the motivation to initiate the intelligence process in organizations and presents a formalized tool to evaluate its pre-adoption stage.

Full text

http://www.anpad.org.br/bar
BAR − Brazilian Administration Review
Maringá, PR, Brazil, v. 16, n. 3, art. 5, e180114, 2019
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1807-7692bar2019180114
Research Article
Pre-Adoption Diagnosis of the
Intelligence Process in Organizations:
A Delphi Study with Intelligence Practitioners
Amanda Cainelli1
Raquel Janissek-Muniz1
1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Received 10 October 2018. This paper was with the authors for three revisions. Accepted 2 November 2019. First
published online 5 December 2019.
Clarissa Carneiro Mussi and an anoynimous contributor served as the associate editors for this article.
Editorial assistant: Luciane Kato Kiwara
Editor-in-chief: Carlo Gabriel Porto Bellini

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 2
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Abstract
In turbulent and competitive scenarios, strategic intelligence is a crucial process for organizations
to reduce uncertainties during decision-making and to anticipate changes that may affect their
performance and sustainability. Despite the relevance of the activity, continuous and structured
processes based on intelligence in organizations are not a reality due to the difficulty of
implementing and formalizing it. Executing a diagnosis to evaluate conditions that precede the
adoption of a structured intelligence activity allows companies to recognize their efficiency to
perform monitoring, to further improve or implement it. This paper explores organizational,
informational, individual, technological and material conditions that precede the adoption of
the intelligence process, reviews six diagnostic models and proposes a diagnostic tool to evaluate
issues that must be considered in advance. The Delphi method was used to exploit opinions
among 30 intelligence practitioners in order to define which conditions of the process should be
evaluated before its adoption in companies. As a result, this work contributes to filling the gap
observed in the literature about the motivation to initiate the intelligence process in organizations
and presents a formalized tool to evaluate its pre-adoption stage.
Keywords: pre-adoption; structured intelligence process; diagnostic tool; delphi.

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 3
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Introduction
Over the past 30 years, intelligence applied to business has become a fundamental component of
the informational infrastructure of companies and a prerequisite for organizational success
(Davenport, Harris, & Morison, 2010; Gilad & Fuld, 2016). Also known as environmental
scanning (Aguilar, 1967), strategic foresight (Tsoukas & Shepherd, 2004) or strategic scanning
(N. Lesca, Caron-Fasan, Aguirre, & Chalus-Sauvannet, 2015), intelligence is an essential process
to identify signals in the environment (changes and events) that must be observed, captured and
interpreted so that action can be taken in advance (Andriotti, Freitas, & Janissek-Muniz, 2008;
Hakansson & Nelke, 2015). These signals must be detected early in the external environment, in
time to mitigate their impacts (Russo, Sbragia, & Abraham, 2017). When done systematically,
the intelligence process allows production of value-added information and support for strategic
decisions, which is particularly relevant for organizations that wish to maintain a lifelong
sustainable competitive advantage (Choo, 1999; Tarapanoff, 2006).
The intelligence process should be structured to transform scattered and dissociated information
into actionable intelligence (Hakansson & Nelke, 2015). Systematization of the intelligence
process provides increased quality of the information in order to identify targets based on the
organizational priorities and strategy, reduce information duplicity, raise the probability of
identifying opportunities and threats, and increase decision making in strategic planning (Gilad
& Gilad, 1985; McGonagle & Vella, 2002; Sassi, Frini, Abdessalem, & Kraiem, 2015).
Although the importance of the structured process is recognized, there are still discontinuous,
informal and non-institutionalized intelligence practices in organizations (Borges & Janissek-
Muniz, 2017; Davis, 2008; Gilad & Fuld, 2016; Mayer, Steinecke, Quick, & Weitzel, 2013).
Often, process structuring is considered a complex task by companies, and this difficulty may be
linked to various aspects of the external environment that need to be constantly monitored,
requiring a significant effort by managers and decision-makers (Janissek-Muniz, 2016; Vidigal,
2013).
The intelligence process adoption requires a raise in executives’ sensibility and awareness of
monitoring practices so that their companies can draw plans to achieve the desired formalization
of the process (Brouard, 2007; H. Lesca, 2003). Although generally neglected (Gilad, 2016), this
evaluation can indicate improvements and actions for intelligence activity success and continuity
(Caron-Fasan & Janissek-Muniz, 2002).
There are few studies about the stage prior to the intelligence process adoption (N. Lesca et al.,
2015) that support the fact that it is in this important stage that organizations are sensitized and
awareness is created, as well as knowledge and interest about the need to observe the
environment. This is the reason why it is important to recognize, a priori, activities and conditions
that can influence the success of the process (Janissek-Muniz, 2016; Luzipo, Van Biljon, &
Herselman, 2015). This understanding can potentially avoid future problems, reduce costs and
time, reduce failure risks, and prepare an environment suitable to receive the intelligence process
(Verville, Barnadas, & Halingten, 2005). Therefore, the motivation to adopt the intelligence

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process is one of the subjects that still need to be explored in the literature: the knowledge
regarding the internal and external conditions that precede this adoption or what leads
organizations to initiate this process have yet to be investigated (Iden, Methlie, & Christensen,
2017). Gilad (2016) points out that is important to understand information needs and business
practices before adopting an effective intelligence process, because the motivation that drives the
process implementation is a valid indicator of future, costs and effectiveness.
If organizations can identify beforehand the main issues related to organizational, informational,
human and technological conditions that must be improved in order to adopt a structured
intelligence process, they can lead to the success and continuity of the intelligence activity (N.
Lesca et al., 2015). Through mapping and recognizing the points that need improvement,
organizations can better prepare themselves to receive and structure the process, since the absence
of this prior knowledge is one of the main reasons for the discontinuity and weakening of the
activity (Herring, 1999). In this sense, the questions that guide this work are: how can anticipative
evaluation be done, and which are the main conditions that must be evaluated in the pre-
adoption stage of the intelligence process? In this way, this paper aims to present a diagnostic tool
to evaluate conditions related to the structured intelligence process before it is adopted in
companies. For all these reasons, this article explores the pre-adoption phase of the intelligence
process considering the existing literature on Information Systems and Strategic Intelligence,
aiming to identify prior conditions and build a framework of this stage. In order to identify such
conditions, this study analyzes six diagnosis tools of the intelligence activity. As a result of the
analysis, it will be possible to pose a set of questions through the Delphi method, in order to
consolidate a diagnostic script to be applied in organizations before the intelligence process is
installed. Finally, we present a tool to identify which improvements should be worked on to reach
the structuring and success of the activity.
Pre-adoption of the Intelligence Process
The concept of intelligence refers to an organized process that helps organizations monitor and
understand their business environment, compete successfully, and grow in a dynamic world in
which executives need to be aware of external opportunities and threats in order to make
decisions (Casagrande, Aguirre, & Vuillon, 2015). In this context, information is the central
resource of organizations (Rios & Janissek-Muniz, 2014), and intelligence emerges as a formalized
process that supports and works with strategy, contributing to business value and sustainable
growth in companies (N. Lesca & Caron-Fasan, 2008). Above all, the intelligence process is a
systematic way of looking at the world outside the company by observing, collecting and
interpreting information to provide decision-makers with elements that allow to anticipate
imminent opportunities and dangers in order to deal effectively with them (Brouard, 2007).
Studies have pointed out that this process is not only responsible for specifying which sectors
should be monitored, but also for scanning valuable information related to threats and
opportunities, indicating the tools to be used, incorporating analytical findings into executive
decision-making and, in many cases, monitoring the environment (Mayer, 2012). Therefore,
when incorporated into organizational processes, the intelligence process is necessary for

