Summary
This article addresses the issue related to new business strategies for small businesses focusing on inter-business cooperation and its different forms and development arrangements. In the attempt to conceptualize the meaning of inter-company cooperation, some authors dealing with the matter were mentioned, as well as the main reasons that small companies lead to cooperate with each other were presented. The modalities, denominations and the different typologies and forms of business grouping are also presented as a way to visualize their characteristics and configurations in the functional and strategic structuring.Finally, a case study is presented on a group of businessmen from the tourism segment who seek inter-company cooperation to find a way out to face the challenges imposed by economic globalization where the competition is getting stronger.
Key words: Inter-company cooperation, strategies, small companies, local development.
Abstract
This article deals with a subject related to the new business strategies for small companies, exalting the cooperation among them and their different ways and arrangement of development. Trying to get the concept of Companies Cooperation we mentioned some authors who treat this subject and also present their main reasons that make the small companies cooperate among themselves. The manners, denominations and the distinct typologies and ways of company grouping are also present as a way of seeing its characteristic and configurations in the functional and strategic organization. Finally it is showed a case about a group of enterprising men of touristy segment who search in Companies Cooperation the way out to dare the challenges imposed by the global economic in which the competition is becoming stronger day by day.
Keywords: Companies Cooperation - strategies - small companies - local development
Introduction
The introduction of business strategy analysis in Brazil is a recent fact, presented under the principles of inter-company cooperation as an alternative way of promoting development, since the models applied until then seem to be outdated due to the dramatic changes that have occurred in the world. with market opening and depending on globalization. According to the new way of thinking, it is known that the success of a company depends on the people - workers, clients, suppliers and sharecroppers; therefore they must focus on the continuous innovation necessary for survival and struggle in an extremely competitive global economy. The globalization of the economy is forging a growing awareness of the importance of these new collaborative relationships.Investing in human resources is no longer an option for companies, it is an imposition.
The creation of a network of relationships and mainly of inter-company cooperation between small companies is necessary for success in the new global economy. Small companies are more prosperous if they invest in high quality human capital, great collaborative trust, attitudes and actions that include competitiveness, innovation and learning. Cooperation between companies stands out with the creation of a highly competitive system, today It is already possible to speak in hypercompetition, since small companies sometimes do not have access to ideas, tools and networks that enable their growth.
This article tries to present a study on the role of small businesses that, through the cooperation of various economic and social segments, can stimulate local development, making it win competitive advantages. The main reasons that make the companies cooperate with each other, the various types of cooperation modalities as well as the environment in which such business strategy occurs will be presented.
As a result of a survey, a pioneering experience of inter-company cooperation in the tourism segment is presented in the area of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
1-Conceptual approach to inter-company cooperation
Cooperation between companies is a new way of conceiving new business strategies, mainly between small companies and for this there is a need for companies, government institutions, support institutions to learn the new game of competitiveness. The cooperation suggests that a good part of the competitive advantage is outside the internal environment of the companies. This means changes in the ways of managing, the demands are greater, taking into account that new paradigms are created. Cooperation creates new roles for the government, for the support institutions, and therefore its influences are decisive and necessary, mainly at the microeconomic level.
Cooperation between small companies is becoming a driving force for exports, for the creation of so-called economic networks in the segments of supermarkets, civil construction material stores, pharmacies, tourism and countless other segments.
Aid also represents an important forum, in which new types of dialogue can and should occur between small companies, public institutions and support institutions, such as: entities belonging to the so-called “S” systems (Social Service of commerce - Sesc, Brazilian Service to support Micro and Small Businesses - SEBRAE, National Industry Service - SENAI) Universities, class associations, unions among others.
The goal of the company, according to Porter (1997), is to achieve maximum profit. The recipe for achieving that goal, the executives prescribe, combines ingredients such as: maximization of resources, elimination of inefficiency, improvement of productivity and implantation of moderate forms of administration, among which; total quality and benchmarketing. For several years, the formula has been applied with good results throughout the world, including in Brazil.
For Porter, there are only two ways to obtain a competitive advantage: low costs and differentiation: These two concepts form the basis of any strategy in relation to competition and together with the terrain they apply - mass market or market segments.
Therefore, small companies have been considered, on the one hand, as the main hope of creating jobs, and especially the networks and group of small companies have acquired a new importance as potential sources of competitive advantage. Consequently, there has been a trend for convergence between renewed interest in small businesses and renewed interest in the decentralized approach to development, notably local development.
According to Pyke (1992), part of the reasons were related to the effects derived from introducing new technologies to save labor in large companies. Although, perhaps the search for new flexible ways of organizing work has been more significant. This flexibility extended outside of organizations. To affect the form in all the organizational sectors. In this inter-company reorganization, small companies will acquire a new importance in the local development process.
According to studies carried out on regionally located local companies, it was verified that the conditions to increase or lose business competitiveness depend on the level of relationship with other social agents. In contrast to the isolation of the individual company, the existence of a system of inter-company cooperation is a factor that helps to overcome limitations, to grow and to increase competitiveness and thus generate new sources of income and employment.
The important changes registered in global competitive conditions, market preferences and technological possibilities will create new demands for entrepreneurs, resulting in the need for a reorganization of the structures of their companies. First, it presents the search for the ability to adapt quickly.
Companies separate with the need to compete by launching new products, services and innovations and feel the need to reduce the time required for the development of their productive activities.
