Competitive intelligence and other levers of brand performance

Abstract

This expedition through consumer goods companies in Vietnam aims to investigate whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences emotional intelligence (EI), which in turn engenders the chain of effects from upward influence behaviour and competitive intelligence scanning to brand performance. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach contributed to the analysis of 409 responses returned from self-administered structured questionnaires distributed to 720 middle level managers. From the findings emerged a model of brand performance and its levers such as corporate social responsibility, emotional intelligence, upward influence behaviour and competitive intelligence scanning. Ethical CSR was found to nourish a high level of emotional intelligence in the organization. Through the findings of the research, the insight into the CSR-based model of brand performance underscores the role of ethical CSR, emotional intelligence and organizationally beneficial upward influence tactics as endogenous variables in the cultivation of competitive intelligence scanning deeds in consumer goods companies in the Vietnam business context.

Keywords:

• corporate social responsibility
• emotional intelligence
• upward influence behaviour
• competitive intelligence scanning
• brand performance