Measuring competitive intelligence Network and its role on Business Performance

Changes and uncertainties have compelled a dramatic change in organizational fundamentals over the last two decades. Owing to internal and external pressures, businesses have been forced to closely track their environments in order to build awareness of opportunities and obstacles in order to stay competitive. The aim of this study is to look into the role of competitive intelligence in small and medium businesses in Iraq's Kurdistan region making business performance. However, the researchers measured the direct impact on business performance at small and medium businesses using five competitive intelligence dimensions (extensiveness' network, third-party strategy, Homophily, Issue awareness, and promotion effort). Furthermore, the researchers used competitive intelligence as a mediator to quantify its impact on business performance, allowing the analysis to explore the indirect role of competitive intelligence. To investigate the role of competitive intelligence in making business performance at small and medium businesses in Iraq's Kurdistan region, the researchers used hierarchal multiple regression and the Sobel test. However, the researchers measured the direct impact on business performance at small and medium businesses using five competitive intelligence dimensions (extensiveness network, third-party strategy, homophily, issue awareness, and promotion effort). Furthermore, the researchers used competitive intelligence as a mediator to quantify its impact on business performance, allowing the analysis to explore the indirect role of competitive intelligence. Competitive intelligence dimensions (extensiveness network, third-party strategy, homophily, issue awareness, and promotion effort) were used to assess the direct and indirect effect of competitive intelligence on business performance at small and medium businesses. Keywords— extensiveness network, Business Performance, Small and Medium enterprises.


INTRODUCTION
Knowledge is available for the preparation and execution of business operations. "Intelligence required for the creation of national and theater-level strategy, policy, and military plans and operations" is the definition of strategic intelligence. In other words, strategic intelligence is the data used to create and implement a policy, typically a grand plan or a national strategy, as defined by the government. The justification that determines a strategy, not the plan itself, is referred to as a policy (López-Robles et al. 2018). A strategy helps progress toward goals by suggesting ways to meet and/or orchestrate a large number of variables-variables that are frequently too numerous for the planner to anticipate and comprehend on their own. Dealing with foreign countries necessitates in-depth expertise, which strategic intelligence provides . Without the insights of deep expertise-dependent on detailed knowledge of threats and rewards, enemies and allies in a foreign field-a strategy is nothing more than an abstract idea, or even a flight of fancy (Granados & Velez-Langs, O2018). The more strategic intelligence there is, the better, which is why the term "strategic intelligence" should not be so ambiguous (Kumar et al. 2020). Since different business organizations are governed by competitive advantage and the struggle for survival as a result of globalization, privatization, and sections of information technology and the digital economy, entail obligations are great at making decisions, so decision-making in business organizations should be based on scompetitive intelligence Network ntific methodology, a large ISSN: 2456-7620 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.62. 50 330 number of tools, and a large number of factors. In order to grow Erbil and its organizations (Koriyow & Karugu, 2018), strategic intelligence and organizational ingenuity are needed to develop strategies for cases of repetition, impasse, and misconceptions in our organizations, as well as to identify a structure to follow up on these only competitive and accessible new horizons for business organizations . Because of modernity, researchers and academics began to understand the importance of strategic intelligence, as well as a number of definitions offered by writers and researchers who rushed to this form of intelligence, as well as diverse views of writers, scholars, and experts on the essence of strategic intelligence (Anwar, 2016). According to a comparative analysis of its dimensions and the various aspects that were based on, strategic intelligence is a job that deals with the business environment and demand, corporate identity and get sources, environmental variables, and social and technological forecasting, in order to achieve lasting and effective, gain expertise, and mental wisdom (Xuefei et al. 2018). It also deftly characterizes leaders with a promising future (prospective, reflection, organization, collaboration, and motivational ability). Because of the structure and process, they employ articles that result in good business intellectual resolutions (Abdullah et al. 2017). Strategic intelligence, according to , is the informational process by which an organization listens to the situation in order to determine the steps and activities required to achieve its goals. Citing (Anwar & Balcioglu, 2016), which intelligently describes the characteristics of leaders (prospective, systematic thinking, vision, partnership, ability to motivate employees). The versatility of this type of intelligence drew a lot of attention to this theme (adopted by a