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 5
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decision-maker success, as it produces relevant information that can be used to strategically
position a company (Gilad & Gilad, 1985; Kahaner, 1996).
Daft and Weick (1984) corroborate this idea and argue that any organization that has a structured
intelligence process will be able to develop sensitivity in the analysis and interpretation of data
and information, being able to not only act passively or in response to future trends in its
environment, but rather influence it into a desired situation. According to Choo (2001), in order
to carry out the intelligence process, it is necessary that the organization has an internal an ability
to learn and interpret data and is aware of some questions about the search for information: the
need for search; the manner or form that it will be sought; the destination or use of information;
and the analysis on how this information impacts and is impacted by the context or situational
dimension, organizational strategies and managerial aspects. The investigation on information
can be inferred as capabilities, which can be considered Dynamic Capabilities, since they
represent a set of skills that the organization develops internally in order to integrate, construct
and reconfigure resources (structure and processes), as well as to adapt quickly to environmental
changes (Teece, Pissano, & Shuen, 1997).
As described earlier, because it is so inherent to the internal processes of each company, the stage
that precedes the adoption of the intelligence process varies from one organization to another
and depends on three underlying factors: objectives, corporate structure, and resources (Bartes,
2013; Gilad & Gilad, 1985). External conditions (environmental turbulence and resource
dependence); organizational issues (nature of the business and strategy pursued); informational
conditions (availability and quality of information); personal issues (knowledge of the intelligence
professional); and cognitive style can also influence intelligence process adoption (Choo, 2003).
This is why before any intelligence operation begins, it is essential to know users’ informational
needs so that the actions can be well-conducted, considering that the absence of this knowledge
is the main reason for poor intelligence processes, with low performance and demotivation of
intelligence teams (Herring, 1999).
Another important element that can contribute to the success and sustainability of the
intelligence process in organizations is prior contact with critical factors. Certain conditions, such
as organizational, individual, informational, technological and material, can indicate barriers or
drivers that may or may not be present in organizations and therefore should be analyzed in the
pre-adoption stage of the structured intelligence process, as shown in Figure 1.

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Figure 1. Pre-adoption conditions of the structured intelligence process
Given this, human, organizational, material and cultural resources emerge as central indicators
of success or failure of an activity, such as choosing a leader, for example, who must be competent,
legitimate and recognized by the people involved – team and top management – and the
definition of the expected objectives of the project (Janissek-Muniz, 2016). The commitment to
make intelligence a continuous activity requires, therefore, conditions that must be adapted to
the specific goals and needs of the company so that the process can be an organic part of it (Bartes,
2013; Caron-Fasan & Janissek-Muniz, 2001; Gilad & Gilad, 1985). The conditions to achieve
success in the pre-adoption stage of the structured intelligence process will be discussed in the
following section.
Organizational conditions
According to Bartes (2013), the main reason of failure when organizations implement an
intelligence process is not creating favorable conditions for the success of the activity, such as
providing education and training, equipment, tools, and sources of information. The process
should be part of organizational strategic planning to support the development of competitive
advantage or market position (Choo, 2003; Gilad & Gilad, 1985; N. Lesca et al., 2015).
According to studies in this area, by stimulating the information-driven culture, intelligence
serves to fuel the innovation process, help market differentiation, and increase organizational
competitiveness (Jaharuddin, Dato’Mansor, & Yaakob, 2016; Janissek-Muniz, 2016; Marchand
& Hykes, 2007; N. Lesca et al., 2015; Xu & Kaye, 2009).
Another reason for organizations to adopt strategic scanning is to do what other organizations
are doing (N. Lesca et al., 2015). The comparison between organizations can be useful in task
planning, in the definition of objectives and also in the recognition of resources limitations
(human and financial, in order to conduct the activity), and so the intelligence process complexity
is understood beforehand (Bartes, 2013; Gilad & Gilad, 1985; Janissek-Muniz, 2016; N. Lesca et
al., 2015).

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Support from top management, training, and user’s commitment are also predictors of process
adoption (Almeida, Lesca, & Canton, 2016; Luzipo et al., 2015). The lack of support from top
management in legitimizing a leader or a committee responsible for conducting the
implementation of the intelligence process and the absence of budget can negatively impact its
continuity (Almeida & Hirata, 2016; Janissek-Muniz, 2016; N. Lesca et al., 2015).
Individual conditions
The sharing of knowledge at all levels should be a feature of the structured intelligence process
to encourage diversity of interpretation and vision of the future within the company (Marchand
& Hykes, 2007). Besides that, there is a need for an adequate leader profile, as well as specific
skills, legitimacy and competence of the leader to motivate the execution and conduction of
strategic scanning activity (Bartes, 2013; Janissek-Muniz, 2016; Mayer, 2012; N. Lesca & Caron-
Fasan, 2008). Also, there is still a lack of internal knowledge about the benefits and advantages
of the process, which often leads to the unrealistic perception that the intelligence area will solve
all company problems (Bartes, 2013). As individual pre-adoption conditions, the representative
elements are linked to manager and staff having personal awareness, willingness and commitment
that it is worth having an intelligence process, a positive attitude toward it, and the knowledge
that the method is relevant (Gilad & Gilad, 1985; Jalaldeen, Karin, & Mohamed, 2009; Janissek-
Muniz, 2016; N. Lesca et al., 2015).
Another individual issue mentioned by H. Lesca (2003) is when the manager recognizes the
importance of the process and wishes to implement it, but is blocked by his or her peers or
superiors who do not adhere to it and are not sensitized about it. Borges and Janissek-Muniz
(2017) also point out that there are managers who make decisions individually due to their
position of power, despite an established structured intelligence process in the organization.
Informational conditions
The emergence of the currently available information volume is one of the most relevant issues
about the need to implement intelligence processes (Fachinelli, Giacomello, Rech, & Bertolini,
2013). Strategic information must be properly recognized and distributed in order to facilitate
decision-making and deliver results (Marchand & Hykes, 2007). Information distribution
formats should be developed according to the needs of the company and the receivers (Rios &
Janissek-Muniz, 2014), because when the structure and the planning of dissemination are
inadequate, they can impoverish the circulation of intelligence products and reduce confidence
in the process (N. Lesca et al., 2015).
The adoption of strategic scanning process should respond to the need of capturing, sharing and
analyzing information related to the current state and the evolution of the socioeconomic
environment (N. Lesca & Caron-Fasan, 2008). The necessity of adopting the process can be
related to understanding the environment, solving a specific problem, or timely information for
decision making, which characterizes the reactive mode (N. Lesca & Caron-Fasan, 2008; N. Lesca