For Emilia Romagna (Formula, 1999) it is perhaps the most entrepreneurial Italian region in the world, there are more than 300 thousand companies and institutions of the productive apparatus for four million inhabitants. In some places, such as Cesena, it is concluded that there is a correlation of one company for six inhabitants. What will have been the support mechanisms for that region, that is, what are the factors that make the environment of a region competitive?
For Piero Fórmica (1999), in his lecture entitled “A point of view of the Italian context of small and medium-sized enterprises”, delivered in Brasilia, on 05/27/1999, in the seminar on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, relating as the Bologna region, known by the name of the Bolognese Packaging Valley, stated “… it is an impressive case of collaboration between small and medium-sized companies operating in even a global market niche. The main characteristics that led to the enormous event of the Packaging Valley include (I) close vertical links between independent companies, which improved coordination, improved collaboration between companies, (II) the donation of state-of-the-art technology, (III) flexible production methods and systems, and (IV) proximity to customers.
The new trends include horizontal links between companies and the determination to work with sharecroppers in the field of cutting-edge research and development, in a framework of cooperation and competition ("competitive cooperation" or "competition"), says the speaker. This Italian region is cited as an example of how small companies are important actors in the local development process.
When organized companies, in the form of cooperation, manage to obtain profits, on an individual level it would not be possible to achieve, that type of profit refers to the concept of Collective Efficiency (EC)
You cannot speak in inter-company cooperation without referring to the concept of Collective Efficiency. In relation to this, the central notion defended by Schimitz (1996), is that competing in globalized markets requires cooperation, which could happen through the Collective Efficiency strategy. This affirmation is ratified by Casaroto Filho e Pires (1998) when they affirm that cooperation between small companies is something as irreversible as globalization, or better, perhaps it is the way that small companies can ensure their survival and society guarantee their development. balanced
To understand the concept of Collective Efficiency, considered as a competitive advantage, it is necessary to break it down into two components: economies of agglomerations and joint actions, Schimitz, (op. Cit)
Agglomeration economies are characterized by the passive form of Collective Efficiency. In this case, due to the concentration of producers, the suppliers invest, being that one benefits from the investment of the other. Conversely to agglomeration economies, joint action is an active form.
In turn, the concept of cooperation between companies is very broad, it obtains various forms and degrees of formality and it becomes more or less evident that the organizational world is permeated or marked by the phenomenon of cooperation.
Pyke (1992), apud Amato Neto (2002), presents the description of the system of cooperation between companies “as being generally composed of small independent companies, organized in a location or reason as a base, belonging to the same industrial sector (including all activities run down and run up), individual companies specializing in a particular phase of the production process, organized together, and make use of local institutions, through relationships of competition and cooperation ”. The approach emphasizes some aspects, such as: organization, group of companies in a space, specialization of support institutions and the cooperation and competition dichotomy, however, the author highlights the industrial sector without referring to the others.
To issue the conceptual understanding of the dynamics of inter-company cooperation, in the local and territorial context, the Institute for the Support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Investment - IAPMEI (2000), from Portugal, refers to what it calls the “Network of Competences ”, Characterized as a support network and presents the following dimensions: activity, revitalization of inter-company cooperation and promotion of the creation, consolidation and development of cooperation networks; interveners: support agents for the promotion and revitalization of inter-company cooperation, being: promoters, facilitators, multiplier agents and consultants or advisers associated with the capacities of the various revitalizing agents, as well as the methodological perspectives and instruments of surround action: context sectorial,local or regional in which each “competence network” operates, as well as the global context of action of the multipolar network.
The aforementioned approach provides a systemic vision of the process of cooperation between companies, and on this matter it is pertinent to refer to it as a much more general and diffuse form of organization, present in the municipalities or in local productive systems, where the entire form of action of The companies are demarcated in the logic of cooperation and competition. In addition to the articulation, it extends to other territorial entities such as financial or research organizations. Proximity increases special conditions to make cooperation more viable and efficient.
Cooperation, for IAPMEI (op. Cit), is therefore the activity or activities carried out by a group of participants where certain resources are shared, taking into account the optimization of the results and with a return for all the participants in the context of a certain envelope (sector, region or locality).In other words, a cooperation network is an instrument of optimization between the participants and of these with the market through which it is intended to maximize the return derived from the activity carried out in cooperation.
Vazquez - Barquero (1995), addressing the issue related to inter-company cooperation, affirms that the local response to global challenges is given by a set of actions of a very different nature and making an analogy with the terms used by information technology. refers to hardware, to refer to the immaterial factors of development and orgware, the author refers to the need to improve actions aimed at the organization of development. It is about improving the existing organizational capacity in the city or in the region to respond effectively to the problems and challenges that need to be overcome. Organized inter-company relations are a representation of this situation and it becomes a decisive question for competitiveness,given that local development policies, especially in more developed areas, particularly affect the organization.
The author continues affirming that the development of a locality or a territory is organized based on the decisions made by public and private agents. Many times, the existence of local leaders catalyzes the emergence of local politics, however the explicit or tacit support of the other local agents is necessary.
The increased concurrence and insecurity of the markets led institutions and organizations to cooperate and join efforts to reduce risks and threats and take advantage of opportunities, thus becoming more competitive.
