IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v119y2020icp522-539.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Differentiation strategies in agribusiness – A configurational approach

Author

Listed:
  • Brenes, Esteban R.
  • Ciravegna, Luciano
  • Acuña, Joseph

Abstract

This paper uses a configurational perspective to examine high perceived value differentiation strategies of agribusiness in Latin America. Relying on information collected through interviews and a survey conducted with 200 firms, we explore the elements of the differentiation strategies adopted by the firms in this empirical context. We apply fsQCA to uncover asymmetric, complex causality. The findings provide interesting insights for scholars and practitioners alike, illustrating the strategic initiatives that the surveyed firms pursue to obtain higher perceived value than their competitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Brenes, Esteban R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Acuña, Joseph, 2020. "Differentiation strategies in agribusiness – A configurational approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 522-539.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:119:y:2020:i:c:p:522-539
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.07.048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632030504X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.07.048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Philip Stiles, 2001. "The Impact of the Board on Strategy: An Empirical Examination," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 627-650, July.
    2. Tarmo Räty & Anne Toppinen & Anders Roos & Maria Riala & Anders Q. Nyrud, 2016. "Environmental Policy in the Nordic Wood Product Industry: Insights Into Firms’ Strategies and Communication," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 10-27, January.
    3. Mohammed Shahedul Quader & Shanewaz Mahmood Sohel, 2018. "Strategic Brand Experience To Differentiate B2b Service Offering: A Case Study Analysis," Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa, vol. 23(1), pages 49-82.
    4. Valentina Marano & Peter Tashman & Tatiana Kostova, 2017. "Escaping the iron cage: Liabilities of origin and CSR reporting of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(3), pages 386-408, April.
    5. Saurabh Bansal & Mahesh Nagarajan, 2017. "Product Portfolio Management with Production Flexibility in Agribusiness," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 65(4), pages 914-930, August.
    6. Dani Rodrik, 2006. "What's So Special about China's Exports?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Mohua Zhang & Dwight Merunka, 2014. "The Use of Territory of Origin as a Branding Tool," Post-Print hal-01822318, HAL.
    8. Brenes, Esteban R. & Montoya, Daniel & Ciravegna, Luciano, 2014. "Differentiation strategies in emerging markets: The case of Latin American agribusinesses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 847-855.
    9. Nan Zhou & Mauro F. Guillén, 2015. "From home country to home base: A dynamic approach to the liability of foreignness," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(6), pages 907-917, June.
    10. Somayeh Tohidyan Far & Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, 2019. "Multifunctional agriculture: an approach for entrepreneurship development of agricultural sector," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, December.
    11. Claessens, Stijn & Djankov, Simeon & Fan, Joseph P. H. & Lang, Larry H. P., 2003. "When does corporate diversification matter to productivity and performance? Evidence from East Asia," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 365-392, July.
    12. Ciravegna, Luciano & Kuivalainen, Olli & Kundu, Sumit K. & Lopez, Luis E., 2018. "The antecedents of early internationalization: A configurational perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1200-1212.
    13. Ciravegna, Luciano & Brenes, Esteban R., 2016. "Learning to become a high reliability organization in the food retail business," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4499-4506.
    14. Ragin, Charles C., 2000. "Fuzzy-Set Social Science," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226702773, September.
    15. Pelin Demirel & Mariana Mazzucato, 2012. "Innovation and Firm Growth: Is R&D Worth It?," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 45-62, January.
    16. Stewart Thornhill & Roderick E. White, 2007. "Strategic purity: A multi‐industry evaluation of pure vs. hybrid business strategies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 553-561, May.
    17. Kuwayama, Mikio & Rosales V., Osvaldo, 2012. "China y América Latina y el Caribe: hacia una relación económica y comercial estratégica," Libros de la CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 2598 edited by Cepal.
    18. Schneider, Martin R. & Eggert, Andreas, 2014. "Embracing complex causality with the QCA method: An invitation," jbm - Journal of Business Market Management, Free University Berlin, Marketing Department, vol. 7(1), pages 312-328.
    19. Bianchi, Constanza & Mingo, Santiago & Fernandez, Viviana, 2019. "Strategic management in Latin America: Challenges in a changing world," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 306-309.
    20. Gibbon, Peter, 2001. "Upgrading Primary Production: A Global Commodity Chain Approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 345-363, February.