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et al., 2015). Adoption may also be related to the need to explore the environment proactively,
allowing the organization to address imminent dangers or possible opportunities, setting the
anticipatory mode (Brouard, 2007; Gilad, 2016; H. Lesca, 2003; N. Lesca & Caron-Fasan, 2008;
Soliman & Karia, 2017). Another mode is proposed by Janissek-Muniz (2004) when introducing
the provocation of information as a complementary way of obtaining pertinent information
through information generation, aiming at the establishment of collaborative channels.
Technological and material conditions
Although all forms of monitoring involve the search and use of information about the
environment, supported or not by technological tools, the intelligence process can be
complemented through digital platforms or based on a combination of tools for each of its stages
(Baumard, 1997; Belmondo, 2008; Rios & Janissek-Muniz, 2014). Technological solutions are
relevant and can enhance the ability to appropriately manage information flows, with an
infrastructure to support decision-making and the communication stage within the intelligence
process (Calof & Wright, 2008; Marchand, Kettinger, & Rollins, 2001). On the other hand,
intelligence platforms acquired by the organization are often expensive and underexplored by the
teams (Bartes, 2013).
There is also the time factor related to the environmental monitoring process planning,
considering that strategic information should arrive at the appropriate time for decision-making
(H. Lesca, Cavalade, Darves, & Deck, 1995). More recent studies, such as Janissek-Muniz (2016)
and N. Lesca, Caron-Fasan, Aguirre and Chalus-Sauvannet (2015), indicate that the urgency to
receive the intelligence products, the information overload during the process of collecting and
the sorting for relevant information are other critical factors related to the time involved in the
task.
Intelligence Diagnostic Tools
When results are obtained from diagnosis, they can provide the necessary motivation in the
structuring and continuity of the intelligence process (H. Lesca et al., 1995), because diagnostic
tools help raise awareness about monitoring practices and help expose their use, indicating where
to focus efforts and resources to improve or shape the intelligence process (Brouard, 2007). In
this sense, H. Lesca, Cavalade, Darves and Deck (1995) conducted one of the first studies to
suggest a diagnostic tool for the intelligence process that helps smaller companies understand if
they actually monitor their environment, what is the status of the activity and how they can
improve it. The approach to monitoring has an anticipatory bias called prospective
environmental scanning. The tool developed by the authors – FENNEC – aims to deliver a global
diagnosis of the intelligence activity in a dashboard and can be applied in three situations: when
there is already awareness of the need to monitor the environment; when top management
executives wish to develop and monitor their progress on a regular basis; and, additionally, to
provoke a rupture in the level of executive consciousness, sensitizing them to and raising interest
in the potential of environmental scanning (H. Lesca et al., 1995).

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Marchand, Kettinger and Rollins (2001) propose an Information Orientation (IO) framework, a
different diagnostic model developed to determine the level of effective information use by
organizations and to identify areas where there could be improvements and consequently an
increase in the level of intelligence process effectiveness. This can be noticed in companies that
have reached maturity in the strategic use of information, aligning people, processes and
technology practices with their business strategies, gaining competitive advantage and future
leadership. This model allows these companies to be aware of their abilities to collect and share
information in order to proactively participate in events not yet consolidated in the market
(Marchand et al., 2001).
In another study, Brouard (2007) discusses the need to raise awareness of the intelligence process
in organizations. The author argues that every company needs to know the status of its
intelligence practices, so that it can be improved. Without evaluation, organizations cannot
identify or focus on activities that require their attention to achieve established goals. In this
sense, evaluating intelligence practices allows the organization to compare its real condition and
the desired condition to direct activities and prioritize determinant actions. In his model,
Brouard (2007) argues that the desired condition may be an ideal state based on the best practices
or based on the association between strategic intelligence activities and specific organizational
needs. The system proposed by the author evaluates four leading indicators of environmental
scanning: types (technological, commercial, competitive, and social), context (structure, culture,
management, and resources), organization (conduction, formalization, frequency, integration,
diversification, intensity, and ethics), and process (cycle, planning, collection, analysis,
dissemination, and evaluation).
In order for the intelligence process to become a continuous activity, Bartes (2013) reinforces the
importance of creating appropriate human, organizational and material conditions for its
development. He proposes a step-by-step diagnostic approach to its adoption in companies. As a
premise, the author suggests considering who the recipients of the future area of intelligence will
be, in order to define the level of importance and contribution that this area will have for the
company. With these top management needs well-defined, the author details procedures for
adopting the intelligence process. He suggests a methodological procedure inside and outside the
organization: to set goals or indicators to evaluate the results of actions undertaken, to define
projects or studies that will be delivered, to establish procedures for the implementation of the
results of projects or studies, to define a feedback mechanism based on the results of the area,
and to outline possible forms of cooperation with external organizations.
Gilad (2016) argues that understanding the difference between business needs and practices is
imperative before an effective intelligence process is designed but points out that organizations
often ignore this stage. From his corporate experience, the author recognizes that there are several
critical elements to an effective intelligence process, and suggests anticipative procedures: to
differentiate tactical information from strategic information needs for key executives; to map the
existing flow of information into the organization by a network of informal experts; to determine
key decision confluences where the intelligence professional must provide inputs to prevent losses
or identify opportunities early enough to take advantage of them; to determine crucial meetings

