Interorganizational Relationships in the Amazon Biotech Industry Based on Entrepreneurs´ Perceptions

Mafra, Rosana Zau; Lasmar, Dimas José; Vilela, Dalton Chaves

doi:10.1590/1982-7849rac2019190056

home Sumário navigate_before Anterior Atual Seguinte navigate_next

home Sumário

Articles • Rev. adm. contemp. 23 (05) • Sep-Oct 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-7849rac2019190056 linkcopy

Interorganizational Relationships in the Amazon Biotech Industry Based on Entrepreneurs´ Perceptions

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The process of industrial restructuring has adopted different types of relationships in order to guarantee the organizations survival and development. Bioindustry requires high technical-scientific investments that are obtained through partnerships. These collaborative relationships, however, have been challenging in Brazil. In the Amazon context, where value adding in the use of biodiversity resources bears high importance for regional sustainable development, studies point to difficulties of interaction between bioindustry firms, university, and government. Against this backdrop, this research analyzes the perception of entrepreneurs operating in the Amazon bioindustry regarding the inter-organizational relationships. Qualitative research was carried out with thirteen firms, collecting data based on network pictures, complemented with semi-structured interviews. The study identified that attributes such as friendship and trust are primary factors in the relationships, and that the complementarity of resources is the main reason to establish partnerships. However, the findings suggest that inter and intra-sectorial relationships in this Amazon bioindustry are far behind what is recommended in literature to affirm the existence of a business network. Therefore, the study points out the need for strategic actions to approximate these actors in bioindustry.

Keywords:
Amazon bioindustry; inter-organizational relationships; business network; network

Bioindustry sector	Firm	Characteristics
Industrial biotechnology	BI01	The firm is a spin-off established in 2016. It produces enzymes for molecular biology and develops enzyme cocktails from microorganisms (selected fungi and strains) of the Amazon biodiversity to be applied in industrial processes such as the production of ethanol, detergents, and clarification of juice and flavor enhancement.
Industrial biotechnology	BI02	Micro-enterprise established in 2006. It produces Taq polymerase enzymes (polymerizes DNA from aquatic thermophiles) and Pfu polymerase (Pyrococcus furiosus). These enzymes expand the DNA when in high temperatures. The firm holds the expertise of replicating such enzymes.
Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical	FC03	Large national firm established in Manaus in 2014. It produces allopathic medicines (tablets and capsules) for human use in different categories of diseases (oncology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, infectology, dermatology, and general practice). The production includes generic and branded medicine, OTC (over-the-counter) medication and medicine for hospital use.
Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical	FC04	A small firm created in 2013. It markets pharmaceutical products and produces drugs through the manipulation of chemical inputs (also known as the magistral market).
Animal health	SA05	A spin-off, created in 2016. It produces animal protein from the cultivation and processing of insect larvae from the Amazon as an alternative to the animal feed industry using organic waste.
Animal health	SA06	Microenterprise created in 2009. The firm provides animal protein and operates in issues of animal health (prevention and treatment), including diagnostics, laboratory tests, and monitoring. It performs artificial insemination and conducts training on genetic improvement in bovine herds through the technique of artificial insemination and good management practices.
Biotechnology and related services	SB07	Spin-off established in 2016. The firm operates in the service of research and extraction of bioactive substances from the non-timber flora of the Amazon biodiversity. These substances can be used by the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industry, including the area of phytopharmaceuticals and cosmetics, depending on the demand.
Biotechnology and related services	SB08	Microenterprise created in 2007. It offers microbiological analysis services (typing of pathogenic microorganisms) to verify the presence of contaminants, for example, in water, air, effluents, food, among other products and environments.
Agricultural biotechnology	BA09	Microenterprise created in 2016. It produces bio-fertilizer from fish waste. The firm holds a patent for the production of bio-fertilizer, biogas, and organic fertilizer.
Agricultural biotechnology	BA10	Microenterprise established in 2003. It produces and sells flowers, cutting foliage, and seedlings (fruit, ornamental, native), using tissue culture techniques (micro-propagation and somatic embryogenesis).
Functional foods and beverages	AL11	Microenterprise created in 2016. It provides food from the functional gastronomy whose preparations replace the common ingredients for bakery and general cooking, such as eggs, wheat flour, sugar, thickeners, and dyes.
Functional foods and beverages	AL12	Microenterprise created in 2005. It produces distilled beverages from plant extracts and fruits native or adapted from Amazon biodiversity.
Environment	MA13	Founded in 1994, it offers industrial waste treatment services and performs the re-refinement of used and contaminated lubricant oil, among other activities.

