Tecnologia de informação e estratégias de produtores rurais: um estudo multicaso em Uberaba, MG

Abstract

Strategy is a concept that serves as an underground for other important ones in the organizational life and the decision process, as politics, plans, programs, objectives and goals. The strategies elaboration process and the strategically alignment are linked to the organization-environment adjustment, that leads to the getting and holding ofa sustainable competitive position. The use of Information Technology (IT) for the obtaining, processing and information distribution and the use of agribusiness chain as a "meso" environment analysis, constitute important tools in the strategies elaboration and alignment, even inside the firm as in relation to the chain (system). This study seeks to identify the strategies process and alignment ofthe com and soybean producers of Uberaba, city located in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil, emphasizing on the IT use and its knowledge and relationship with the chain agents influences. The methodology used was based on a quahtative research, by means of an exploratory, descriptive approach and a comparative multicase study. It was realized the studied region and the chain characterization describing the environment in which the producers are inserted, dealing with the knowledge, the real relationships and the IT use by the agribusiness chain agents; the technical, economical and managerial profile identification of the producers, in order to obtain the typical profiles in the studied place and, after that, four ofthem were selected for the comparativemulticase study. These ones were compared wkhin them and also in relation to the chain. It was verified that the agents understanding of the terminologies related to agribusiness is fragmented and biased; the relationships and the knowledge among agents are directed to the production segment and in the information dynamics it exists more emphasis on the technical aspects than the economical ones. It was observed, among the cases, that the best combination (synthesis) between deliberation (intention) and flexibility, adaptation and inturtion provided a best strategic alignment, environment-organization adjustment and a more sustainable competitive position; that a conceptual understanding was related to more deliberation, more cleamess in the aims and goals, with the producers profile,with the strategic alignment and environment-organization adjustment.