variety of countries and government institutions, as well as public and private organizations, corporations, and individuals). She now works with organisations that are addressing new challenges and risks (new mechanisms and strategic techniques to predict and plan for emergencompetitive intelligence Network s before they occur) as a result of witnessing the last decade of the twentieth century and the growth in intelligence requirements and potential (Gatibu & Kilika, 2017). Strategic intelligence was first used in military operations in the fourth century BC, when it was hired by , one of the world's most prominent military strategists, "so that a wise Commander military dominance could do things beyond the skill of the Ordinary leaders are former information, beyond knowledge outputs of wits with highlighting their value" (Demir, et al. 2020). According to Hameed and Anwar (2018), this form of intelligence is an area with a long history, but it lacks a consistent meaning and agreement. This is not to disparage the work of many of its practitioners; rather, the following points out that, considering the duration and scope of historical experience, there is much more work to be done in terms of exploring the limits and possibilities for this form of intelligence. See (Anwar & Abd Zebari, 2015) to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (Central Intelligence Agency) was the first to use this style of intelligence in the implementation of arms control agreements, and in supplying political decision makers and policy formulation, strategic intelligence, describing Agency Intelligence cycle in the process of information acquisition and transfer, and evaluated and strategize (Anwar & Ghafoor, 2017). As organizations began to realize the importance of this mode of intelligence and featured many metrics on the evolution of this intelligence, several institutions in Europe and North America began to create strategic intelligence units within organizations to provide insight to policymakers and academic training programmes on smart style intelligence (Kumar et al. 2020). Many businesses are also developing strategic intelligence, which is generated by a group of experts who provide basic advice that serves as the basis for senior management decisions on topics such as Chairperson integration with other organizations and new product development (Anwar & Surarchith, 2015). The decision-making process is difficult in circumstances where markets are experiencing substantial development in various ways (Andavar & Ali, 2020). There are new products and other withdrawal and emerging products, as well as an increase in the number of sellers or suppliers, and other factors that affect the decision in terms of products. This is a complex description of time marketing decisions since they are more complicated than any other decision taken by the Administration, and the complexity of this return to a sentence of explanations is largely dependent on the presence of variables (

II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Because of modernity, researchers and academics began to understand the importance of strategic intelligence, as well as a number of definitions offered by writers and researchers who rushed to this form of intelligence, as well as diverse views of writers, scholars, and experts on the essence of strategic intelligence (Anwar, 2016). According to a comparative analysis of its dimensions and the various aspects that were based on, strategic intelligence is a job that deals with the business environment and demand, corporate identity and get sources, environmental variables, and social and technological forecasting, in order to achieve lasting and effective, gain expertise, and mental wisdom . It also deftly characterizes leaders with a promising future (prospective, reflection, organization, collaboration, and motivational ability). Because of the structure and process, they employ articles that result in good business intellectual resolutions (Abdullah et al. 2017). Strategic intelligence, according to Yun et al. (2020), is the informational process by which an organization listens to the situation in order to determine the steps and activities required to achieve its goals. Citing (Anwar & Balcioglu, 2016), which intelligently describes the characteristics of leaders (prospective, systematic thinking, vision, partnership, ability to motivate employees). The versatility of this type of intelligence drew a lot of attention to this theme (adopted by a variety of countries and government institutions, as well as public and private organizations, corporations, and individuals). She now works with organisations that are addressing new challenges and risks (new mechanisms and strategic techniques to predict and plan for emergencompetitive intelligence Network s before they occur) as a result of witnessing the last decade of the twentieth century and the growth in intelligence requirements and potential . Strategic intelligence was first used in military operations in the fourth century BC, when it was hired by , one of the world's most prominent military strategists, "so that a wise Commander military dominance could do things beyond the skill of the Ordinary leaders are former information, beyond knowledge outputs of wits with highlighting their value" (Mehl & Le Bon, 2019). According to Hameed and Anwar (2018), this form of intelligence is an area with a long history, but it lacks a consistent meaning and agreement. This is not to disparage the work of many of its practitioners; rather, the following points out that, considering