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or planning committees to which the intelligence professional must have access; to establish an
educational procedure so that all new or newly promoted executives can receive training on
understanding and using strategic information; to assess patterns of intelligence use across
multiple management layers; and to continuously reevaluate the process. Therefore, Gilad (2016)
proposes a Motivation Test for Competitive Intelligence, since the motivation behind the
intelligence process creation is a good indicator of its future, cost, and effectiveness. The
questionnaire advises the organization to decide about initiating the intelligence process by
evaluating whether it is worth spending time and effort or not.
In its global intelligence research, Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals [SCIP]
(2017) uses a questionnaire to understand intelligence practices around the world. The tool
intends to offer an overview of who the professionals are, what they are doing and for whom they
are doing intelligence. The instrument analyzes many aspects, such as structure and organization,
focus, sources of information used, analytical techniques, communication methods, activity
management, evaluation and innovation. As a diagnostic tool, results may indicate improvements
in weak areas or opportunities to be explored. SCIP recommends that a look at the previous stage
is fundamental to the continuity of the process, and a look at the latter stages reinforces the value
and contributions of the area to the company.
As evaluative instruments, all six tools developed by the cited authors present, in their own way,
questions related to the evaluation of organizational, individual, informational, technological and
material conditions for adopting a structured intelligence process (Table 1).
Table 1
Diagnostic tools to evaluate the intelligence process
Article
Authors
Description
Fennec: a dashboard to evaluate environmental scanning within
businesses
H. Lesca et al.
(1995)
Questionnaire with open and
closed questions
Making the invisible visible: how companies win with the right
information, people, and IT
Marchand et al.
(2001)
Information Orientation
Framework (IO)
Development of an expert system on environmental scanning
practices in SME: tools as a research program
Brouard (2007)
Prototype diagnostic system with
headlights
The process of implementing competitive intelligence in a company
Bartes (2013)
List of procedures
Motivation test for competitive intelligence
Gilad (2016)
Set of open questions
SCIP questionnaire
SCIP (2017)
Set of open and closed
questions
The diagnosis proposed by H. Lesca et al. (1995) and the SCIP questionnaire (2017) can be
considered complete forms, since they comprise most of the pre-adoption conditions reported in
the literature. However, the tools are not intended to explore the pre-adoption stage, but rather
the activity itself, concerning questions to verify the degree of maturity, structuring, and the way

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that organizations are conducting the intelligence process. The models by Marchand et al. (2001)
and Brouard (2007) include some diagnostic questions, but they are combined with questions
related to conducting the activity. The proposals by Bartes (2013) and Gilad (2016) can be
considered diagnostic examples, with the potential to be applied in the pre-adoption phase, and
emphasize organizational readiness to receive the intelligence process. However, none of these
models encompass all the conditions listed in the literature, which may leave gaps in the
evaluation of some issues considered relevant.
Methodology
Exploratory research was conducted through a sequence of three qualitative methods to
understand which conditions should be investigated in the pre-adoption phase of a structured
intelligence process. The first qualitative method was a content analysis, conducted on the
theoretical-conceptual reference of this research and on the diagnostic models raised in order to
identify the presence or absence of a given content or a set of characteristics in a given content.
Considering the steps of content analysis proposed by Bardin (1994) – overview on data, data
categorization and grouping, and finally treatment of the obtained results – it was possible to
interpret and make propositions according to the previously formulated goal of identifying the
conditions involved in the pre-adoption stage of the intelligence process that must be evaluated
through a diagnostic tool.
In the second step of the analysis, such conditions were validated by applying a card-sorting
technique, a qualitative and iterative process that indicates the reliability of constructs through
relationships confirmed by the participants (Nahm, Rao, Solis-Gavan, & Ragu-Natan, 2002).
Through the online platform OptimalSort, cards were presented with information already labeled
in a numbered list with the main conditions (ORG – organizational, IND – individual, INF –
informational, TCM – technological/material, SIP – structured intelligence process), so that they
could be matched with another list with the descriptions (Table 3). The participants – eight
intelligence experts, including postgraduate students and field professionals – were invited to
make combinations through cards (conditions) and descriptions. The results were analyzed and
compared (Table 3) in order to identify a pattern of similarities among the responses and also to
validate the conditions with the given descriptions (Faria, 2010).
Finally, in last step of the analysis, 30 professionals from the intelligence field (Table 4) were
consulted and two rounds of Delphi technique were conducted in order to reach to a final set of
conditions (Table 5) that they believe must be investigated before the adoption of a structured
intelligence process and whose evaluation can indicate higher possibility of success and activity
sustainability in organizations. Each round took up two weeks (March/April 2018), when the
same participants were requested to review their positions and re-fill the questionnaire from the
feedback received.
Twenty-eight statements composed the instrument of the Delphi rounds with a broad description
of the pre-adoption conditions validated in the previous step of card sorting. The affirmations
were given with an agreement Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5 points. For each block of statements,

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respondents had the opportunity to comment on their individual experiences about the given
condition. In the second round of Delphi, only the statements that did not reach 80% of agreement
in the first round (Hsu & Sandford, 2007) were reevaluated by respondents, but at this time they
were followed by the main arguments and experiences shared by the group in the first round.
The definition given by Delphi respondents considered their experience and involvement with
the subject under investigation (Hsu & Sandford, 2007; Wright, Silva, & Spers, 2010). The
respondent’s identities were kept anonymous during the rounds, so that there was no influence
of opinion among the members of the group. Thirty professionals were invited through social
networks (LinkedIn and Facebook), among managers and senior analysts from Brazilian
companies (technology, pharmaceuticals, financial institution, education, logistics, market
research, hospital and public sector) with structured areas of intelligence, intelligence consultants,
professors and students with a focus on intelligence studies (Table 4).
Results
The content analysis was determinant to building a framework (Table 2) of the conditions that
must be evaluated before a structured intelligence process is adopted. From this first analysis, we
identified organizational, individual, informational and technological/material conditions.
Regarding the organizational reality, the pre-adoption conditions identified were related to
strategic planning, organizational culture, planning and knowledge about the task, team support,
senior management engagement and leadership involvement in the intelligence process.
Individual conditions were linked to personal abilities, such as information sharing, engagement,
specific profile and skills to properly conduct the intelligence activity. The informational
conditions were related to scanning needs, environmental anticipation and external and internal
management of the volume of information about the organization. Finally, pre-adoption
conditions linked to technological and material issues involved the preliminary understanding of
the infrastructure and time required for intelligence tasks.
Table 2
Pre-adoption framework of the structured intelligence process
Organizational conditions
Elements to be evaluated
Literature
1) Strategy
The intelligence process should be part of the organization strategic planning
Gilad and Gilad (1985); Choo (2003);
Marchand and Hykes (2007); Xu and
Kaye (2009); Bartes (2013); N. Lesca
et al. (2015); Luzipo, Van Biljon and
Herselman (2015); Janissek-Muniz
(2016); Jaharuddin, Dato’Mansor and
Yaakob (2016); Almeida et al. (2016);
Almeida and Hirata (2016).
2) Culture
Information-driven culture stimulates the innovation process, market
differentiation and increase competitiveness.
3) Planning
The intelligence process must consider objectives, definitions and resources
limitations.
Continues