Associativism allows negotiations between public and private agents based on formal agreements, such as the so-called “terms of cooperation”. Due to the studies carried out, mainly related to more developed countries, many of the local development agencies use this process… a proliferation of networks of companies and established organizations, in trust between the parties and oriented towards very specific objectives. These networks complement conventional organizations and neutralize the perverse effects of bureaucracy. They make it possible to establish informal relationships between organizations, which facilitates decision-making and execution, says Vazquez Barquero, (1995).
Partnership relationships that manifest through the tendency to form associations, to establish connections, to cooperate can also be better celebrated in communities where each sharecropper knows the possibilities and needs of other sharecroppers. In the localities where development processes based on partnerships between multiple governmental, business and social actors occur, it is possible to say, metaphorically, it is clear that sharecroppers co-evolve, establishing relationships in which everyone wins, as they become more competitive in the market.
Small economic actors, networked partners, here referring mainly to small companies, can, for example, have a competitive insertion in the international market - which they would never achieve without exercising cooperation.
2- Generic reasons for inter-company cooperation
What reasons would lead small business groups to cooperate with each other? Behind the reasons for the formation of cooperation agreements - there are both economic and socio-political arguments, a common history between agents, an increase in bargaining power, and social relationships that determine economic functioning, says Silva (1993).
According to the same author, some factors have proved decisive for the success of these strategies. First, the ability of leading companies to forge long-term relationships with trust and intensive communication is highlighted. Development contracts are an important instrument to legally support this type of partnership.
Secondly, new production management and organization techniques (such as just in time, kambam, hierarchization and electronic exchange of information, among others) that increase the degree of trust between companies and their suppliers must also be taken into consideration. regarding quality, costs and delivery times.
A third factor that must be taken into consideration is a country's own technological infrastructure, the presence of institutions related to basic industrial technologies (such as weather, standardization and quality certification). They are vital to have confidence in these new purchasing standards. and sale between companies.
In addition to the factors mentioned, other economic advantages sought by companies are mentioned, such as: reducing costs, sharing or reducing risks, having information, technological learning and faster dissemination of technologies, economies of scale (possibility of increasing the specialization) increase economic power and gain market share. (Hermosilla and Sola, 1989, apud Silva (op. Cit.).
Inter-company cooperation seems to be specially designed to reduce uncertainties, increasing flexibility and adaptation to changes (of speed and unpredictable direction) and that does not seem to contradict the operations of market rules in a cooperation-competition game. It can be understood that the main participants, and in some cases beneficiaries, of cooperation agreements are small and medium-sized enterprises.
The reasons that companies take to cooperate with each other are also closely related to the design of how they are organized; many studies are already being carried out in relation to productive arrangements or forms of groupings, which will be seen later.
Arrangements occur both between companies, whose activity is to complement (vertical relationship), that is, the interaction between companies of the various stages of the value chain and / or production stages, and between those of a competitive nature (horizontal relationship) In other words, companies that are in the same stage of the value chain and / or production stages, with the main objective of increasing sales and reducing costs.
According to Silva, (op.cit.) There is a diversity of form that responds to the areas in which cooperation develops, a distinction that marks the objective or the main reason, such as: financial, when it comes to pooling resources for different purposes, includes arrangements such as: joint venture, leveraged buy-out (resources that are used to purchase shares in a way influenced by another company), financial intermediation company (for example: reciprocal guarantee company); productive or technological: when the attempt is to supply productive capacities or specialties, learn know-how, increase specialization or rationalize time and space, it considers express cooperation in various ways: patent and trademark authorization, technical assistance contracts, subcontracting,"Spin-off" (one part of the company form or another) or swarm (associated company); commercial - distribution (representations): to exploit market entry, gain economies of scale in distribution, take advantage of brands, etc.; This includes modalities such as: franchises, “piggy-back”, consortium of companies for commercialization, group and exporters, business clubs, collective antenna. (Hermosilla y Sola op.cit.apud Silva, op.cit.).
Small companies have the tendency to integrate into groups, chains or cooperatives in which they develop 50% within the group context and the other 50% in a market context; in the first, they seek security, information, financing, and in the second, they seek to learn about new technologies and a greater degree of specialization in accordance with market interests.
Also, it is important to mention the presence of cooperation according to the functions in the companies: research and development, production, marketing, technical assistance / services and distribution for which differences in modalities and degree of formality are found. It is interesting to cite Méndez (2001), a student of the innovation process in the business environment and the formation of cooperation networks as mechanisms for the local development process.
It is still possible to consider the most generalized and institutionalized cooperation, “cooperative networks”, in which the group of companies, of a sector or related matter, is organized to face activities of common interest. This occurs in many cases mediated by business chambers and involves everything from the provision of specialized services (training, information…) organization of fairs and infrastructure developments, to the creation of an institution to support business activity (Silva, op.cit.).
Through articulations between small and medium-sized companies, they can have access to: computing, greater specialization and economy of scale, complex markets and assume technological development that they could not otherwise implement. Except for certain conditions, a group of small and medium-sized companies can obtain the same advantages as a large company and gain flexibility and efficiency, Silva, (op.cit.).