the duration and scope of historical experience, there is much more work to be done in terms of exploring the limits and possibilities for this form of intelligence. See (Anwar, 2016)  Agency Intelligence cycle in the process of information acquisition and transfer, and evaluated and strategize (Anwar & Ghafoor, 2017). As organizations began to realize the importance of this mode of intelligence and featured many metrics on the evolution of this intelligence, several institutions in Europe and North America began to create strategic intelligence units within organizations to provide insight to policymakers and academic training programmes on smart style intelligence (Caseiro & Coelho, 2019). Many businesses are also developing strategic intelligence, which is generated by a group of experts who provide basic advice that serves as the basis for senior management decisions on topics such as Chairperson integration with other organizations and new product development (Ali, 2020). The decision-making process is difficult in circumstances where markets are experiencing substantial development in various ways. There are new products and other withdrawal and emerging products, as well as an increase in the number of sellers or suppliers, and other factors that affect the decision in terms of products. This is a complex description of time marketing decisions since they are more complicated than any other decision taken by the Administration, and the complexity of this return to a sentence of explanations is largely dependent on the presence of variables (Naeini et al. 2019).
The difficulty in estimating relationships between various variables that are susceptible to shifting and switching over different time periods is usually limited to the dispersion of different sources of data and expertise, which often contain a high degree of risk and information for decision making (Anwar & Qadir, 2017). External variables can be forecasted even if the magnitude levels are high, since most categories in a single project cannot be expected. Finance Department cannot complete budget and production without expected revenue numbers, production table, or even making decisions unless marketing department sales figures are given (Anwar & Climis, 2017). There is a fact that must be understood, and that all administrative activities per initiative that are responsible for adhering to reduce Melisma, or marketing process, are responsible for the reduction and access setup bilaterally. Perhaps the problem with marketing is that decisions are seldom taken without the involvement of others (Saddhono et al. 2019). The information about this customer, in particular, Dodd is a marketing decision maker on the one hand, and marketing decision makers are recognizing this on the other. Another issue is that obtaining the necessary data and information is neither feasible nor convenient, particularly if it comes at a high cost in terms of both time and money. The collection of appropriate data and content information is important so that the outcome benefits the majority of parties, rather than teaser decisions about the consumer and how to satisfy his wants and wishes, though the decision would take antitrust regulators, stock and bond holders, and other considerations into account (Espinet & Alsina, 2017). Many multifaceted concepts are clear as a result of the various entrances to discuss the strategic decision by the book Department and researchers agreeing with many authors, like (Fanbing, 2017). Using market portals and the strategic judgment theory, also known as strategic decisions, as such decisions that dealt with its scale, complexity, and multidimensional nature. A selection of strategic alternatives that represents the best way to achieve the organization's objectives is won by fateful decisions involving areas related to growth and organization creation (Anwar & Louis, 2017). Strategic decisions, according to , are those that take into account internal and external problems and opportunities in order to promote long-term growth, which means strategic decisions that have a broad impact on the organization (Ali & Anwar, 2021 ). The strategic decision affects all aspects of the organization, not just one, and it has a long-term rather than a short-term effect. It also reflects the President's commitment to achieve the organization's main goals (Zhiyin & Jiakun, 2017 General Foundation biography in terms of the expected and unexpected factors that emerge in the world, and in the end form the Organization's actual objectives, and help draw the map, from which the Organization of function, and to exercise (López-Robles et al. 2020). As shown in the following chronological list of strategic marketing concepts, many of the meanings offered by writers and scholars on the subject of business performance were personal views on both the nature study and his approach to his topic. In the present period, extraordinary decisions are made with a high degree of importance in terms of future periods, which are based on the organization's intent by understanding how decision-making processes work, as well as creative abilities to convince internal and external environment changes (Shaitura et al. 2018). Also, (Zhiyin & Jiakun, 2017), because decisions made in the face of danger and a lack of knowledge are often erroneous, because they are made with inadequate information, and also because the law is uncertain in the future, such decisions require distinct capabilities and are more likely to be made with incomplete information. In the light of a larger picture of the company's prospects.