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Table 2 (continued)
Organizational conditions
Elements to be evaluated
Literature
4) Support and
commitment
Support from top management, training, and user commitment are predictors
of the intelligence process adoption.
Gilad and Gilad (1985); Choo (2003);
Marchand and Hykes (2007); Xu and
Kaye (2009); Bartes (2013); N. Lesca
et al. (2015); Luzipo, Van Biljon and
Herselman (2015); Janissek-Muniz
(2016); Jaharuddin, Dato’Mansor and
Yaakob (2016); Almeida et al. (2016);
Almeida and Hirata (2016).
5) Leadership
The organization must legitimize a leader or a committee responsible for
conducting the implementation of the intelligence process.
Individual conditions
Elements to be evaluated
Literature
1) Sharing
The sharing of knowledge among people within the company should be a
feature of the structured intelligence process to encourage diversity of
interpretation and vision of the future.
Gilad and Gilad (1985); Choo (2003);
Marchand and Hykes (2007); N.
Lesca and Caron-Fasan (2008); Xu
and Kaye (2009); Jalaldeen, Karin
and Mohamed (2009); Mayer (2012),
Bartes (2013); N. Lesca et al. (2015);
Janissek-Muniz (2016); Borges and
Janissek-Muniz (2017).
2) Profile
An adequate personal profile and specific skills are needed for the
implementation and conduction of the intelligence process.
3) Individual
knowledge
There must have personal willingness and commitment of managers and
staff that justifies having the intelligence process, a positive attitude toward it,
and the awareness that the process is relevant for the company.
Informational Conditions
Elements to be evaluated
Literature
1) Anticipation
The need for intelligence processes can be related to the need for exploring
the environment proactively, allowing the organization to address imminent
dangers or possible opportunities.
H. Lesca (2003); Janissek-Muniz
(2004); Marchand and Hykes (2007);
Brouard (2007); N. Lesca and Caron-
Fasan (2008); N. Lesca et al. (2015);
Gilad (2016); Janissek-Muniz (2016);
Soliman and Karia (2017).
2) Scanning
The need for intelligence processes can be related to understanding the
environment, solving a specific problem, or timely information for decision
making.
3) Dissemination
Inadequate dissemination structure and planning can impoverish the
circulation of intelligence products and reduce confidence in the process.
4) Volume
The information volume currently available is one of the most relevant issues
about the need to implement intelligence processes.
Technological and material conditions
Elements to be evaluated
Literature
1) Infrastructure
Technological solutions are relevant and can enhance the ability to
appropriately manage information flows.
Baumard (1997); Marchand et al.
(2001); Belmondo (2008); Calof and
Wright (2008); Bartes (2013); Rios
and Janissek-Muniz (2014); N. Lesca
et al. (2015); Janissek-Muniz (2016).
2) Time
Strategic information should arrive at the appropriate time for decision-
making.

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 14
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Card sorting was conducted to validate the conditions and elements identified in this framework
and the inherent conditions of the structured intelligence process (SIP). The respondents had to
organize the cards in a way that, in their opinion, made up the same set. The agreement rate was
calculated, and the results were classified according to the Kappa coefficient (Nahm et al., 2002),
as shown in Table 3.
Table 3
Card sorting results
Conditions and elements
Agreement rate
Kappa coefficient
ORG (Culture)
89%
Excellent (percentage agreement higher than 76%)
ORG (Planning)
78%
IND (Individual knowledge)
78%
INF (Anticipation)
78%
INF (Volume)
78%
TCM (Infrastructure)
89%
SIP (Arrangement)
78%
SIP (Continuity)
89%
ORG (Strategy)
67%
Moderate (percentage agreement between 75% and 40%)
ORG (Support and commitment)
56%
ORG (Leadership)
67%
IND (Sharing)
56%
IND (Profile)
56%
INF (Scanning)
67%
INF (Dissemination)
67%
TCM (Time)
44%
SIP (Formalization)
67%
-
-
Poor (percentage agreement lower than 39%)
After evaluating the results, conditions with excellent Kappa coefficient validated the proposed
element descriptions. Conditions with moderate Kappa coefficient showed ambiguous relations,
indicating that these elements descriptions should be reformulated to improve the understanding
of them. After refining the descriptions, a list of statements (Table 5) was organized to compose
the instrument of the next data collection step, the Delphi questionnaire (Appendix).

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Overall, 30 professionals answered the first and second round of the Delphi, as described in
Table 4. Wright, Silva, and Spers (2010) have indicated that a number between 15 and 30
respondents is representative, enough to generate relevant information.
Table 4
Delphi respondentes
Occupation
Number of participants
CIO or manager
8
Intelligence freelancer or consultant
7
Intelligence senior analyst
7
Intelligence graduate student
5
Intelligence researcher or professor
3
Regarding the organizational pre-adoption conditions, the most important information pointed
out by respondents is defining process objectives in advance. They also believe that when the
intelligence area or function is considered part of the organization’s strategic planning, the
activity is enhanced, which is an essential factor to be considered before its implementation. On
the other hand, respondents recognize that in practice, the first results produced from the area
justify and strengthen its strategic aspect, especially for higher hierarchical managers, recognized
as the great beneficiaries of the activity. As to organizational structure, the decentralized model
seems to make sense for the participants: more important than having a specific area, is to
stipulate beforehand who will be involved in the process and which will be the roles and
responsibilities of each one. Although they recognize that it is important to have a specific budget
for the activity, some respondents highlighted the fact that the process can start just with available
data, but it is relevant to be aware of costs for demands that may show up over time. Another
condition mentioned is the information-driven culture, which facilitates the conduction of the
process, but is not a determining factor before its adoption. However, it was recognized that when
information has strategic value within the organization, the intelligence process is more likely to
be adopted. Regarding the people involved in the process – recognized by participants as core
agents for its progress – they must have as their main attributions to promote, develop, and
reinforce the intelligence culture within the company. In this sense, it is desirable to appoint a
committee, a team or a workgroup of people in charge, who are aligned and motivated to promote
it in the company, without necessarily initiating the process. The respondents’ practical
experience indicates that the initial commitment of top management and leaders is instead a
fundamental point to initiate the intelligence process in organizations and to raise awareness
about its relevance.
Concerning the individual pre-adoption conditions, respondents recognize some fundamental
characteristics related to the person’s profile involved in intelligence activities that may affect
process success. Some skills, such as motivation and curiosity to learn, the spirit of sharing and

