Interorganizational Relationships in the Amazon Biotech Industry Based on Entrepreneurs´ Perceptions

Mafra, Rosana Zau; Lasmar, Dimas José; Vilela, Dalton Chaves

doi:10.1590/1982-7849rac2019190056

Rosana Zau Mafra ^fn4Rosana Zau Mafra Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: rosanazau@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-9824

Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Faculdade de Estudos Sociais, Departamento de Economia e Análise, Manaus, AM, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-9824

Dimas José Lasmar ^fn5Dimas José Lasmar Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: dimas.lasmar@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0473-9876

Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Faculdade de Estudos Sociais, Departamento de Economia e Análise, Manaus, AM, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0473-9876

Dalton Chaves Vilela Júnior^fn6Dalton Chaves Vilela Júnior Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: dalton.vilela@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1934-7886

Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Faculdade de Estudos Sociais, Departamento de Administração, Manaus, AM, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1934-7886

Rosana Zau Mafra Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: rosanazau@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-9824

Dimas José Lasmar Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: dimas.lasmar@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0473-9876

Dalton Chaves Vilela Júnior Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: dalton.vilela@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1934-7886

Contributions

1st author: Research design, theoretical and methodological development, application, writing and final revision

2nd author: Methodological development, continuous cdvising and settings and final revision

3rd author: Methodological development, continuous cdvising and settings and final

Conflict of Interest

The authors have stated that there is no conflict of interest.

Bioindustry sector	Firm	Characteristics
Industrial biotechnology	BI01	The firm is a spin-off established in 2016. It produces enzymes for molecular biology and develops enzyme cocktails from microorganisms (selected fungi and strains) of the Amazon biodiversity to be applied in industrial processes such as the production of ethanol, detergents, and clarification of juice and flavor enhancement.
Industrial biotechnology	BI02	Micro-enterprise established in 2006. It produces Taq polymerase enzymes (polymerizes DNA from aquatic thermophiles) and Pfu polymerase (Pyrococcus furiosus). These enzymes expand the DNA when in high temperatures. The firm holds the expertise of replicating such enzymes.
Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical	FC03	Large national firm established in Manaus in 2014. It produces allopathic medicines (tablets and capsules) for human use in different categories of diseases (oncology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, infectology, dermatology, and general practice). The production includes generic and branded medicine, OTC (over-the-counter) medication and medicine for hospital use.
Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical	FC04	A small firm created in 2013. It markets pharmaceutical products and produces drugs through the manipulation of chemical inputs (also known as the magistral market).
Animal health	SA05	A spin-off, created in 2016. It produces animal protein from the cultivation and processing of insect larvae from the Amazon as an alternative to the animal feed industry using organic waste.
Animal health	SA06	Microenterprise created in 2009. The firm provides animal protein and operates in issues of animal health (prevention and treatment), including diagnostics, laboratory tests, and monitoring. It performs artificial insemination and conducts training on genetic improvement in bovine herds through the technique of artificial insemination and good management practices.
Biotechnology and related services	SB07	Spin-off established in 2016. The firm operates in the service of research and extraction of bioactive substances from the non-timber flora of the Amazon biodiversity. These substances can be used by the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industry, including the area of phytopharmaceuticals and cosmetics, depending on the demand.
Biotechnology and related services	SB08	Microenterprise created in 2007. It offers microbiological analysis services (typing of pathogenic microorganisms) to verify the presence of contaminants, for example, in water, air, effluents, food, among other products and environments.
Agricultural biotechnology	BA09	Microenterprise created in 2016. It produces bio-fertilizer from fish waste. The firm holds a patent for the production of bio-fertilizer, biogas, and organic fertilizer.
Agricultural biotechnology	BA10	Microenterprise established in 2003. It produces and sells flowers, cutting foliage, and seedlings (fruit, ornamental, native), using tissue culture techniques (micro-propagation and somatic embryogenesis).
Functional foods and beverages	AL11	Microenterprise created in 2016. It provides food from the functional gastronomy whose preparations replace the common ingredients for bakery and general cooking, such as eggs, wheat flour, sugar, thickeners, and dyes.
Functional foods and beverages	AL12	Microenterprise created in 2005. It produces distilled beverages from plant extracts and fruits native or adapted from Amazon biodiversity.
Environment	MA13	Founded in 1994, it offers industrial waste treatment services and performs the re-refinement of used and contaminated lubricant oil, among other activities.