Decisions about the entity's management and future, as well as its climate, whether this sort of comparatively stable longterm, significant commitments or funds for deployment, and making such decisions at the top of the corporate pyramid    (Anwar, 2016). Special resolutions often include long-term commitments and acquisitions, but any error that could expose the Organization to several threats should be avoided (Hameed & Anwar, 2018). Decisions made now with a high degree of urgency, in terms of their effect on the Bank in the future stages, and focused on achieving the Bank's goal by learning how to streamline the decision-making process during which, and the professional advocate for briefing the internal environment variables (Ali, 2020). If this industry requires mental flexibility and own creative skills to identify the greatest percentage of variables influencing the manufacturing process as a result of unexpected threats, and potentially influential environmental opportunities arise in the future, and the results of these decisions have long-term success for the Organization (Anwar & Balcioglu, 2016). Non-programmed decisions necessitate long-term goals and plans, as well as dealing with emerging problems that demand hard and strategic thinking from senior management (Caseiro & Coelho, 2019). The Organization's true goals are decisions that determine the organization and direction of the General Foundation course in light of expected and uncertain factors in the world. These choices aid in the creation of a map, the distribution of resources, and the assessment of the Organization's viability (Abdullah et al. 2017). The organization's long-term objectives, as determined by a longrange strategy and a medium-range plan . Before the onset of crises, non-traditional decisions involving several dimensions and planning issues of great complexity and depth, which are impossible to address with an instant decision, are made to determine how to respond to these problems (Anwar & Balcioglu, 2016). Decisions that consider opportunities, external threats, and internal capital in order to enhance the Organization's long-term success so that it has a broad impact and lasts too long (Hameed & Anwar, 2018). The resolution of value is based on foreseeing and anticipating the Organization's future and projecting their needs to enable both data and administrative, scompetitive intelligence Network ntific, and technical capacities, and it necessitates an efficompetitive intelligence Network nt professional and managerial leadership that is well aware of what will work and perspective in the future and decided with all factors surrounding it. To assist the company in adjusting to the external environment through analysis and notification, in order to achieve a wide range of development and desired outcomes (Anwar & Ghafoor, 2017). Senior management allocates resources to adapt to the organization's environment and competing agendas in order to ensure the organization's long-term survival (Demir, et al. 2020).  Represents the organization's fundamental direction and makes job decisions based on methodology and simulation of trends and predicted external and internal dynamics. The organization's policy option, which determines the long-term pattern because it deals with non-traditional formulas and potential employment, is an example of higher-level strategic

III. METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted in Erbil's small and medium enterprises. The research looked at the perspective of competitive intelligence Network in the SMEs, specifically in private hospitals. To quantify SMEss' Business performance, the researchers used five competitive intelligence Network metrics, such as extensiveness network, Third-party technique, and Business performance, Homophily, degree of change, and promotion effort. Furthermore, the researcher used competitive intelligence as a mediator for all five independent variables to assess business performance in the SMEs. To find a competitive intelligence Network perspective in the SMEs field, the researchers used a quantitative analysis approach. A total of 130 administrative staff members from private hospitals were given the questionnaire at random. The participants in this study were 112 people from various private hospitals in Iraq's Kurdistan province. The questionnaire contained 59 things ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neutral, 4= Agree, and 5= Strongly Agree, all of which were measured using a fivepoint Likert scale ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neutral, 4= Agree, and 5= Strongly Agree.     Table 4). The value of B =.602, the value of Beta =.606, and the P-value =.000 for model (1), the direct relationship between marketing intelligence and business performance, showed that there is a strong and optimistic relationship between marketing intelligence and business performance. Model (2), which used multiple regression analysis to discover both marketing intelligence as an independent factor and competitive intelligence as a mediator factor with business performance as a dependent factor, revealed that the value of B =.611, the value of Beta =.617 with P-value.001 as an indirect relationship between marketing intelligence and business performance. The results showed that marketing intelligence and business performance have a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship, and that competitive intelligence plays a positive and significant mediating function between marketing intelligence and business performance.   (1) the direct relationship between third-party technique and Business performance, the value of B = .671, the value of Beta = .679 with P-value =.000 this indicated that there is a significant and positive relationship between third-party technique and Business performance. As for model (2) which applied multiple regression analysis to find both third-party technique as independent factor and Competitive intelligence as a mediator factor with Business performance as dependent factor, the findings showed that the value of B =.677, the value of Beta = .681 with P-value .001 as indirect relationship between third-party technique and Business performance, on the other hand the value of B =.639, the value of Beta = .643 with P-value .000 as mediation between Competitive intelligence and Business performance. The findings proved that there is a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between third-party technique and Business performance, moreover Competitive intelligence has a positive and significant mediating role between third-party technique and Business performance.   (1) the direct relationship between change assessment and Business performance, the value of B = .611, the value of Beta = .617 with P-value =.000 this indicated that there is a significant and positive relationship between change assessment and Business performance. As for model (2) which applied multiple regression analysis to find both dur change assessment as independent factor and Competitive intelligence as a mediator factor with Business performance as dependent factor, the findings showed that the value of B =.622, the value of Beta = .629 with P-value .001 as indirect relationship between change assessment and Business performance, on the other hand the value of B =.633, the value of Beta = .639 with P-value .000 as mediation between Competitive intelligence and Business performance. The findings proved that there is a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between change assessment and Business performance, moreover Competitive intelligence has a positive and significant mediating role between change assessment and Business performance.  with P-value =.000 this indicated that there is a significant and positive relationship between Issue knowledge and Business performance. As for model (2) which applied multiple regression analysis to find both Issue knowledge as independent factor and Competitive intelligence as a mediator factor with Business performance as dependent factor, the findings showed that the value of B =.591, the value of Beta = .595 with P-value .001 as indirect relationship between Issue knowledge and Business performance, on the other hand the value of B =.644, the value of Beta = .649 with P-value .000 as mediation between Competitive intelligence and Business performance. The findings proved that there is a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between Issue knowledge and Business performance, moreover Competitive intelligence has a positive and significant mediating role between Issue knowledge and Business performance.  with P-value =.000 this indicated that there is a significant and positive relationship between promotion effort and Business performance. As for model (2) which applied multiple regression analysis to find both promotion effort as independent factor and Competitive intelligence as a mediator factor with Business performance as dependent factor, the findings showed that the value of B =.691, the value of Beta = .695 with P-value .001 as indirect relationship between promotion effort and Business performance, on the other hand the value of B =.642, the value of Beta = .647 with P-value .000 as mediation between Competitive intelligence and Business performance. The findings proved that there is a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between promotion effort and Business performance, moreover competitive intelligence has a positive and significant mediating role between promotion effort and business performance. Table (13), illustrates the findings of Sobel test to find the mediation analysis, the result demonstrates the direct relationship between promotion effort and business performance, P-value =.000 this indicated that there is a significant and positive direct relationship between promotion effort and Business performance. Furthermore, P-value is .002 as indirect relationship between promotion effort and Business performance. Moreover, the results proved that there is a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between promotion effort and business performance, moreover competitive intelligence has a positive and significant mediating role between promotion effort and Business performance.

