Asset specificity, intensity of coordination, and the choice of hybrid governance structures

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the existence of asset specificity and the architecture of the hybrid governance structures adopted by horticultural smallholders from the Brazilian region of Serra Fluminense. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a negative binomial regression model to analyze 567 transactions carried out by horticultural smallholders from the Brazilian region of Serra Fluminense. Starting from the insights of Oliver Williamson’s transaction cost economics, an indicator is constructed with the goal to capture the degree of intensity of coordination from the adoption of diverse bundles of coordination mechanisms in a governance structure. Findings The results show that higher levels of human and physical asset specificity affect the intensity of coordination of the transactions in the sample, leading to the adoption of hybrid forms with more complex bundles of coordination mechanisms. Research limitations/implications This paper adds to a growing literature that studies the architecture of complex governance structures. However, its empirical conclusions are exploratory. Originality/value The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, quantitative empirical studies that analyze the diversity of hybrid forms in the same industry are relatively rare. This contribution also presents a theoretical discussion that might inform scholars dealing with similar research challenges.

Extensão Universitária E Políticas Públicas Para Agricultura Sustentável Em Comunidades Tradicionais

“…Se os seus valores estiverem vinculados ao que espera o consumidor, isso pode gerar maior procura e agregação de valor aos alimentos produzidos. Um dos mecanismos mais eficazes para tal abordagem é a certificação, conferindo ao produto selos regionais e especificações que garantam a procedência e as normatizações dos bens (Souza-Filho et al, 2019).…”

The role of public–private coordination: the case of sweet cherries in Argentina 2000–2020

“…The different equilibria in these two value chains can be explained by the presence of specific investments (asset specificity) with high-transaction costs and the different stages in the product life cycle, which are mutually reinforcing (Williamson, 1975, 1985; Heil et al. , 1991, Meirelles de Souza Filho and Varella Miranda, 2019). Asset specificity and transaction costs are also present in the apple and pear industry, but they are not as relevant as in cherries.…”

Organizing knowledge transfer between university and agribusiness firms

“…The first complexity that scholars encounter when studying this sector lies in the lack of a single definition of the sector's boundaries. The terms agri-food or agrofood (Baregheh et al, 2014;Dasgupta et al, 2015;de Souza Filho & Miranda, 2019;El Bilali, 2019;Grandori, 2015) are commonly used to indicate the sector of agricultural productions of food. In this study, we decided to focus our attention on the wider concept of agribusiness sector, comprehending all the business activities performed 'from farm to fork' (FAO, 2017) in order to ensure the identification of the largest number of variables that influence innovation in the sector.…”