Dimension	Objectives	Source
Structure and boundaries (actors, nature)	It seeks to identify in how many relationships a bioindustry firm is involved in the processes of supply and demand of goods and services, identifying the nature of these relationships (whether public or private, for example). These constructs allow identifying the boundaries or horizons perceived by the entrepreneurs.	Oliver (1990)Oliver, C. (1990). Determinants of interorganizational relationships: Integration and future directions. The Academy of Management Review, 15(2), 241-265. http://doi.org/10.2307/258156 http://doi.org/10.2307/258156... ; Henneberg et al. (2006)Henneberg, S. C., Mouzas, S., & Naudé, P. (2006). Network pictures: Concepts and representations. European Journal of Marketing, 40(3/4), 408-429. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560610648129 https://doi.org/10.1108/0309056061064812... ; Leek and Mason (2009)Leek, S., & Mason, K. (2009). Network pictures: Building an holistic representation of a dyadic business-to-business relationship. Industrial Marketing Management, 38(6), 599-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009.05.013 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009... .
Positioning / Power / Personal positioning / Attributes	Intends to identify whether the firms consider there is a focal firm or maybe a focal relation in this industry; whether the inter-organizational relationship involves power or relationship of dependency; whether there are links that may be correlated as the different parts depend on each other; and which attributes matter in a relationship (such as trust, friendship, experience, and size).	Granovetter (1973)Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360-1380.; Powell, Koput e Smith-Doerr (1996)Powell, W. W., Koput, K. W., & Smith-Doerr, L. (1996). Interorganizational collaboration and the locus of innovation: Networks of learning in biotechnology. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(1), 116-145. http://doi.org/10.2307/2393988 http://doi.org/10.2307/2393988... ; Maskell (2001)Maskell, P. (2001). Towards a knowledge based theory of the geographical cluster. Industrial and Corporate Change, 10(4), 921-943. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/10.4.921 https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/10.4.921... , Bagdoniene e Zilione (2009)Bagdoniene, L., & Zilione, R. (2009). Business to business relationships: The variables in the context of success. Social Sciences / Socialiniai Mokslai, 4(66), 16-26. , Henneberg et al. (2006)Henneberg, S. C., Mouzas, S., & Naudé, P. (2006). Network pictures: Concepts and representations. European Journal of Marketing, 40(3/4), 408-429. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560610648129 https://doi.org/10.1108/0309056061064812... ; Leek e Mason (2009)Leek, S., & Mason, K. (2009). Network pictures: Building an holistic representation of a dyadic business-to-business relationship. Industrial Marketing Management, 38(6), 599-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009.05.013 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009... ; Ramos e Ford (2011)Ramos, C., & Ford, D. (2011). Network pictures as a research device: Developing a tool to capture actors' perceptions in organizational networks. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(3), 447-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010.07.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010... ; Connelly, Crook, Combs, Ketchen, e Aguinis (2018)Connelly, B. L., Crook, T. R., Combs, J. G. Jr, Ketchen, D. J., & Aguinis, H. (2018). Competence- and integrity-based trust in interorganizational relationships: Which matters more? Journal of Management, 44(3), 919-945. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315596813 https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315596813... .
Activities / Resources /	It aims to identify specific roles or activities in the Amazon bioindustry relationships, as well as resources traded and the reasons for the interaction.	Oliver (1990)Oliver, C. (1990). Determinants of interorganizational relationships: Integration and future directions. The Academy of Management Review, 15(2), 241-265. http://doi.org/10.2307/258156 http://doi.org/10.2307/258156... ; Håkansson (2006)Håkansson, H. (2006). Business relationships and networks: Consequences for economic policy. The Antitrust Bullettin, 51(1), 143-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003603X0605100106 https://doi.org/10.1177/0003603X06051001... ; Henneberg et al. (2006)Henneberg, S. C., Mouzas, S., & Naudé, P. (2006). Network pictures: Concepts and representations. European Journal of Marketing, 40(3/4), 408-429. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560610648129 https://doi.org/10.1108/0309056061064812... ; Ramos e Ford (2011)Ramos, C., & Ford, D. (2011). Network pictures as a research device: Developing a tool to capture actors' perceptions in organizational networks. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(3), 447-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010.07.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010... ; Billitteri et al. (2013)Billitteri, C., Lo Nigro, G., & Perrone, G. (2013). How risk influences the choice of governance mode in biopharmaceutical inter-firm relationships. International Business Review, 22(6), 932-950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2013.01.011 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2013.0... ; Fernald, Pennings e Claassen (2015)Fernald, K., Pennings, E., & Claassen, E. (2015). Biotechnology commercialization strategies: Risk and return in interfirm cooperation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), 971-996. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12218 https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12218... ; Howard, Steennsma, Lyles e Dhanaraj (2016)Howard, M., Steensma, H. K., Lyles, M., & Dhanaraj, C. (2016). Learning to collaborate through collaboration: How allying with expert firms influence collaborative innovation within novice firms. Strategic Management Journal, 37(10), 2092-2103. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2424 https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2424... ; Gomes et al. (2017)Gomes, R. C., Galina, S. V. R., Vicentin, F. O. P., & Porto, G. S. (2017). Interorganizational innovation networks of Brazilian and Spanish biotechnology companies: Dynamic comparative analysis. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 9, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1847979017739517 https://doi.org/10.1177/1847979017739517... ; Fischer, Schaeffer e Vonortas (2019)Fischer, B. B., Schaeffer, P. R., & Vonortas, N. S. (2019). Evolution of university-industry collaboration in Brazil from a technology upgrading perspective. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 145, 330-340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.05.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.... ; Costa, Florencio, and Oliveira (2018)Costa, B. M. G., Florencio, M. N. S., & Oliveira, A. M. Jr. (2018). Analysis of technological production in biotechnology in northeast Brazil. World Patent Information, 52, 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpi.2018.01.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpi.2018.01.00... .
Environment and dynamic	It seeks to identify forces that escape the action of the entrepreneur, but influence the activities of the firm and the evolution of its relationships. It also aims to identify the time horizon perceived for the firm's business in the bioindustry (for example, intent to exploit a long-term business opportunity). Other elements are considered in the relationships in this industry, such as aspirations, problems, and uncertainties).	Henneberg et al. (2006)Henneberg, S. C., Mouzas, S., & Naudé, P. (2006). Network pictures: Concepts and representations. European Journal of Marketing, 40(3/4), 408-429. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560610648129 https://doi.org/10.1108/0309056061064812... , Leek and Mason (2009)Leek, S., & Mason, K. (2009). Network pictures: Building an holistic representation of a dyadic business-to-business relationship. Industrial Marketing Management, 38(6), 599-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009.05.013 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2009... ; Ramos and Ford (2011)Ramos, C., & Ford, D. (2011). Network pictures as a research device: Developing a tool to capture actors' perceptions in organizational networks. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(3), 447-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010.07.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2010... , Hoffman, Reyes, Danda, and Veloso (2016)Hoffman, E., Reyes, E. Jr., Danda, G. da N., & Veloso, Y. S. (2016). A influência da estrutura sociorrelacional do empreendedor na capacidade inovativa de empresas incubadas de base tecnológica. Revista Hispana para el Análisis de Redes Sociales, 27(1), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/redes.581 https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/redes.581... , Czakon and Kawa (2018)Czakon, W., & Kawa, A. (2018). Network myopia: An empirical study of network perception. Industrial Marketing Management, 73, 116-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2018.02.005 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2018... .