In its relationship with large companies, as a counterpart to vertical disintegration, in addition to the difficulties, which can always subsist, you can find important nutritional elements such as: technical assistance, information on long-term financing plans and guarantees that give security, training in management, etc. (Yioguel and Kantis), apud Silva (op. Cit.). Meanwhile, this has been partially embraced within the general and more traditional policy instruments for small and medium-sized enterprises, implemented in several countries, since they have basically been oriented towards the development of information: where the formation of data, technological and market information systems, etc.; financing:often linked to technical assistance operationalized through instruments such as credit card, subsidies or direct credit, subsidies for technical assistance for project formulation; Market: both buying and selling (national and export), where it has been promoted and supported: fairs, buying and selling centers (central purchasing example), subcontracting mechanisms, meetings between large and small companies; technology: training and support in management and modernization; deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.grants or direct credit, grants for technical assistance for project formulation; Market: both buying and selling (national and export), where it has been promoted and supported: fairs, buying and selling centers (central purchasing example), subcontracting mechanisms, meetings between large and small companies; technology: training and support in management and modernization; deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.grants or direct credit, grants for technical assistance for project formulation; Market: both buying and selling (national and export), where it has been promoted and supported: fairs, buying and selling centers (central purchasing example), subcontracting mechanisms, meetings between large and small companies; technology: training and support in management and modernization; deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.both buying and selling (national and export), where it has been promoted and supported: fairs, buying and selling centers (central purchasing example), subcontracting mechanisms, meetings between large and small companies; technology: training and support in management and modernization; deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.both buying and selling (national and export), where it has been promoted and supported: fairs, buying and selling centers (central purchasing example), subcontracting mechanisms, meetings between large and small companies; technology: training and support in management and modernization; deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.deregulation: for the purposes of debureaucratization and agility of procedures and requirements for the creation and financing of companies and, on the other hand, the need to legalize many of the activities that fall within this stratum of companies, Castillo and Cortelesse, (1998), Uribe, (1992) apud Silva, op.cit.
Even on the reasons that companies take to cooperate with each other, for Amato Neto (2000), inter-company cooperation can make it possible to meet a series of needs of companies, needs that would be difficult to satisfy in cases where companies act only. Among these needs, the author highlights: combining skills and using know-how from other companies; divide the obligation to carry out technological research, sharing development and acquired knowledge; divide the risks and costs of exploiting new opportunities, carrying out joint experiences; offer a superior and more diversified product line of quality, exert greater pressure on the market, increase the competitive strength for the benefit of the client, share resources,with special emphasis on those who are being underused; strengthen purchasing power and gain more strength, to act in international markets
The formation of cooperation networks represents a new possibility of business organization superior to those based on the pure market and on the vertical hierarchies of companies.
3- Modalities and names used in cooperation systems between companies
They are presented to follow considerations on the different denominations and forms of relational participation of small companies in the market. There is a great variety of literature that deals with new business strategies for cooperative action in the market strongly influenced by the globalization of the economy.
This phenomenon is closely related to the character of technological and process innovations in the field of organizations, which comes every day, accelerating with the advancements of information technologies, electronic industry, among others.
There are several studies on the new business strategies of this kind of market participation, since the matter is relatively recent, it was observed in the literature in general, aspects that are still not very clear regarding cooperation between small companies. It is highlighted, although, in a general way, the literature on this subject addresses more the questions related to the productive system, directed to industry, commerce and service provision.
One of the main trends that have been intensifying in the modern economy, under the framework of globalization and the process of restructuring in business, is that which refers to the forms of inter and intra-company relationships, particularly those involving small and medium-sized organizations. The formation and development of business networks has been gaining relevance, not only for the economies of several industrialized countries, such as: Italy, Japan and Germany, but also for the so-called emerging countries, or countries with a developing economy - Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil itself, says Amato Neto (2000).
Starting from the broadest meaning and taking into account the theories pointed out on the matter, various denominations and forms of collective participation of small businesses are indicated here. The central notion defended by the various authors is that; Competing in globalized markets requires cooperation. Cooperation arises as a way to mitigate the imperfections associated with market relations, by nature based on antagonistic attitudes, isolated action by companies and other institutions, that is, non-cooperatives.
Among the topics found on the matter and that, in one way or another, are correlated, the main related terms were: Theory of Collective Efficiency of Associativism, Strategic Alliances, Join Venture, Cluster, cooperation, inter-company, Agglomerates, Business Networks, Consortia, among others.
Making references to a diversity on the subject that involves the interrelation of small companies. Malecki (1991) apud Silva, (1993), says that it can start, speaking of "joint ventures" and strategic alliances, but the redefinition of borders goes further. Concepts such as “macro-enterprises” are constructed to refer to a confederation of small companies with a strategic administration given by social integration; or the expression of the new industrial organization, network company, related to the reorganization process of large companies and the "re-emergence" of small companies (Castillo, 1990, apud Silva, 1993). In similar terms, Malecki refers to a "network model" and mentioning Amin,He speaks of "an industrial system (almost cooperation) composed of interrelated productive units, but independently owned."
Later, meanwhile, the “company - relationship” is referred to as a set of companies that participate in strategic alliances between large companies, covering different industries and countries, but which are held together by common goals that lead them to act almost as an individual company, El Mercurio, (1993) apud Silva (op.cit).
Porter (1999) refers to clusters stating that one of the most interesting characteristics of clusters is the fact that they promote competition and cooperation at the same time. Rivals compete for customers and, simultaneously, generate cooperation in several other dimensions, which isolated efforts would not make feasible, together forming a production chain. They represent a new way of spatial distribution of companies and the organization of their production chain, which provides for the decentralization of the stages of production, to add quality to the product and articulation between companies of the same degree of production, for profit of scales.
