The role of local institutions in the technological trajectory of the Brazilian rice industry
International Journal of Innovation Science
ISSN: 1757-2223
Article publication date: 19 September 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the growing interest regarding the Brazilian rice industry, there is not much literature focusing on the role of the institutions in the process of technological capability accumulation and in the formation of the technological trajectories within this industry. This paper aims to discover the role of local institutions in the generation and dissemination of knowledge for creating the technological capability that can define different technological trajectories, using the Brazilian rice industry as an empirical field.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve said objective, this paper uses secondary data (documental research) and a multiple case study design based on primary empirical evidence (content analysis and direct observation) about the Brazilian rice industry.
Findings
The paper’s main contribution is the empirical application of a framework that allows us to evaluate the institutions’ roles and activities and how these capabilities evolve as the firms’ technological levels progress and the technological trajectory is formed. Regarding aspects related to public policy, the authors found some implications that are mainly related to the need to consolidate this type of institution in developing countries with the goal of strengthening its technological capabilities, allowing these countries to operate on the technological boundary and to compete with developed countries.
Originality/value
There are few attempts to relate the technological capability, technological trajectories and institutions in the Brazilian rice industry. Therefore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the novelty of this study lies in the analysis of these theoretical approaches in this industrial sector, more specifically, in the Brazilian rice industry.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Since acceptance of this article, the following author has updated their affiliation: Mônica Fitz-Oliveira is at the School of Administration, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The present study was carried out with the financial support of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/Brazil).
Citation
Tello-Gamarra, J. and Fitz-Oliveira, M. (2023), "The role of local institutions in the technological trajectory of the Brazilian rice industry", International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-01-2022-0013
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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