Luciana Marques Vieira

Willingness to try innovative food products: a comparison between British and Brazilian consumers

In this study we investigate the consumers willingness to try innovative food products in the context of the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre in Brazil and Cirencester in England, UK. Innovation in the food industry is an important source of differentiation and a value-adding opportunity for managers to develop new products. Therefore, the adoption or rejection of innovative food products becomes strategic from a market point-of-view. Using the Domain Specific Innovativeness [DSI] scale and the Food Neophobia Scale [FNS], two surveys were carried out in Brazilian and British universities with 279 and 101 respondents, respectively. Consumers were not the most inclined to adopt innovations, but they were not afraid of new foods either, especially in the UK. Managers in the food industry could be missing out on opportunities to innovate more. The results provide strategic and unique information about consumers for the food industry, aiming at supporting the development of innovative food products.

Trust and governance of global value chains: The case of a Brazilian beef processor

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer an exploratory case study comparing one Brazilian beef processors relationships supplying two different distribution channels, an EU importer and an EU retail chain operating in Brazil.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a short review of global value chains and the recent literature on trust. It gives the background to the Brazilian beef chain and presents data obtained through in‐depth interviews, annual reports and direct observation with the Brazilian beef processor, the EU importer and the retailer. The interviews were conducted with individual firms, but the analysis places them in a chain context, identifying the links and relationships between the agents of the chains and aiming to describe each distribution channel.Findings – Executive chain governance exercised by the domestic retailer stimulates technical upgrading and transferring of best practices to local suppliers. Consequently, this kind of relationship results in more trust ...

Consumer behaviour towards organic food in porto alegre: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

The aim of this study was to investigate consumers’ decision-making process, attitudes and values towards organic food throughout the employment of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, adapting the methodology from a European project. 450 consumers were interviewed at supermarkets and farmers’ markets in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Results indicate a high penetration level and very positive attitude towards organic products. Organics are believed to be healthier, tastier, more natural and environmental friendly, although being less attractive and more expensive than conventional food. Respondents from the farmers’ market represent a specific segment whose values are more oriented toward society. The findings showed an alignment between positive attitude and consumption behaviour among the surveyed consumers. The study finally contributes to the stakeholders in general, since the knowledge of the attributes more valued by consumers can help retailers to play the role of coordinators of this supply chain, stimulating producers to adhere to organic certification, helping them to upgrade their production practices and improve their income. Consumers are also benefiting from this offer in the market.

Trust and supplier-buyer relationships: an empirical analysis

This paper investigates if regional differences are able to influence trust-based relationship with suppliers. It presents the results of a survey of 338 processing plants located in Western and Asian countries using structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that supplier involvement in quality is taken for granted, but it is not related to trust or partnership. Regional differences may also affect the development of partnership in the supply chain. The two main aspects are the levels of trust and timeliness in Asian companies. These aspects bring implications for managers dealing with international supply chains.

Supply chain planning and trust: two sides of the same coin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between supply planning, trust and integration, and the influence of them on operational performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper used a survey with 335 respondents from three different industries. The paper analyzed the data with structural equation modeling. Findings – The results suggest that supply planning and trust are positively related and both influence supply integration and operational performance. At the end the paper proposed a classification for supply integration based on planning use and trust. Research limitations/implications – The sample is composed by companies from only three industries (machinery, electronics and automobile), what does not allow generalization. Practical implications – Managers are challenged to develop simultaneously supply chain planning practices and trust-based relationship within buyers and suppliers. They must pay attention to different integration drivers and use them accordingly an...

International Marketing Channels for Brazilian Beef: Comparison between Russia and the United Kingdom

This article compares the Russian and British marketing channels for Brazilian beef distribution. The results show that the framework hereby developed aids understanding of the differences and the reasons for the organizational form of these channels. The findings also show that there is a difference in the way these channels are organized to seek efficiency in their business transactions. Institutional environment attributes are able to influence the distinction between channels in terms of transaction efficiency.

Why food companies go green? The determinant factors to adopt eco-innovations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse how internal and external factors can influence on the adoption of eco-innovation by food companies. Although innovation and sustainability are relevant concepts, they are not being considered together in the literature. Hereof, eco-innovation encloses both approaches. Design/methodology/approach – A survey with 581 Brazilian companies was conducted. The structure of influential internal and external factors was analysed by an exploratory factor analysis, and the relations between groups of variables identified in the study were verified through regression analysis. Environmental capability, environmental managerial concern and human resources were internal factors investigated in this study, and regulatory and normative pressures, cooperation and government support were the external factors. Findings – Human resources was the most important internal factor, followed by environmental managerial concern and environmental capability. Collaboration was the mo...

Quality attributes of a high specification product

Purpose – High-specification food products that reach prices or expert reviews above average, results from buyer-supplier engagement in quality management. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main attributes of the coffee industry supply chain that deals with high-specification products. Coffee may be included in this category of consumption goods that has increasing importance at consumption level around the world. Several groups of high-quality food products such as wine, coffee, spirits and cheese seem to have a very similar supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – This study was based on multiple case studies. Three research techniques were used in the investigation: secondary data analysis, direct observations and interviews with coffee company’s managers and experts. The within-case and the cross-case analyses made it possible to find the main attributes of a high-specification product supply chain. Findings – The cases studies pointed out differences between the two groups of coffee sho...

The governance of fair trade system: evidence from small honey producers in Rio Grande do Sul

This paper discusses Fair Trade [FT] certification as a way to include small producers in global value chains, and identifies the main barriers for small honey produc ers from RS to meet these criteria. A new trading s ystem such as FT has been providing access for food products c oming from small farmers from developing countries. The method of this study integrates global value chain analysis and the methodology proposed by Paul (2005) to analyse FT as development projects. This study is t hree-fold: first to characterise the FT system; the n to present the role of governance by third party certifiers su ch as FLO-CERT and finally to provide empirical evidence of the main difficulties that small producers have to comply with FT, such as export and organisation cap acity. Our findings show that large retailers recently became big players in the FT system. The certification cos ts are high but can provide market access though there is a ris k of overspecialisation.

The role of food standards in international trade: assessing the brazilian beef chain

The purpose of this paper is to identify how Brazilian beef managers have responded to a rapid expansion and intensification of standards for beef exports. This issue relates to how some Brazilian beef exporters are strategically repositioning themselves in the supply chains. The literature of this study reviews global chain governance and international standards. The method uses case studies consisting of six medium and large scale beef exporters who export fresh beef to the European Union. The main findings describe the kinds of governance that stimulate upgrading and transferral of the best practices and, consequently, full compliance with mandatory standards. This study suggests that standards do matter for companies trying to increase international competitiveness. These results contribute an understanding of the Brazilian beef chain, and also of other supply chains coping with demanding and changing international markets. Managerial implications show the challenges facing Brazilian beef exporters in their efforts to sustain exports to the European Union and how they are using chain governance to improve their compliance with international standards and increase competitiveness.