Bringing together a number of companies, institutions and entities important to the competition, the clusters form a systemic network that establishes a sustainable competitive advantage. They can include suppliers specialized in components, machines and services or specific infrastructure. In addition, they can extend through the distribution channels, customers and industries of complementary products, which possess similar skills, technologies and necessary supplies. Many of them also include dedicated or specialized training and knowledge institutions: universities, research centers and development agencies.
Moving further, meanwhile, “variable geometry” organizations are defined as a “virtual company”, a temporary network of independent companies, linked by information technologies and shaped against common goals, which allows them to share skills, costs and access to markets of each of them, Revista 9 Internacional apud Silva, (1993).
There has also been talk of "network management" when sharing common services. Finally, the company is defined as a "conversational network" to account for the daily, internal and external, in the articulation between different phases and productive units Echeverria (1993), apud Silva (op.cit)
In these inter-company production and service networks, small companies have acquired new importance. New technologies and work practices mean that small companies and especially their networks can invest, because what was previously considered were the advantages of scale that they believed corresponded to large companies to maximize the possibilities of series production.
In addition, various forms of inter-company relationships were seen, many with different terminologies, but with similar meanings, sometimes confusing each other, since the literature on the subject is recent. What is important about all this is that small companies, and what is even more significant, cooperation networks between small companies are now being considered as potential sources of competitive advantages in the globalized economy.
4 - Typologies and mechanisms for the formation of inter-company cooperation networks
The inter-company relationships, in the face of needs, of the current trends of existing agile, lean and flexible organizations begin. to arise in the market under representation in various ways. Next, various types of networks or cooperation mechanisms between small and medium-sized companies will be presented. It is worth noting that some are confused and resemble each other, however, we sought to safeguard the peculiarities that the authors wanted to present.
Regarding cooperation mechanisms, the possibility of having both cooperation between companies and cooperation between institutional and public support entities and these with companies is highlighted. This article emphasizes inter-company cooperation. Throughout the world, inter-company cooperation is quite difficult, however new techniques of how to develop it recently have emerged.
Recognizing that there is a great variety of small and medium-sized companies, either because of the variability that defines it, or because of the organizational complexity or the sector to which it belongs, it is said that its difficulties are not only related to its size but rather to its isolation. Therefore, it is necessary to study their insertion in chains, their business strategy, the character and quality of the relationships established between companies, either between them or with large companies.
The growing cooperation between competing suppliers and customers is difficult to determine where one company ends and where the other begins, says Silva (1993), since there are a wide variety of mechanisms that make companies come closer.
Referring to some terms already discussed above, such as: Joint Action Group, Schimitz (1996), addresses the idea of business networks focusing on two different kinds of network development, Strong Networks and Soft Networks.
Strong Networks are associations, usually between four to six companies in a locality, through which they combine their talents and resources to achieve results that have not been possible individually. Network members share a clear focus on profits, particularly maintaining through a formal contract for a specific new business purpose. Strong networks are clearly focused on profitable generation of additional business.
Soft networks are non-profit organizations that address general issues facing industry, commerce and services, they are organizations that cover, generally a large geographic area and many companies, for example, business associations, in the tourism segment we can exemplify by mentioning da Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies - ABAV, the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry - ABIH. For their part, strong networks under development, contrast sharply with soft ones, which normally include four to six companies, grouped geographically very close to each other. Here the author refers to the strategic alliances, already mentioned above.
Companies' commitments to soft networks tend to be less - most meet four to six times a year. In return, during the initial stages of establishing a strong network, meetings between their representatives can come three to four times a month. A strong network closely resembles a profit center, with a much higher level of trust, commitment, and complexity - than a smooth network.
There are a number of similarities in the nature of soft and strong networks, as well as in the process that facilitates their development. Both require a commitment from the leadership as well as both benefit significantly from the availability of a neutral space, provided by an independent broker / provider.
Figure 1 represents the characteristics of each network previously discussed.
Figure 1- Typology of inter-company networks according to Schmitz
Source: Schimitz, 1996.
Even in the attempt to present the most diverse types of cooperative network organizations, we quote Kanter (1990) apud. Amato Neto (op. Cit), which presents, in the following items, other types of networks.
Multi-organization service alliances or consortia: they are characterized by organizations that present common needs, normally belonging to the same sector of the economy and come together to create a new company that comes to meet the needs of all of them.
Opportunistic alliances or joint ventures: in this type of inter-company relationship, companies see an opportunity to obtain some type of immediate competitive advantage, making them able to develop and launch a new type of business on the market or revitalize an existing one. The author cites examples related to research and development activities, in addition to mentioning companies related to the automobile industries.