    21. Martin, Silvia L. & Javalgi, Rajshekhar (Raj) G. & Ciravegna, Luciano, 2020. "Marketing capabilities and international new venture performance: The mediation role of marketing communication and the moderation effect of technological turbulence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 25-37.
    22. Brenes, Esteban R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Pichardo, Caleb A., 2019. "Managing institutional voids: A configurational approach to understanding high performance antecedents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 345-358.
    23. Wolfgang Ulaga & Andreas Eggert, 2006. "Value-Based Differentiation in Business Relationships: Gaining and Sustaining Key Supplier Status," Post-Print hal-00482456, HAL.
    24. Boehlje, Michael & Gray, Allan W. & Detre, Joshua D., 2005. "Strategy Development in a Turbulent Business Climate: Concepts and Methods," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 8(2), pages 1-20.
    25. Sean M. Dougherty & Octavio R. Escobar, 2019. "What policies to combat labour informality? Evidence from Mexico," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(38), pages 4176-4190, August.
    26. José Calvo, 2006. "Testing Gibrat’s Law for Small, Young and Innovating Firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 117-123, March.
    27. Grabs, Janina & Kilian, Bernard & Hernandez, Daniel Calderon & Dietz, Thomas, 2016. "Understanding Coffee Certification Dynamics: A Spatial Analysis of Voluntary Sustainability Standard Proliferation," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 19(3), pages 1-26, August.
    28. Carneiro, Jorge & Brenes, Esteban R., 2014. "Latin American firms competing in the global economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 831-836.
    29. Ciravegna, Luciano & Majano, Sara B. & Zhan, Ge, 2014. "The inception of internationalization of small and medium enterprises: The role of activeness and networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1081-1089.
    30. Antonio Juan Briones Peñalver & Juan Andrés Bernal Conesa & Carmen de Nieves Nieto, 2018. "Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in Spanish Agribusiness and Its Influence on Innovation and Performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 182-193, March.
    31. Cuneo, Andres & Milberg, Sandra J. & Alarcon-del-Amo, Maria del Carmen & Lopez-Belbeze, Pilar, 2019. "Private label and manufacturer brand choice in a new competitive reality: Strategic directions and the future of brands," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 117-128.
    32. Marta Fernández-Olmos & Natalia Dejo-Oricain & Jorge Rosell-Martínez, 2016. "Product differentiation strategy and vertical integration: an application to the DOC Rioja wine industry," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(5), pages 796-809, September.
    33. Reardon, Thomas & Barrett, Christopher B., 2000. "Agroindustrialization, globalization, and international development: An overview of issues, patterns, and determinants," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 195-205, September.
    34. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    35. Wagemann, Claudius & Buche, Jonas & Siewert, Markus B., 2016. "QCA and business research: Work in progress or a consolidated agenda?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 2531-2540.
    36. Dhamvithee, Pisit & Shankar, Bhavani & Jangchud, Anuvat & Wuttijumnong, Phaisarn, 2005. "New Product Development in Thai Agro-Industry: Explaining the Rates of Innovation and Success in Innovation," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20.
    37. Miguel Sz�kely & Pamela Mendoza, 2015. "Is the Decline in Inequality in Latin America Here to Stay?," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 397-419, August.
    38. Julian M Alston, 2018. "Reflections on Agricultural R&D, Productivity, and the Data Constraint: Unfinished Business, Unsettled Issues," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(2), pages 392-413.
    39. Borda, Armando & Geleilate, José-Mauricio G. & Newburry, William & Kundu, Sumit K., 2017. "Firm internationalization, business group diversification and firm performance: The case of Latin American firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 104-113.
    40. Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro & Ciravegna, Luciano & Melgarejo, Mauricio & Lopez, Luis, 2018. "Home country uncertainty and the internationalization-performance relationship: Building an uncertainty management capability," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 209-221.
    41. Jie Chen & John Rizzo, 2012. "Pricing dynamics and product quality: the case of antidepressant drugs," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 279-300, February.
    42. Linton, Gabriel & Kask, Johan, 2017. "Configurations of entrepreneurial orientation and competitive strategy for high performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 168-176.