Nature of organizations	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Nature of organizations	BI01	BI02	FC03^a a Narrated network picture (no illustration).	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09^a a Narrated network picture (no illustration).	BA10	AL11	AL12^a a Narrated network picture (no illustration).	MA13^a a Narrated network picture (no illustration).
STIs	3	3		3	3	1	3	3	3	2	1	2
Governmental agencies				1	1	4			3	8	2	2
Private firms - horizontal or vertical partnerships		2	4		1	1			4	1		3
Group (suppliers; clients; professionals) and associations/networks/ class organizations	6	1	1	1	2	3	6	3	1	3	8	2	2
Total	9	6	5	5	7	9	9	6	11	14	11	9	2

Attributes	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Attributes	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Friendship ties										X	X
Professional ties				X		X			X	X
Academic ties	X	X			X		X	X		X
Trust	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X				X
Commitment						X					X
Competence, academic degree						X				X
Proximity/geographical location					X				X
Business language/vision of future			X								X
Service quality										X
Culture						X
Other (resource for research; modern equipment; experience in partnerships; potential for technology transfer)			X

Activities/resources	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Activities/resources	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Infrastructure	x		x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Inputs acquisition	x		x			x			x	X	x	x	x
Acquisition of raw material	x				x		x		x	X	x	x	x
Services in general										X		x	x
Human resources	x		x		x
Knowledge/research results/technology	x			x	x		x		x		x
Economic subsidies			x									x
Technology transference			x
Licensing			x
Technical assistance						x
Legal matters										X
Event/publicizing the product											x		x

Environment and dynamic	Industrial biotechnology		Pharmaceutical, therapeutic and cosmeceutical		Animal health		Biotechnology and related services		Agricultural Biotechnology		Functional foods and beverages		Environment
Environment and dynamic	BI01	BI02	FC03	FC04	SA05	SA06	SB07	SB08	BA09	BA10	AL11	AL12	MA13
Need of financing/capital	X								X
Tradeoff between laboratory and management	X	X
Bureaucracy/normative aspects		X			X					X
Tax incentives (Manaus Free Zone)			X
Narrates/illustrates present situations	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates past situations		X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates future situations	X		X	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the local market	X	X	X	X	X	X	X			X			X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the national market	X	X	X	X			X			X			X
Narrates/illustrates projections for the international market									X			X

[1] Rosana Zau Mafra Av. General Rodrigo Octavio Jordão Ramos, 6200, Coroado I, Setor Norte, 69080-900, Manaus, AM, Brasil E-mail address: rosanazau@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-9824

Brasil

Brasil

Interorganizational Relationships in the Amazon Biotech Industry Based on Entrepreneurs´ Perceptions

Abstract