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 16
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analytical ability, stood out much more than a specific need for technical training to perform the
activity. It is worth mentioning that some respondents recognize that specific training on
intelligence topics should be a professional prerequisite, since the absence of this knowledge may
cause gaps in the process. However, they admit that the shortage of educational courses related
to intelligence in Brazil is one of the main reasons why the activity is learned from practice.
Regarding the channels for obtaining information, informal sources – composed of personal
relationships – seem to be essential and complementary to formal sources of intelligence and can
generate insights for future ideas.
It is crucial for the intelligence professional to have the ability to go through informal
conversations, form networks, and exchange experiences to extract pertinent information when
necessary. Considering the individual behavior inside organizational staff, it is important to
reinforce how company employees can also collaborate for the intelligence process in order to
build trust and synergy in information exchange. This awareness can be built over time, when
the process is already installed. As deliveries are made, the internal contribution with the
intelligence area enhances. For respondents, consciousness, knowledge, and willingness to adopt
the process are important, but not decisive in the stage that precedes the implementation of the
structured intelligence process.
Pre-adoption conditions related to technology had the lowest degree of agreement among
specialists. Apparently, it would be possible to succeed in the intelligence area with a basic
technological infrastructure, which includes a good computer, internet access and Microsoft
Office applications, for example. Depending on the monitoring scope and the human resources
available, outsourced services may be necessary, mainly to accelerate data collection and to reduce
engagement in operational steps, in order to prioritize the analysis step, which requires higher
human performance. These considerations are more related to the conduction of the intelligence
process than elements that should be evaluated in the pre-adoption phase. The prior definition
of the time required for each stage of the intelligence process was considered important, but not
decisive for process adoption, as many other factors influence this variable, such as availability,
scope, and resources. Respondents admit that before defining these three issues, it may be
interesting to run a complete intelligence cycle to have a more realistic perception of the time
required for each step of the process. On the other hand, one of the respondents emphasizes that
temporal planning is fundamental, so that the sense of opportunity is not lost while the
intelligence process is being executed.
The respondents’ understanding of pre-adoption conditions related to the structured intelligence
process is evident. With excellent results in the first round of Delphi, there is a high agreement
that ideally the activity must be continuous, formalized and organized to be considered a
structured process. However, in general, practitioners recognize that the intelligence process is
conducted in a discontinuous or disorganized way (organizations only perform part of the
process), and they understand that it is necessary to disseminate concepts to enhance the
continuity and sustainability of the process within the organization. Corroborating this idea, the
respondents argue that monitoring routine should be systematic, as it allows the identification of
problems and opportunities while maintaining the anticipatory focus and the recognition of weak

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 17
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signals in the environment. In their perspective, it means that the lack of continuity in the
intelligence activity may imply significant informational losses, since the high frequency of ad hoc
requests, or unplanned tasks, weakens the continuity of the strategic scanning if it happens too
often. It is true that some situations require punctual glances and specific depth, much more
tactical than strategic. However, the participants agreed that this should not be the main activity
of intelligence, as it generates disorganization and inefficiency in the process, reducing the
strategic nature and analytical capacity of the area.
To summarize the results, Table 5 presents the agreement scores about the statements given to
the participants in the questionnaire of the two Delphi rounds.
Table 5
Agreement of the conditions investigated
Questionnaire statements
1st
Delphi
2nd
Delphi
Agree-
ment
ORG (Strategy) - Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must
consider it as an important part of its strategic planning.
88%
-
YES
ORG (Culture) - Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must have
an information-driven organizational culture.
73%
72%
NO
ORG (Planning) – The adoption of the structured intelligence process requires a prior definition
of objectives.
85%
-
YES
ORG (Support) - The adoption of the structured intelligence process requires a prior definition
of the organizational structure that will be involved in it.
75%
91%
YES
ORG (Support) - The adoption of the structured intelligence process requires a prior definition
of the financial resources that will be spent in its execution.
69%
59%
NO
ORG (Commitment) - Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must
establish a committee, team or working group of people in charge, aligned and motivated to
carry out the process in the organization.
61%
78%
NO
ORG (Support) – Prior top management support is decisive for the adoption of a structured
intelligence process.
97%
-
YES
ORG (Leadership) - The structured intelligence process must define, in advance, leaders
designated and legitimized by the organization.
90%
-
YES
IND (Sharing) - The sharing of knowledge is an essential personal skill of the intelligence
professional.
90%
-
YES
IND (Profile) - Owning and using informal or individual channels is an essential personal skill of
the intelligence professional.
76%
86%
YES
IND (Profile) - Motivation to learn about relevant business environments is an essential
personal skill of the intelligence professional.
96%
-
YES
IND (Profile) - Specialized technical education is an essential prerequisite for hiring intelligence
professionals.
56%
57%
NO
Continues

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 18
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Table 5 (continued)
Questionnaire statements
1st
Delphi
2nd
Delphi
Agree-
ment
IND (Knowledge) - Employees must be previously aware that the organization will adopt a
structured intelligence process.
68%
71%
NO
IND (Knowledge) - Employees must know what a structured intelligence process is before its
adoption by the organization.
52%
62%
NO
IND (Knowledge) - Employees must be willing to adopt a structured intelligence process before
its adoption by the organization.
58%
77%
NO
IND (Knowledge) - Employees must recognize the relevance of a structured intelligence
process before its adoption by the organization.
61%
83%
YES
INF (Scanning) – A prior need for exploring external informational flows is fundamental in order
to adopt a structured intelligence process.
93%
-
YES
INF (Anticipation) – A prior need of proactively exploring the environment (in order to anticipate
opportunities and imminent risks) is fundamental in order to adopt a structured intelligence
process.
88%
-
YES
INF (Dissemination) - E-mails, reports, and dashboards are enough as structures for
intelligence dissemination.
34%
43%
NO
INF (Volume) - The volume, variety, and speed of information currently available (Big Data)
influence the adoption of a structured intelligence process.
64%
48%
NO
TCM (Infrastructure) – It is necessary to provide specific platforms and tools before adopting a
structured intelligence process.
36%
34%
NO
TCM (Infrastructure) – Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must
hire outsourced information gathering services.
34%
24%
NO
TCM (Infrastructure) - Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must
provide technological infrastructure support.
36%
29%
NO
TCM (Time) - Before adopting a structured intelligence process, the organization must define
the appropriate time for each stage of the process (planning / collection / analysis /
dissemination / evaluation).
51%
43%
NO
SIP (Continuity) - The structured intelligence process should be an ongoing task.
97%
-
YES
SIP (Continuity) - The structured intelligence process should NOT be conducted with ad hoc
requests most of the time.
56%
81%
YES
SIP (Arrangement) - The structured intelligence process must fulfill a set of well-defined steps
(planning / collection / analysis / dissemination / evaluation).
93%
-
YES
SIP (Formalization) - The structured intelligence process must have routines of problem
recognition and opportunity monitoring.
85%
-
YES
In summary, given the agreement rates from Delphi rounds, a range of questions was proposed
to the pre-adoption diagnosis in order to evaluate conditions before the intelligence process is
adopted in organizations. Data is arranged sequentially in a list presented in Table 6 to answer
this research’s objective.

