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IAMOT2018 Paper 25

This paper aims to compare technology management initiatives in agro-based industries in Colombia and Brazil. It analyzes the role of government and regional agencies in two regions - Cauca, Colombia and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The research finds that (1) technological solutions for small agro businesses are often sub-optimal, (2) there is little room for experimentation due to survival pressures, and (3) managing risk and adapting transferred technologies is difficult. The findings have implications for policymaking and small agro-industries in developing countries.

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27 views2 pages

IAMOT2018 Paper 25

This paper aims to compare technology management initiatives in agro-based industries in Colombia and Brazil. It analyzes the role of government and regional agencies in two regions - Cauca, Colombia and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The research finds that (1) technological solutions for small agro businesses are often sub-optimal, (2) there is little room for experimentation due to survival pressures, and (3) managing risk and adapting transferred technologies is difficult. The findings have implications for policymaking and small agro-industries in developing countries.

Uploaded by

M Vridhi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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27th International Conference on Management of Technology

Birmingham, England, UK

TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES IN AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES OF


COLOMBIA AND BRAZIL: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
AGENCIES

Deycy Janeth Sánchez Preciado*


Halmstad University, SE 301 18 Halmstad, Sweden
Researcher, Grupo Modelos Regionales de Competitividad - Universidad del Cauca / CREPIC, Colombia
[email protected]

Breno Nunes
Aston Business School
Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom
[email protected]

and

David Bennett
Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
[email protected]

Purpose of the paper


This paper aims to compare and contrast some of the technology management initiatives aimed at improving
the development of agro-based rural industries in the emerging economies of Latin America.

Related work
The research complements existing studies of technology management and technology transfer in
developing countries (Hoekman et al, 2005; Abd Rahman and Bennett, 2009). Its focus is on rural and agro-
based enterprises, which are acknowledged to be a cornerstone of economic development in countries and
regions that are still in the early stages of industrialisation (da Silva et al, 2009; Lee, 2005).

Design/Methodology/Approach
For the purpose of providing a comparative analysis, two regions in Colombia and Brazil have been selected
for study. They are Cauca in the southern part of Colombia and Rio Grande do Norte in the north east of
Brazil. Desk research has been undertaken to ascertain the role of national and regional governments as well
as other agencies in promoting and assisting technology management initiatives among rural enterprises. As
supplementary empirical evidence, data have also been drawn from earlier research undertaken by the
authors in the two regions (Nunes et al, 2014; Theodorakopoulos et al, 2014).

Findings
From the study undertaken in two rural regions of Colombia and Brazil there are a number of important
findings relating to technology management and technology transfer in small-scale agro businesses.
1. Technological solutions are often sub-optimal compared with those of large companies.
2. There is little room for experimentation projects due to the continuous pressure for survival.
3. There is difficulty in managing risk (exogenous initiatives are easily rejected - sometimes legitimately as
the business environment is considered quite unique).
4. Transfer of technologies may require significant adaptation and local content.
5. There are difficulties in achieving scalability of successful technologies (e.g. through credit shortage,
lack of adequate skills, relative large investment needs, etc.)
27th International Conference on Management of Technology
Birmingham, England, UK

Research limitations
The research has been undertaken in a small number of agri-businesses in only two rural provinces of
Colombia and Brazil. The findings are therefore restricted to similar industries and regions in other
developing countries.

Practical implications
The findings have practical implications for small agro-based industries in developing countries as well as
policy making.

Originality/value of the paper


The paper is based on original desk and empirical research. It makes a contribution to the extant work on
economic development in rural economies.

* Corresponding author.

Keywords: technology management; technology transfer; rural developing economies; agro-based


industries; Colombia; Brazil.

References

Abd Rahman, A., and Bennett, D. J., (2009), Advanced manufacturing technology adoption in developing
countries: The role of buyer-supplier relationships, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol
20, No 8, pp.1099-1118.

da Silva, C.A., Baker, D., Shepherd, A.W., Jenane, C., and Miranda-da-Cruz, S., (2009), Agro-industries for
development, Rome, Italy: FAO and UNIDO

Hoekman, B.M., Maskus, K. E., and Saggi, K., (2005), Transfer of technology to developing countries:
Unilateral and multilateral policy options, World Development, Vol 33, No 10, pp 1587-1602.

Lee, D.R., (2005), Agricultural sustainability and technology adoption: issues and policies for developing
countries, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol 87, No 5, pp 1325–1334.

Nunes, B.T.S., Bennett, D.J., and Júnior, S.M., (2014), Sustainable agricultural production: An investigation
in Brazilian semi-arid livestock farms, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol 64, No 1, pp 414-425.

Theodorakopoulos, N., Bennett, D.J., and Sanchez Preciado, D.J., (2014), Intermediation for technology
diffusion and user innovation in a developing rural economy: A social learning perspective,
Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Vol 26, Nos 7-8, pp 645-662.

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