A joint venture can be defined as a merger of interests between a company with an economic group, legal entities or natural persons who wish to expand their economic base with expansion and diversification strategies, with the explicit purpose of profit or benefits, with permanent or installment terms. determined. A typical model of joint venture would be the transaction between the owner of a land of excellent location and a civil construction company, interested in raising a building for the construction of a hotel on the premises. Or perhaps, an inventor of a new process, product or technology associated with a capitalist to form adequate infrastructure for the manufacture or realization of the technology through Joint Venture. Another example of Joint Venture,It would be a canned food manufacturer that offers a fusion of interests for a landowner, who controls the raw material in adequate quantity and quality for transformation into canned food. There is still a certain inhibition among executives before the business merger by Joint Venture, in the case of technology transfer or any other intangible asset that does not have legal protection, patent and trademarks, which could remain in the public domain, once used as a contribution of capital for a Joint Venture transaction.in the case of technology transfer or any other intangible asset that does not have legal protection, patent and trademarks, which could remain in the public domain, once used as a capital contribution for a Joint Venture transaction.in the case of technology transfer or any other intangible asset that does not have legal protection, patent and trademarks, which could remain in the public domain, once used as a capital contribution for a Joint Venture transaction.
Partnership alliances involving suppliers, consumers and officials: this type of alliance is characterized when there are several partners involved in the development of the business in its various stages of the value chain. In addition, there are the participation of various types of actors in this process, such as suppliers, customers and their officials.
For its part, the Institute for the Support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Investment - IAPMEI (2000) presents four different types of inter-company cooperation networks: the Central Network, the Cellular Network, the Suppliers Club and the multipolar networks.
The Central Network is characterized by the association of various stakeholders around a central entity, previously existing or constituted for the event, where the resources and activities to be developed are concentrated.
The Cellular Network is characterized by an activity or set of activities developed in cooperation by the various companies, without the existence of a central entity or organization responsible for its execution or the degree of formalism associated with the central network. This is the case, for example, when the distribution resources of various companies are jointly usable, as a way of making more rational use of them.
In turn, the Supplier Network is the type of cooperation network characterized by the development of the activity around a central intervener positioned as a jusante of the value chain with the rest of the interveners to develop complementary activities that will give rise to a product. end directed to the first.
This type of network is quite usual in the automobile industry, meanwhile, since the focus is given to small enterprises, the activity of a tourist service operator in preparing a package (tourist product or services), the various providers, can be mentioned., inns, guides, transporters, etc. They cooperate at the level of the different activities of the value chain or through the provision of various services that make up the final product.
Finally, Multipolar Networks originate from the conjugation of the different types of networks. In these networks, a set of activities is developed by the different companies of different networks in order to establish a complex web of interactions and links between them based on the specific activities carried out by each one.
Other studies exist, even, on typologies of business networks such as the one presented by Grandori and Soda (1995), mentioned by Amato Neto, (op.cit.), In which the authors developed a typology of inter-company networks based on the compilation of various previous investigations. The criteria on which these typologies are based are: type of coordination mechanisms used; degree of centralization of the network and degree of formalization of that network.
In that study, the authors identified three types of networks: social networks, bureaucratic networks, and proprietary networks.
In relation to social networks, the main characteristic is informality in relationships between companies. In these relationships, there are no formal contracts or agreements, since the direction of activities is related to the exchange of the so-called social merchandise manifested by prestige, status, professional mobility and others. These inter-company relationships, according to the authors, can be subdivided into symmetrical and asymmetric social networks.
Symmetrical social networks are characterized by the existence of centralized power, the participants in that network share the same capacity for influence, in the cases, for example, of exchange of information and knowledge between the parties, their coordination being carried out through informal mechanisms.
Asymmetric social networks are characterized by the existence of a central understanding, which has the function of coordinating formal contracts for the supply of products and / or services between the companies and organizations that participate in that network.
Already bureaucratic networks are characterized by the presence of formal contracts, the regular purpose of which, in addition to the specifications of providing the product and / or services, also the organization of the network and the relationship conditions among its members, such as, for example, instruments called statutes, regiments or internal regulations, etc.
In the same way, there is the subdivision of these networks into symmetric and asymmetric bureaucratic networks. In the symmetrical bureaucratic network, as is the case of the consortium, there are coordination and division of labor mechanisms between companies or organizations, as well as control systems for monitoring the performance and participation of the various members.
In asymmetric bureaucratic networks, there is the presence of a central agent, as is the case with the following inter-company relations mechanisms: a network of agencies, as is the case with those aimed at the commercialization of standardized products and services, such as an insurance policy, and the case of tourism companies, tourist packages, of large operators (wholesalers) resold by Travel Agencies (retailers): permission agreements: there is the presence of agreements for compliance with contractual clauses of an organizational nature, as is the case the technical assistance service provided by a network of computer resellers; franchising contracts: considered by the authors to be the most complete category in the bureaucratic network, sincesets of formalized procedures, standardized results, accounting systems and standardized personnel training are established by the franking system… they exceed the limits of mere commercial agreement, due to the fact that all the aforementioned standards are imposed on the franked.
Proprietary networks are characterized by the formalization of agreements relating to property rights between company shareholders. They are, in the same way, subdivided into symmetric and asymmetric.
In symmetric proprietary networks, without the need for a centralizing power, inter-company relationships are more associated with research and development (R&D) activities, technological innovation and production systems with high technological content, all developed, as the case better known, by the designation of joint ventures.
Asymmetric proprietary networks are related to associations of the venture capital type, where there is the presence of an investor from both sides of the partner company. This type of inter-company relationship is more present in the cutting-edge technology sectors, through which joint decision-making mechanisms and even management technology transfer are established.
According to studies presented by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in the document: Purchasing power: inducer of quality, productivity and technological training, published in 1996, cooperation between companies It can have both horizontal and vertical sides.