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 19
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Table 6
Pre-adoption diagnostic script of the structured intelligence process
Conditions
Questions
Organizational
• Does the organization consider adopting a structured intelligence process as part of its strategic
planning?
• Does the organization's senior management support the adoption of a structured intelligence
process?
• Do the organization's main leaders support the adoption of a structured intelligence process?
• Do key decision-makers want to make decisions based on the intelligence produced?
• Is the organization aware of the goals it wants to achieve by adopting a structured intelligence
process?
• Have intelligence activities been already defined?
• Will intelligence activity be centralized (with an intelligence area) or decentralized (with people in
charge of intelligence activities in other areas of the organization)?
• Is there a person designated as the intelligence process leader, responsible for conducting the
implementation of the intelligence process?
• Is the team that will be involved in the organization's intelligence process already defined?
• Are the roles and responsibilities of each of these people already defined?
Individual
• Does the person who is going to take over the intelligence role or activity have skills like
motivation and curiosity to learn, information sharing and analytical ability?
• Does the person who is going to take over the intelligence role or activity have relational skills to
transit through informal conversations to form networks and exchange experiences?
• Do people in the organization understand the relevance of a structured intelligence process?
• Do people in the organization understand that their contribution to obtaining, sharing, and
analyzing information matters?
Informational
• Does the organization recognize that there is a necessity to explore information flows from the
organization's external environment?
• Does the organization want to monitor the external environment to identify threats in an
anticipatory way?
• Is there any information or target map (with actors and themes) that need to be monitored?
• Is there a plan of how the intelligence dissemination will be organized, relating formats, contents,
channels, and receivers?
• Is there a plan of how the information related to the intelligence process will be managed?
Structured
intelligence process
• Do the organization and the people involved understand the relevance of a structured
intelligence process?
• Do the organization and the people involved understand the importance of the continuity of the
intelligence activities?
• Do the organization and people involved understand that the high frequency of ad hoc demands
can reduce the strategic objective of the intelligence process?
• Do the organization and the people involved understand the importance of completing all stages
of a structured intelligence process (planning, gathering, analysis, dissemination, evaluation)?
• Do the organization and the people involved understand that the structured intelligence process
must include monitoring routines for systematic recognition of problems and opportunities that
emerge from the external environment?

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Using the suggested diagnostic script, organizations are expected to explore the organizational
and human conditions that allow the recognition of strengths and weaknesses to accomplish the
intelligence process, aiming at structuring or implementing it. When applied with open-ended
questions as a base to a small sample of employees and decision-makers from the same company,
the questionnaire provides more significant insights into the challenges that need to be overcome
and improved to achieve the goal of setting a structured intelligence process. When applied
quantitatively, for a larger sample of people from the same organization, the result of the
proposed questionnaire allows generating indicators that can be periodically evaluated in a survey
application. In both ways, the objective will be reached, since it will allow mapping, to a greater
or lesser extent, the issues that require attention, discussion and/or definition of actions for
implementation or better structuring of the intelligence process.
Discussion
Due to the scarcity of evaluative models present in the literature and the relevance of this previous
step pointed by some authors (Brouard, 2007; Gilad, 2016; Herring, 1999; H. Lesca, 2003; Iden
et al., 2017; Janissek-Muniz, 2016; N. Lesca et al., 2015), it was necessary to seek guidance from
experts and professionals in the intelligence market in order to gain a working knowledge of the
relevant conditions that organizations need to consider before adopting a structured intelligence
process. Given the conditions found in this review, the opinion of practitioners (thirty
professionals from intelligence areas of several industries in Brazil) was exploited in the two
rounds of Delphi to validate the literature findings and to understand what should be evaluated
before the intelligence process is adopted in organizations and what motivates companies to start
it. Employing Delphi in this study has allowed an enriching approach to capture ideas from a
group of experts and researchers with high knowledge and experience in the organizational
intelligence field.
Organizational pre-adoption conditions had the highest agreement rates among respondents. As
Luzipo et al. (2015) point out, the support of top management is a strong predictor for the
adoption of a process, and this factor is also specifically highlighted for the structured intelligence
process. Since the key decision-makers in an organization understand the strategic value that the
activity can generate, they provide the necessary support for its set-up and continuity. Therefore,
there must be, a priori, the desire of the organization and the top management to make decisions
based on information, collected and interpreted from a structured intelligence process. Likewise,
the prior choice of a leader for the intelligence process, referred to as an “animator” by H. Lesca
(2003, p. 21) and Janissek-Muniz (2016), is recognized as a central player in the stage that precedes
the adoption. This person is responsible for motivating and sensitizing employees on the
relevance of the process, promoting the organizational culture focused on sharing information,
defining those responsible for the routines, identifying the informational needs and planning the
organization’s intelligence activities.
In turn, conditions that involve individual pre-adoption conditions became more evident when
related to specific skills of the people who were conducting the intelligence process. In this sense,
the main contribution of this research was a list of characteristics that should be previously

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 21
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recognized in the human resources involved in the activity. It doesn’t mean that all characteristics
must be found in one single person, but these skills must be considered when building and
developing an intelligence team. It can be considered kind of anticipative preparation, as
mentioned by Bartes (2013), when it is necessary to review the qualification of the team working
on intelligence projects, such as cognitive style, curiosity and capacity of sharing and gathering
information from formal or informal sources, as mentioned by the respondents of this research.
When exploring the informational pre-adoption conditions, the need to manage the external
information flows emerges as a strong influence on the decision to institute an intelligence
process. The individual awareness of the leaders and the employees’ comprehension that it is
possible to identify opportunities and threats that arise in the external environment must be
diagnosed among key decision-makers and future consumers of the intelligence that will be
produced. This is crucial to produce value-added information and support strategic decisions, key
issues to maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage, as mentioned by Choo (1999) and
Tarapanoff (2006).
The need for technological infrastructure does not appear as a determining condition before the
adoption of the intelligence process, but once it is already implemented, platforms and software
can be relevant as the information management needs arise. In this sense, Big Data is recognized
as an additional source of information that needs to be managed and mined by technology to
help build the intelligence deliveries. Temporal planning for the intelligence activity was not
identified as a predictor condition to be evaluated since this can be adjusted as the cycles are
performed.
Despite the strong comprehension among respondents about what a structured intelligence
process should be (recognized by them as a continuous, organized and formalized process),
unplanned requests for information gathering still permeate company reality and may undermine
the strategic performance of the area. The intelligence process is acknowledged to be dynamic,
and unplanned requests may occur, but there must be internal awareness of how much strategic
information is lost when the activity is conducted in an unstructured and discontinuous way
through frequent ad hoc deliveries.
Given that disorganized intelligence practices are still acknowledged in companies (Borges &
Janissek-Muniz, 2017), the evaluation of the suggested conditions in the proposed diagnostic
script can help to plan the adoption of the intelligence process, to raise awareness of the people
involved or to improve the conduction of activities which are already in progress. It is important
to emphasize that, as pointed out by the respondents, the intelligence process is often
implemented without prior planning and that the evaluation of these conditions could enhance
the activity adoption and conduction by indicating the necessary adjustments. This anticipative
evaluation is an excellent indicator of the needs to reach maturity in the intelligence process and
is a great predictor of the future success of the activity. In fact, this evaluation enables the
organization to improve organizational and individual capabilities in order to perform better,
since it allows designing structures and processes that direct the firm towards continuous
improvement, innovation and change (Marino, 1996).

