Mutual commitments in transactions of horticultural products in the Serra Fluminense

• Autor(a) principal: Mozambani, Carlos Ivan
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Souza Filho, Hildo Meirelles de, Miranda, Bruno Varella
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Administração de Empresas
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.fgv.br/rae/article/view/79717
• topic: Economic organization; coordination of transactions; family farming; horticultural products; hybrid forms; Organización económica; coordinación de transacciones; agricultura familiar; hortalizas; formas híbridas; Organização econômica; coordenação de transações; agricultura familiar; produtos hortícolas; formas híbridas

This article aims to identify the factors that explain the establishment of mutual commitments between the smallholders growing horticultural products and their buyers in the Brazilian region of Serra Flu­minense. It uses the theoretical framework of transaction cost economics to analyze 567 transactions performed by a sample of smallholders in seven Brazilian municipalities. The empirical study departs from previous research in constructing a variable that captures two types of transactions; in the first type, the buyer provides inputs or technical assistance to the farmer, whereas no such commitment exists in the second. The descriptive statistics and a logit model show that the “with mutual commitment” tran­sactions are associated with a higher level of asset specificity and a broad set of coordination routines. Further, the building of trust emerges as a fundamental coordination mechanism, even in the “without mutual commitment” transactions.