SUMMARY


The present doctoral thesis approaches from the neoinstitucionalist thought perspective, the organizational modalities that originate in the managerial relations between economic agents of the Colombian Caribbean region lacteal market. Specifically, it analyzes (a) whether the companies are submitted to free market forces, (b) whether they establish vertical coordination agreements or (c), whether they are vertically integrated on their productive process, emphasizing the explanatory factors associated with each one of the modalities (transaction costs, contracts and conflicts resolution mechanisms). Besides, this doctoral investigation formulates managerial strategies that might be applied in order to improve lacteal complex productive chains with a view to generate an impact over the economic development of the Colombian Caribbean region.

The theoretical backgrounds that support the empirical development of this doctoral thesis are the ones proposed by Ronald Coase and Oliver Williamson. These two neoinstitucionalist theory exponents extended the neoclassic microeconomic analysis with the application of the transaction costs, wherein the set of activities that the economic agents do to diminish the risks that a certain transaction implies. For these authors the cost of make a transactions causes the assign of a property right as a priority, the coexistence of an economic organization and politic institutions that make agile the economic growth, elements that the classic microeconomic theory neglects in the markets analysis.

This is considered to be a thesis that strictly and deeply studies the organizational modalities of the productive sequences from the Colombian Caribbean lacteal sector, the selection of the cases were obtained of an enough statistical sample of milk primary producers and processors located at the region object of study. For the investigation aims achievement, it was used the qualitative and quantitative type approach. The design was a not experimental type because any variable was manipulated; but the information was taken as appeared on its natural context. And the character was transverse exploratory where the information compilation process as much for the primary producers as for the milk agro-industrials processors were done in a given moment.

Among the principal conclusions was found that the cuasiintegration mechanism predominates in reason of the production atomization, which generates low agro-industrial companies suppliers dependence. The prices mechanism solves somehow the selection of the buyer input on the part of the producers; nevertheless, this remuneration is not tied to quality parameters. In other words, in spite of the relevancy that has for the processor the quality of the given product by the supplier any incentives are offered for this aspect. 

On the other hand, the agro-industrial companies, establishes written agreements with their suppliers when these have the cooperated character, nevertheless it was not found any evidence that the agreements were including any quality commitments by the producer part. These agreements limit themselves to assure exclusively the agro- industrial company production supply.

The cultural factors play a very important role in the processors and producers transactions. The great volume milk producers correspond to great tradition families at the region that for many years have sold their production to big agro-industrial companies. The frequency on the transactions has generated a confidence between parts, up to the point that the great majority have supported commercial relations for a long time across informal agreements without any kind of written document that endorses the transaction.

On the other hand, do not exist any coordination mechanisms highly developed between economic agents, where the totalities of the production be incorporated into the processors companies, that is to say, the vertical integration. The empirical evidence showed that any processors company existing at the region is in aptitude to self-provide the input volume of raw milk needed to satisfy the existing production, therefore they resorts to the external provision of milk.

Finally, it is considered some managerial strategies as: (a) is necessary that the primary producers organize and arrange a price depending on the quality of the milk; (b) the primary producers must undertake a technological investment plan which includes cooling tanks and a information system that facilitate the transaction costs diminution; and (c) the agro-industrial processors must associate across the productive chain and / or acquire other minor size companies specialized on some products and to assume strategies of joint ventures with international companies (PARMALAT, NESTLE) in order to accede into a new technologies and new products design.