As well as this, other studies address this division of inter-company cooperation, vertical and horizontal, as is the case of Porter (1999), Casarotto Filho et al (1998), among others that will be cited later.
In the case of horizontal cooperation, the main phenomenon is in the emergence of industrial configurations marked by the association of companies for the exploitation of new sources of competitiveness.
By horizontal integration, meanwhile, it is understood, according to SENAI, 2000, the interaction between companies that are in the same stage of the value chain and / or production stages, with the main objective of increasing sales and reducing costs. The schematic representation can be viewed below:
COMPANIES A + B + C -> MARKET AND
For Santos et al (1994) apud Amato Neto (op. Cit), horizontal cooperation networks exist between companies that produce and offer similar products and services, belonging to the same sector or branch of activity, that is, between a company and their own competitors. Most of the time, this type of network is implemented when companies, in isolation, have difficulties in: acquiring and sharing scarce resources for the development of their products and services: attending internally or externally to the market in which they launch and maintain a new line of products and service.
In the case of vertical cooperation, there is integration of agents throughout the production chain, aiming at increasing competitiveness. Vertical integration with the aim of increasing specialization and added value, offering differentiation to the consumer, means interaction between companies at various stages of the value chain and / or stages of production. In its simplest form, it manifests itself in the elaboration of schemes of registration and certification of suppliers, allowing the increase of the qualities and the reduction of the costs of the products.
For Santos et al (1994) a pud Amato Neto (op.cit.), Vertical cooperation networks are normally found in cases where cooperation relationships occur between companies and the components of the different links along a productive chain. The companies, in this case, cooperate with their commercial partners: producers, suppliers, distributors and service providers.
Vertical cooperation between companies occurs more frequently in cases where the final product or service is made up of a large number of parts and / or component parts or stages of development during the process. In this case, the companies involved may be located in different stages of technological evolution.
The last two typical forms are the strengthening of regional production poles, with the agglutination of small companies, and the formation of cooperative projects with the aim of intensifying research and development efforts. The agglutination of companies allows the development of common projects, such as the creation of marketing centers, a human resources training program, raw material purchase centers and consortia for the sale of higher volumes of production. There are successful examples in the furniture and textile sectors in Italy. The experience of training cooperative projects, at the international level, has shown that there is an increase in competitiveness through the reduction of costs and technological insecurities.The Europeanus Eureka and Esprit projects fit into this situation.
5-An experience in processing
Next, an experience of inter-company cooperation in the tourism segment will be presented, which is pending. For what was presented in the previous item, the reference cooperation system is presented with characteristics of the strong network, horizontal, cellular, bureaucratic cooperation network models.
In Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, it can be seen that the enterprises that make up the structure of the so-called tourism industry are, for the most part, characterized as micro and small companies, among them we can mention: companies in the hospitality industry and inn, these notoriously located in the interior of the state; travel agencies and operators; transport companies, mainly the so-called "minibus drivers", small vehicle rental companies, minibus owners; They also include small businesses, those with some buses; companies that act as suppliers of snacks and drinks in general, bars, restaurants and craft shops.
They act in conjunction with small enterprises in the tourism sector, medium and large companies, such as: airlines, medium and large aircraft holders; vehicle locators based in large centers; some hotel ventures, including those belonging to hotel networks, insurance companies belonging to financial institutions.
As previously stated, although most of the small enterprises in the tourist sector of Mato Grosso do Sul carry out their activities concurrently, leading to the fragmentation of services carried out by the various companies that make up the tourism product, it is presented below, although in an incipient way, a possibility of developing a small business cooperation network.
In the development of the activities of these small companies, the most common way of developing the service to tourists was found; the example object of verification among the companies can be given referring to a couple of tourists from another community of the federation who want to know the natural beauties of the municipality of Bonito, where mass tourism and excursion type do not occur. Due to common circumstances, they are not in their own vehicle. This situation, in isolation, becomes unfeasible for customer service, as prices rise due to the need to locate a vehicle especially to serve the aforementioned couple. This when it is not faced with the difficulty of locating the vehicle, since some landlords avoid locating a vehicle bound for Bonito, since all the rides,with the exception of the Municipal Spa, they are distant and their accesses are through unpaved routes.
As there is no prior reservation in a hostel or hotel, the agency must make the intercity to provide the accommodation of the aforementioned couple, since any and all reservations made in advance, involve a 30% to 50% signal disbursement.
In the same way in relation to walks to tourist attractions, they must be reserved in advance, in a specific agency for such, located in Bonito. Meanwhile, each client has their own tastes and attractions, since there are more than 40 different natural attraction options that tourists can choose.
Due to these and other variables, the operational costs of a small tourism company are increasing, making it impossible to organize tourist trips to Bonito and Pantanal, since they are very expensive for tourists, compared to other national attractions.
This example illustrates the lack of sharecropping among the small companies involved: travel agencies, tour operators, transport entrepreneurs, hotels and / or hotels, owners of tourist attractions… making the region less competitive, and therefore the companies involved in the process.
Dealing with eses and other problems, a group of small businessmen, with common problems, look for alternatives and customer service strategies and the possibility of strengthening their presence in the market.