    43. repec:ucp:bkecon:9780226702766 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Saridakis, George & Georgellis, Yannis & Muñoz Torres, Rebeca I. & Mohammed, Anne-Marie & Blackburn, Robert, 2021. "From subsistence farming to agribusiness and nonfarm entrepreneurship: Does it improve economic conditions and well-being?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 567-579.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brenes, Esteban R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Pichardo, Caleb A., 2019. "Managing institutional voids: A configurational approach to understanding high performance antecedents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 345-358.
    2. Brenes, Esteban R. & Ciravegna, Luciano & Pichardo, Caleb A., 2016. "Examining the strategy-performance link of Latin American businesses – a configurational approach," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 20(3), December.
    3. Brenes, Esteban R. & Montoya, Daniel & Ciravegna, Luciano, 2014. "Differentiation strategies in emerging markets: The case of Latin American agribusinesses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 847-855.
    4. Luciano Ciravegna & Federica Nieri, 2022. "Business and Human Rights: A Configurational View of the Antecedents of Human Rights Infringements by Emerging Market Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 431-450, August.
    5. Federica Nieri & Luciano Ciravegna & Ruth V. Aguilera & Elisa Giuliani, 2019. "Larger, more internationalized, better behaved? A configurational study of em erging market multinational enterprises' involvement in corporate wrongdoing," Discussion Papers 2019/255, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    6. Juan M. Gil-Barragan & María José López-Sánchez, 2021. "The Fast Lane of Internationalization of Latin American SMEs: A Location-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Anna Salonen & Harri Terho & Eva Böhm & Ari Virtanen & Risto Rajala, 2021. "Engaging a product-focused sales force in solution selling: interplay of individual- and organizational-level conditions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 139-163, January.
    8. Sarianna M. Lundan & Jiatao Li, 2019. "Adjusting to and learning from institutional diversity: Toward a capability-building perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(1), pages 36-47, February.
    9. Zhang, Jianhong & Jiang, Jiangang & Noorderhaven, Niels, 2019. "Is certification an effective legitimacy strategy for foreign firms in emerging markets?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 252-267.
    10. Eduardo Duque‐Grisales & Javier Aguilera‐Caracuel & Jaime Guerrero‐Villegas & Encarnación García‐Sánchez, 2020. "Does green innovation affect the financial performance of Multilatinas? The moderating role of ISO 14001 and R&D investment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3286-3302, December.
    11. Boddewyn, Jean J. & Peng, Mike W., 2021. "Reciprocity and informal institutions in international market entry," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(1).
    12. Russo, Ivan & Confente, Ilenia & Gligor, David M. & Autry, Chad W., 2016. "To be or not to be (loyal): Is there a recipe for customer loyalty in the B2B context?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 888-896.
    13. Buitrago R., Ricardo E. & Barbosa Camargo, María Inés, 2021. "Institutions, institutional quality, and international competitiveness: Review and examination of future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 423-435.
    14. Sharma, Amalesh & Moses, Aditya Christopher & Borah, Sourav Bikash & Adhikary, Anirban, 2020. "Investigating the impact of workforce racial diversity on the organizational corporate social responsibility performance: An institutional logics perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 138-152.
    15. Anna Kwiotkowska & Radosław Wolniak & Bożena Gajdzik & Magdalena Gębczyńska, 2022. "Configurational Paths of Leadership Competency Shortages and 4.0 Leadership Effectiveness: An fs/QCA Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-21, February.
    16. Cui, Lin & Gao, Qiuling & Guo, Jinyu & Ma, Pengcheng, 2022. "OFDI performance of EMNEs: A review and recommendations for future research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    17. Eduardo Duque-Grisales & Javier Aguilera-Caracuel, 2021. "Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Scores and Financial Performance of Multilatinas: Moderating Effects of Geographic International Diversification and Financial Slack," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 315-334, January.
    18. Angulo-Ruiz, Fernando & Pergelova, Albena & Dana, Leo Paul, 2020. "The internationalization of social hybrid firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 266-278.
    19. Cristina Bianca Pocol & Liana Stanca & Dan-Cristian Dabija & Veronica Câmpian & Sergiu Mișcoiu & Ioana Delia Pop, 2023. "A QCA Analysis of Knowledge Co-Creation Based on University–Industry Relationships," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, January.
    20. Hafner, Cornelius & Pidun, Ulrich, 2022. "Getting family firm diversification right: A configurational perspective on product and international diversification strategies," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:119:y:2020:i:c:p:522-539. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.