Dimension	Objectives	Source
Structure and boundaries (actors, nature)	It seeks to identify in how many relationships a bioindustry firm is involved in the processes of supply and demand of goods and services, identifying the nature of these relationships (whether public or private, for example). These constructs allow identifying the boundaries or horizons perceived by the entrepreneurs.	Oliver (1990); Henneberg et al. (2006); Leek and Mason (2009).
Positioning / Power / Personal positioning / Attributes	Intends to identify whether the firms consider there is a focal firm or maybe a focal relation in this industry; whether the inter-organizational relationship involves power or relationship of dependency; whether there are links that may be correlated as the different parts depend on each other; and which attributes matter in a relationship (such as trust, friendship, experience, and size).	Granovetter (1973); Powell, Koput e Smith-Doerr (1996); Maskell (2001), Bagdoniene e Zilione (2009), Henneberg et al. (2006); Leek e Mason (2009); Ramos e Ford (2011); Connelly, Crook, Combs, Ketchen, e Aguinis (2018).
Activities / Resources /	It aims to identify specific roles or activities in the Amazon bioindustry relationships, as well as resources traded and the reasons for the interaction.	Oliver (1990); Håkansson (2006); Henneberg et al. (2006); Ramos e Ford (2011); Billitteri et al. (2013); Fernald, Pennings e Claassen (2015); Howard, Steennsma, Lyles e Dhanaraj (2016); Gomes et al. (2017); Fischer, Schaeffer e Vonortas (2019); Costa, Florencio, and Oliveira (2018).
Environment and dynamic	It seeks to identify forces that escape the action of the entrepreneur, but influence the activities of the firm and the evolution of its relationships. It also aims to identify the time horizon perceived for the firm's business in the bioindustry (for example, intent to exploit a long-term business opportunity). Other elements are considered in the relationships in this industry, such as aspirations, problems, and uncertainties).	Henneberg et al. (2006), Leek and Mason (2009); Ramos and Ford (2011), Hoffman, Reyes, Danda, and Veloso (2016), Czakon and Kawa (2018).

Nature of organizations	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Nature of organizations	BI01	BI02	FC03a	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09a	BA10	AL11	AL12a	MA13a
STIs	3	3		3	3	1	3	3	3	2	1	2
Governmental agencies				1	1	4			3	8	2	2
Private firms - horizontal or vertical partnerships		2	4		1	1			4	1		3
Group (suppliers; clients; professionals) and associations/networks/ class organizations	6	1	1	1	2	3	6	3	1	3	8	2	2
Total	9	6	5	5	7	9	9	6	11	14	11	9	2

Attributes	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Attributes	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Friendship ties										X	X
Professional ties				X		X			X	X
Academic ties	X	X			X		X	X		X
Trust	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X				X
Commitment						X					X
Competence, academic degree						X				X
Proximity/geographical location					X				X
Business language/vision of future			X								X
Service quality										X
Culture						X
Other (resource for research; modern equipment; experience in partnerships; potential for technology transfer)			X

Activities/resources	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Activities/resources	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Infrastructure	x		x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Inputs acquisition	x		x			x			x	X	x	x	x
Acquisition of raw material	x				x		x		x	X	x	x	x
Services in general										X		x	x
Human resources	x		x		x
Knowledge/research results/technology	x			x	x		x		x		x
Economic subsidies			x									x
Technology transference			x
Licensing			x
Technical assistance						x
Legal matters										X
Event/publicizing the product											x		x

Environment and dynamic	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Environment and dynamic	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Need of financing/capital	X								X
Tradeoff between laboratory and management	X	X
Bureaucracy/normative aspects		X			X					X
Tax incentives (Manaus Free Zone)			X
Narrates/illustrates present situations	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates past situations		X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates future situations	X		X	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the local market	X	X	X	X	X	X	X			X			X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the national market	X	X	X	X			X			X			X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the international market									X			X

vertical_align_top show_chart

more_horiz close
- image
- translate
- link
- article
- vertical_align_top
- file_download
- show_chart
- image
- translate
- link
- article

location_on

Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração Rua Carneiro Leão, 825,, CEP 87014-010, Maringá, PR/Brasil, Tel. (55 44) 3354-8545 - Maringá - PR - Brazil
E-mail: rac@anpad.org.br

rss_feed Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[TFN8] Note. Symbols for firms are based on the bioindustry sectors' name in Portuguese.

[2] Source: Field research, 2017 and 2018.