Information technology for inter-organisational systems: some evidence with case studies

摘要

The evolution in inter-organizational agreements is becoming increasingly significant since the 1980s. This applies equally to the rural sector, where the need for establishing cooperation agreements between farmers and the agribusiness industry has also come to the fore. This work aims at describing, on the one hand, the situation of a growers’ association and its cooperative links with the food industry; and, on the other, the way negotiations take place whenever growers do not act in association. Information technology is a good alter-native in order to improve this kind of cooperation, as it enhances communication between the two parties and induces a sharing of added value among growers and the agribusiness industry, that is whenever this technology is implemented by farmers. Otherwise, when information technology is adopted only by industry, its bargaining power increases unilaterally.