V. CONCLUSIONS
The competitive intelligence diagnosis and clarification of the outcomes, according to a high-level view of respondents, have an effect on marketing strategy decisions in Erbil's five-star small and medium enterprises. The degree attained by looking ahead and seeing the highest level, which, in the long run, provides potential marketing strategy systems and diagnoses additional opportunities before other small and medium businesses would catch up, seemed to be too large in the results. These close findings support the presence of a high stage. It is possible to comprehend effective small and medium company approaches in terms of opportunity diagnosis. The descriptive research showed a strong willingness to persuade employees of small and medium-sized businesses to believe in future vision and the ability to predict the future, which aids my ability to make sound business decisions. This finding supports a high level of foresight, insight, and strategy in small and medium businesses. According to the study, higher-level thought methodology was achieved, as well as systems that react to small and medium business management's eagerness to devote time to gather information from various sources. The findings of the investigation found that small and medium-sized business owners set aside time to collect data from various sources. The findings revealed a high degree of potential foresight. Small and medium businesses pursue marketing knowledge for strategic decisions, as well as the implementation of concrete methods in small and medium business voluntary community quota requirement material, making marketing strategy decisions easier to absorb and use. The skill manager will look at the patterns and factors for high-level performance in small and medium businesses using the high-level research findings. The findings showed a high level of motivation, with this metric indicating a willingness to pay workers to carry out small and medium firm visions and perceptions, as well as a higher level of motivation in other fields. As a business intelligence component, the findings revealed a high degree of innovation, indicating a willingness to provide creative solutions to small and medium-sized businesses' marketing issues, as well as a never-ending quest for new ways to offer small and medium-sized businesses' services. The marketing campaign choices available to small and medium-sized company management, as well as forecasting the future and providing service to small and medium-sized businesses, yielded high-level findings.
To investigate the role of competitive intelligence in determining market performance at small and medium businesses in Iraq's Kurdistan region, the researchers used hierarchal multiple regression and the Sobel test. However, the researchers measured the direct impact on market efficiency at small and medium businesses using five competitive intelligence dimensions (extensiveness network, third-party strategy, homophily, issue awareness, and promotion effort). Furthermore, the researchers used competitive intelligence as a mediator to assess its impact on business success, allowing the study to explore the indirect role of competitive intelligence.
As for the first research hypothesis, the results show a direct relationship between extensiveness network and business performance, with a P-value of.000 indicating a substantial and optimistic direct relationship between extensiveness network and business performance. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between extensiveness network and business success has a P-value of.000. Furthermore, the findings revealed a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between extensiveness network and business performance, as well as a positive and significant mediating function for competitive intelligence between extensiveness network and business performance. In terms of the second research hypothesis, the results show a direct link between third-party technique and business performance, with a Pvalue of.000 indicating that there is an important and optimistic link between third-party technique and business performance. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between third-party methodology and business results has a P-value of.001. Furthermore, the findings revealed that third-party technique and business performance have a positive and meaningful direct and indirect relationship. Competitive intelligence plays a constructive and significant role in mediating the relationship between third-party technology and business success. In terms of the third research hypothesis, the results show a direct link between change assessment and business performance, with a P-value of.000 indicating that there is an important and optimistic link between change assessment and business performance. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between change appraisal and business results has a P-value of.000. Furthermore, the findings revealed that change assessment and business performance have a positive and meaningful direct and indirect relationship. Between Homophily and business success, competitive intelligence plays a constructive and important mediating role. In terms of the fourth research hypothesis, the results show a direct relationship between Issue knowledge and Business performance, with a P-value of.002 indicating a strong and optimistic direct relationship between Issue knowledge and Business performance. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between Issue information and Business success has a P-value of.003. Furthermore, the findings revealed a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between Issue awareness and Business performance, as well as a positive and significant mediating function for Competitive intelligence between Issue knowledge and Business performance. The outcome of the fifth research hypothesis shows a direct relationship between promotion effort and business performance, with a P-value of.000 indicating an important and optimistic direct relationship between promotion effort and business performance. Furthermore, the indirect relationship between promotion effort and business success has a P-value of.002. Furthermore, the findings revealed a positive and significant direct and indirect relationship between promotion effort and business performance, as well as a positive and significant mediating function for competitive intelligence between promotion effort and business performance.