THE LEARNING PROCESS IN HORIZONTAL NETWORKS OF THE AGRIBUSINESS RETAIL CHAIN: AN ANALYSIS FROM THE STRATEGIES, METHODS AND EVOLUTIVE STAGES PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This research has as focus the study of the learning in two horizontal networks in to agribusiness retail segment. This link plays a dominant role in the process that defines the choices of the other companies and suppliers (other links) that participate in these interorganizacional relationships. In this way, the objectives of this article are: (i) to identify
the individual learning strategies adopted by the organizations that participate in the analyzed horizontal networks; (ii) to identify how the companies in the horizontal networks learn (the learning method) and; (iii) to verify in which evolutionary status of interorganizacional
learning the researched companies are. This research is characterized as qualitative and exploratory nature and the adopted method is the multiple cases study. The results revealed the existence of differences among the strategies, the methods and the evolutionary status of interorganizacional learning adopted by the companies in the studied networks. These
differences can be derived from participation of an external coordinator and of the existence of a joined actions and attitudes planning process. In the net where there is an external coordinator we can identify a collaborative behavior. The interactive learning method is used in this net and the evolutionary stage is characterized as re-orientation. In the net where has not an external coordinator we identify a strategic behavior that leads to avoidance and commitment that leads to competition. The learning methods used in this net are active learning and passive learning and the evolutionary stage is characterized as convergent.