Perceived Usefulness Of Open Source Information In The Arabic Language For An Organization: A Case Study

The Case Study assesses the method by which theoretical concepts associated with collection and use of information on competition may be put into practice so as to enable the beneficiary organization having interests in countries in the MENA region3 get advantage of the best business intelligence services provided based on open sources# available in Arabic language for top management decision-making. This study aimed to follow a three-month long evolution of a crisis in an organization reflected in the Arabic mass media in a country in which an organization has business interests. Articles and reviews making references to the analyzed crisis have been translated and analyzed. The materials were assessed and summarized and then the organization was provided with two information newsletters on this topic. After disseminating and discussing the content of informative newsletters within an organization, we asked its decision makers to fill out a feedback questionnaire and later in-depth interviews were held with the members of the board of directors aimed to establish the perceived usefulness of business intelligence for strategic decision-making. The study conclusions emphasize that business intelligence products obtained from open sources in Arabic language in countries where organizations have business interests may contribute to a great extent to supporting strategic decision-making. Also, the costs of obtaining this type of information are quite high as a huge amount of information must be translated and then analyzed and summarized. These activities require the use of qualified and experienced personnel.