ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY AND INNOVATION IN THE BRAZILIAN AGRIBUSINESS:
A STUDY WITH RURAL PRODUCERS INTEGRATED INTO A MULTINATIONAL AGRIBUSINESS COMPANY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18226/23190639.v13n1.08Keywords:
InnovationAbstract
This article aimed to analyze the absorptive capacity of rural producers based on the scale proposed by Flatten et al. (2011). The agribusiness sector is responsible for a large share of economic activity in Brazil, particularly in the state of Santa Catarina, where this study was conducted with rural producers operating in an environment characterized by uncertainty and constant transformation.
The research adopted a quantitative, exploratory–descriptive approach and was operationalized through a survey. The final sample consisted of 63 rural producers integrated into a multinational agribusiness company. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques and exploratory factor analysis.
The results indicate that rural producers possess absorptive capacity, which was confirmed through the statistical analyses performed. It was observed that producers are willing to seek information from both internal and external sources, as well as to encourage their employees to engage in information-seeking activities. As outcomes of knowledge acquisition and assimilation, employees are able to apply new knowledge practically in their work and promote innovation.
Finally, the application of the research confirmed that the absorptive capacity measurement scale proposed by Flatten et al. (2011) can be considered appropriate for the sample of rural producers analyzed in this study. The findings are relevant to the Brazilian social context and to agribusiness management, and they reinforce the need to adopt practices of knowledge acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and application to foster innovation in rural properties.
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