O processo decisório na adoção de inovações na vitivinicultura da Serra Gaúcha - o caso da APROMONTES

Abstract

The main objective of this investigation was to study the decision making process of wine companies and wine grape growers which belong to the Altos Montes Wine Producers Association (APROMONTES), to identify to what extend these participants are aligned in the adoption of innovations required to increase their market competitiveness. In this study we use as theoretical framework a combination of the prospect theory, the new evolutionary economics and the transition cost economics. Our theoretical contribution for the understanding of the decision making process in the adoption of innovations is constituted by the connection between the judgment heuristics and the concepts related to innovation which are influenced by the categories of analysis found in the transition cost economics. This research was based on the information collected through interviews with twelve wine companies associated to APROMONTES, twenty-five wine grape growers associated to these wine companies and also seven interviews with independent wine grape growers, trying to understand their decision making process in relation to their attempt to innovate in their production units. The analysis of the information collected shows the existence of decisions based on judgment heuristics which lead to unaligned decisions on the part of wine companies and wine grape growers, which make difficult the adoption of prescriptive innovations by the sector necessary to the increase of competitiveness in that production chain association.