Competitive Intelligence aims to provide organizations with valuable insights and strategic information to gain a competitive advantage. In particular, in the process of understanding and interpreting competitors’ strategies in the tourism sector, managers can utilize tools that range from basic ones, such as direct observation of establishments or simply reading reviews and online content generated by customers, to more advanced ones based on massive internet data downloads, text mining, and social network analysis as big data techniques. In this sense, the growing development of internet platforms that collect user ratings and opinions offers great opportunities for research and their application in tools for strategic decision-making.
Therefore, the general objective I would like to pursue with the master’s student is to develop an analysis and competitive intelligence model for hotel establishments based on an integrated model of text mining and co-word analysis. To achieve this goal, the intention is to adapt the recently proposed competitive intelligence model for the hotel sector by Köseoglu et al. (2021), replacing the proposed text-net analysis with strategic mapping representation and the dynamic approach inherent in co-word analysis, a methodology derived from Bibliometrics in which the requesting professor has proven expertise and whose validity is sufficiently demonstrated for exploring the conceptual structure of information contained in large volumes of data.
- Literature Review: Conducting a comprehensive review of relevant literature on competitive intelligence in the tourism sector to identify existing research gaps and establish a theoretical foundation for the project.
- Data Collection: Designing and implementing strategies for data collection, which may include surveys, interviews, observations, or secondary data analysis such as online reviews, to gather information on competitive intelligence practices in the tourism industry. Also, it would be necessary to identify and evaluate existing competitive intelligence practices in the tourism sector, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and potential areas of improvement.
- Data Analysis: Applying appropriate analytical techniques, such as statistical analysis or content analysis, to analyze the collected data and derive meaningful insights related to competitive intelligence in the tourism sector.
- Report Writing: Prepare reports or research papers summarizing the research objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions, adhering to academic writing standards and guidelines.
- Dissemination of Findings: Collaborating with the project team to disseminate research findings through publications, presentations, and potentially at conferences or seminars or other appropriate channels to contribute to the scientific community and industry practitioners.
Research Skills: Conducting thorough literature reviews, gathering relevant data, and analyzing research findings; Data Analysis: Utilizing statistical tools and techniques to analyze and interpret data related to competitive intelligence in the tourism sector; Critical Thinking: Assessing and evaluating the validity and reliability of research findings and drawing logical conclusions.
Compensation:
Erasmus + grant available depending on eligibility criteria of your home university
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