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 22
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Conclusions
The elements of the intelligence process identified in the Information Systems literature review,
in the Strategic Intelligence literature perspective and in the intelligence diagnostic models raised
in this work provided the theoretical background to compose a pre-adoption framework for the
structured intelligence process, since much of the literature does not focus on identifying what
motivates the adoption of a structured intelligence process (Iden et al., 2017; N. Lesca et al.,
2015).
In fact, rare are the authors who have bothered to investigate this previous step in depth, to
understand what are the external and internal conditions that motivate the adoption of the
intelligence process. Most papers found in literature deal with issues related to use, methods and
outcomes, as contributions of the process (Iden et al., 2017). Still, when looking at the few
evaluative models found in the literature, it is clear that most of them deal with issues related to
the practice of the intelligence process, but not specifically to the previous stage, when human
and organizational conditions need to be evaluated and provided in order to enhance the chances
of success of the activity in the future (Gilad, 2016). Moreover, and because models are mostly
practice-based, their construction lacks the theoretical support or basis underlying the structuring
of instruments based on scientific research results.
In general, the proposed diagnostic script fills a theoretical gap by presenting a consolidated tool
that encompasses all the conditions raised in this study. The questions allow mapping
organizational and individual issues that can be developed to increase the chances of success and
maintenance of the intelligence activity and indicate improvements to be made and opportunities
to explore in the area. After all, the more structured the intelligence process is, the more it can
generate competitive advantage for organizations (N. Lesca & Caron-Fasan, 2008).
It is also important to highlight that the objective of this work was not to discuss ways to measure
the results generated by the questionnaire, but even so, some qualitative and quantitative paths
were pointed out. This discussion deserves deepening in future research, as well as the application
of the questionnaire in specific industry segments to identify complements and even inadequacies
regarding questions.
Another suggestion is to evaluate the impact of each variable of the proposed pre-adoption
framework to understand which condition has the most significant impact on the structuring of
the intelligence process. It is also understood as a limitation of the study, that many issues were
evaluated at the same time through Delphi rounds. Despite having good adherence, another
point that can be considered as a limitation is that the questionnaire was quite long and some
participants failed to give opinions due to the time it took to answer it. Further, evaluating each
of the conditions in separate surveys would provide more productive and more specific accounts.
In addition, a larger number of respondents and a broader field of industries could further enrich
shared experiences.

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 23
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Also, considering the lack of evaluative models in the specific intelligence literature, other
diagnostic tools, from other areas of knowledge, can be used to compose new investigative
approaches. From another point of view, it is also recommended that studies using the diagnostic
models mentioned in this research can be analyzed to understand how these tools were applied
and what results and complementary discussions they generated.
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Author contributions
1st author: conceptualization (equal), formal analysis (lead), methodology (equal), writing-original draft (lead), writing-
review and editing (lead).
2nd author: conceptualization (equal), formal analysis (supporting), methodology (equal), supervision (lead), writing-
original draft (supporting), writing-review and editing (supporting).
Authors
Amanda Cainelli
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Escola de Administração
Rua Washington Luiz, 855, Centro Histórico, 90010-460, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
amanda.cainelli@ufrgs.br
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1415-5770
Raquel Janissek-Muniz
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Escola de Administração
Rua Washington Luiz, 855, Centro Histórico, 90010-460, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
rjmuniz@ufrgs.br
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0657-6559
Peer review is responsible for acknowledging an article's potential contribution to the frontiers of scholarly knowledge on business
or public administration. The authors are the ultimate responsible for the consistency of the theoretical references, the accurate
report of empirical data, the personal perspectives, and the use of copyrighted material.

Pre-adoption diagnosis of the intelligence process in organizations: A delphi study with intelligence practitioners 27
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Appendix
Delphi questionnaire
CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE PRE-ADOPTION STAGE OF A STRUCTURED INTELLIGENCE PROCESS
Identification: What is your relationship with the topic of Intelligence?
( ) Director / Manager / Coordinator of an Intelligence area
( ) Analyst / Intelligence Specialist
( ) Independent Intelligence Professional (consultant)
( ) Student of Intelligence
( ) I’m a consumer of Intelligence products in my company
( ) Other. Specify:
In which industry do you act?
Enter your email to receive the results of this round.
There will be 28 statements so that you objectively judge how much you agree with them being (1) totally disagree and (5)
totally agree. To judge each statement, you must think about which elements are important to evaluate before the
Intelligence process is implemented in order to compose a diagnostic script.
You will also be asked, if possible, to justify your response based on experiences and report any practical situations you may
have experienced in accordance with the focus of each statement.
1
2
3
4
5
Justify
1
ORG1
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
consider it as an important part of its strategic planning.
2
ORG2
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
have an information-driven organizational culture.
3
ORG3
The adoption of the structured Intelligence process requires a prior
definition of objectives.
4
ORG4
The adoption of the structured Intelligence process requires a prior
definition of the organizational structure that will be involved in it.
5
ORG5
The adoption of the structured Intelligence process requires a prior
definition of the financial resources that will be spent in its execution.
6
ORG6
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
establish a committee, team or working group of people in charge, aligned
and motivated to carry out the process in the organization.
7
ORG7
Prior top management support is decisive for the adoption of a structured
Intelligence process.
8
ORG8
The structured Intelligence process must define, in advance, leaders
designated and legitimized by the organization.
9
IND1
The sharing of knowledge is an essential personal skill of the Intelligence
professional.
10
IND2
Owning and using informal or individual channels is an essential personal
skill of the Intelligence professional.
11
IND3
Motivation to learn about relevant business Environments is an essential
personal skill of the Intelligence professional.
12
IND4
Specialized technical education is an essential prerequisite for hiring
Intelligence professionals.
13
IND5
Employees must be previously aware that the organization will adopt a
structured Intelligence process.

A. Cainelli, R. Janissek-Muniz 28
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14
IND6
Employees must know what a structured Intelligence process is before its
adoption by the organization.
15
IND7
Employees must be willing to adopt a structured Intelligence process before
its adoption by the organization.
16
IND8
Employees must recognize the relevance of a structured Intelligence
process before its adoption by the organization.
17
INF1
A prior need for exploring external informational flows is fundamental in
order to adopt a structured Intelligence process.
18
INF2
A prior need of proactively exploring the environment (in order to anticipate
opportunities and imminent risks) is fundamental in order to adopt a
structured Intelligence process.
19
INF3
E-mails, reports, and dashboards are enough as structures for Intelligence
dissemination.
20
INF4
The volume, variety, and speed of information currently available (Big Data)
influence the adoption of a structured Intelligence process.
21
TCM1
It’s necessary to provide specific platforms and tools before adopting a
structured Intelligence process.
22
TCM2
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
hire outsourced information gathering services.
23
TCM3
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
provide technological infrastructure support.
24
TCM4
Before adopting a structured Intelligence process, the organization must
define the appropriate time for each stage of the process (planning /
collection / analysis / dissemination / evaluation).
25
SIP1
The structured Intelligence process should be an ongoing task.
26
SIP2
The structured Intelligence process should not be conducted with ad hoc
requests most of the time.
27
SIP3
The structured Intelligence process must fulfill a set of well-defined steps
(planning / collection / analysis / dissemination / evaluation).
28
SIP4
The structured Intelligence process must have routines of problem
recognition and opportunity monitoring.