This is the case of nine companies called Tourism Operators, whose main focus is to meet the demand for tourism classified as receptive, mainly for regions related to natural attractions, located in Pantala and Bonito. Consequently, the union of these micro and small companies resulted in an association called GOPAN - Group of Tourism Operators of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Such association has been gradually conquering its space together with local, regional, national society and possibly in foreign spaces. At local and regional levels the association occupies seats in various governmental and non-governmental organizations. Both the Secretary of State and the Tourism Foundation of Mato Grosso do Sul have shown interest in recognizing the importance of the GOPAN Association, as a collaborating and dynamic entity of the process of development of tourism in the State. It has been gaining spaces in the participation in meetings that involve important decisions for the operationalization of tourist activities.
In addition to these small companies, through GOPAN, and to have the opportunity to present projects and documents for the improvement of such activities, for example, regulations for the participation of fairs and events on the shelves of the Tourism Foundation; proposal for regulation, at the regional level, of the operation of Travel and Tourism Operators and Agencies, proposals for strengthening inbound tourism for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, among others. This situation illustrates a process in process that provides local development strategies through the active participation of local actors in the decision-making systems of the paths of a local community, called by some authors of endogenous development.
By gathering information together with this association, it can be confirmed with certainty that the union between them is the way out for the desire to be more competitive, meanwhile, many difficulties are facing in relation to the implementation of a business strategy that can optimize development of the cooperated activity.
Among the difficulties raised are the presence of conflicts that may originate in the following situations: poor performance of members (absence in meetings, indifference to agreements,…); members of the association with different motives or purposes; non-compliance with the agreements approved in meeting minutes; lack of effective communication between members; impatience with members who have less experience; shocks that derive from cultural or regional obstacles. These and other difficulties observed in the research can be minimized in inter-company cooperation, according to Souza (2002), when the participating companies: share information and ideas; there is transparent management; they seek long-term results; they make decisions in a collegial way;the entrepreneur does not consider himself the owner of the truth; They see the competitor or provider as an ally with whom they can learn; the production or sales process is as important as the results.
Despite the presence of difficulties, the entrepreneurs consulted believe that there will be great advantages for them and for consumers or tourists in general, such as: reducing costs in the operationalization of services; integrated planning of activities; inter-company integration; competitive advantages; guarantees and security in the development of activities; greater power of dissemination and marketing; better quality in the services provided; greater tourist satisfaction and the addition of new values to services.
It is interesting to note that; Méndez (2001), when addressing innovation and cooperation networks, affirms that all local examples of success identify the presence of certain pioneers who, at the time, gave impetus to the start of innovative processes, since many micro and small companies cannot facing the roads individually, since the presence of local agents and, even more, of cooperation networks, constitutes a strategic resource for local development, quite rare in areas with a poor associative tradition and a poorly articulated social fabric.
O GOPAN, as a pioneering association in this segment, has been conquering ever-growing spaces together with the various development agents as a way to build a favorable environment and continues to strengthen the ideas registered by Méndez (2001) by identifying the presence of eight types of agents., both from the private and public sectors that operate on a local and supra-local scale, whose presence needs to be maximum in the most dynamic and consolidated environments, with stable companies, and minimum in peripheral areas, with a greater presence of micro-businesses and precarious conditions. The ideal situation would suppose the existence of cooperation networks between all the agents to carry out common projects. The eight agents cited by Méndez are: governments, national and state; unions; technology centers and laboratories;technical training centers local governments business associations; other local associations and supra-local business associations.
Final thoughts
Business-to-business cooperation as a strategy in small businesses can represent an important competitiveness instrument, since value addition does not occur within the company, or in just one link in the chain and. yes throughout the entire production chain.
It is of fundamental importance that the small company builds its relational network together with suppliers, customers, support entities, government agencies and finds, among the most diverse relationship-building architectures, the one that best presents the potential for implementation and development.
Meanwhile, this will only be possible if there is an adequate socio-economic environment predisposed to the development of competitive strategies. Transposing for small business methodologies and procedures usually used by large companies and corporations as a way to face the crowded competition in a globalized world is a great challenge.
Awareness, business education, predisposition are factors that promote the creation of an environment conducive to the development of inter-company cooperation, which in turn translates into paths for local and regional development.
The structural issues of the operation of small companies assume strategic dimensions in the construction of a developed society in Brazil and particularly, according to this article, in the development of tourism in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The search for modernization of the Actions, on the part of small entrepreneurs, constitute an enormous task, not only for themselves, but also for public institutions and class entities.
The entire segment must do its part, business initiatives that drive the development of local potential must be valued and encouraged. Some basic assumptions for the development of a network of small companies could be pointed out, such as the need for small entrepreneurs to have a multisectoral vision, with a comprehensive analysis of reality, taking into account the dynamics and complexity that the problems of strong concurrence in a globalized world; Integrated actions, with the definition of instruments and strategies for action, based on associativism, suitable for overcoming the problems you want to face and singling out the problem, emphasized by the participation of groups of entrepreneurs, each one enhancing their individualities, their strong points, that is,to do well what competes within a relational network.
The importance of the territorial public powers as animators in the construction of this innovative environment, capable of strengthening the economic fabric of the region, is essential for productive and business development.
According to Albuquerque, (1998), “the first condition for the success of local initiatives in favor of development is the coordination of the various agents operating in the territory. Normally, it is the local public powers, as guarantors of territorial cohesion, that assume and promote these initiatives. Another of the basic pillars of local development initiatives is the active participation of such territorial agents.
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