A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools
The past and ongoing structural change in Swedish agriculture has led to an increasing number of large-scale farms. The biological factors associated with large-scale farming operations may cause increasing variability, risk and reduced yields due to sub-optimal timing and management of field ope...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | Second cycle, A2E |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2015
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8290/ |
| _version_ | 1855571328412680192 |
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| author | Alvemar, Hans |
| author_browse | Alvemar, Hans |
| author_facet | Alvemar, Hans |
| author_sort | Alvemar, Hans |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | The past and ongoing structural change in Swedish agriculture has led to an increasing
number of large-scale farms. The biological factors associated with large-scale farming
operations may cause increasing variability, risk and reduced yields due to sub-optimal timing
and management of field operations. The theory of economies of scale suggests that largescale
production may benefit from lower costs due to scale efficiencies. Thus, large-scale
farms may face cost reductions in terms of long term inputs factors, e.g. agricultural
machinery. However, previous studies show that due to the complexity of farming operations
including biological factors the timeliness costs may exceed the possible scale induced costs
reductions in terms of machinery and labour.
The relationship between farm size and efficiency, profitability and productivity has been
extensively researched. However, the previous literature is indecisive in terms of this
relationship, presenting various results. Some authors argue that empirical findings supporting
economic benefits, in terms of efficiency, for large-scale farming are rare. Furthermore
previous literature raises management as an important factor when examining the productivity
and efficiency of growth in agricultural firms. Moreover some authors claim that management
has not been included in many studies and that management might be a more important factor
than technical efficiency. This study examines the relationship between productivity and farm
size. Furthermore, management in terms of firm growth is reviewed. Finally this thesis
reviews the use of information technology and precision agriculture tools to aid farm
management, and how this can be used in large-scale farming operations.
A mixed method case study is used in this thesis. The productivity is examined by the use of
historical farm management data while interviews are conducted to gain a detailed
understanding of management and the growth process of the case farms. The results are
analysed with the resource-based view. This implies that the firms competitive advantages are
reviewed based on the firms productive resource.
The study reveals that there tends to be a negative correlation between farm size and
productivity for the case farms, suggesting that farm growth decreases productivity.
Moreover, management, administrative work and the employees of the firm have been
identified as an important factors for firm growth, where as, machinery and labour is not
decisive for productivity. The study has found that the use of information technology and
precision agriculture tools do not explain differences in either productivity or costs of
management and administrative work. |
| format | Second cycle, A2E |
| id | RepoSLU8290 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Swedish Inglés |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU82902015-07-13T06:51:28Z https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8290/ A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools Alvemar, Hans Economics and management The past and ongoing structural change in Swedish agriculture has led to an increasing number of large-scale farms. The biological factors associated with large-scale farming operations may cause increasing variability, risk and reduced yields due to sub-optimal timing and management of field operations. The theory of economies of scale suggests that largescale production may benefit from lower costs due to scale efficiencies. Thus, large-scale farms may face cost reductions in terms of long term inputs factors, e.g. agricultural machinery. However, previous studies show that due to the complexity of farming operations including biological factors the timeliness costs may exceed the possible scale induced costs reductions in terms of machinery and labour. The relationship between farm size and efficiency, profitability and productivity has been extensively researched. However, the previous literature is indecisive in terms of this relationship, presenting various results. Some authors argue that empirical findings supporting economic benefits, in terms of efficiency, for large-scale farming are rare. Furthermore previous literature raises management as an important factor when examining the productivity and efficiency of growth in agricultural firms. Moreover some authors claim that management has not been included in many studies and that management might be a more important factor than technical efficiency. This study examines the relationship between productivity and farm size. Furthermore, management in terms of firm growth is reviewed. Finally this thesis reviews the use of information technology and precision agriculture tools to aid farm management, and how this can be used in large-scale farming operations. A mixed method case study is used in this thesis. The productivity is examined by the use of historical farm management data while interviews are conducted to gain a detailed understanding of management and the growth process of the case farms. The results are analysed with the resource-based view. This implies that the firms competitive advantages are reviewed based on the firms productive resource. The study reveals that there tends to be a negative correlation between farm size and productivity for the case farms, suggesting that farm growth decreases productivity. Moreover, management, administrative work and the employees of the firm have been identified as an important factors for firm growth, where as, machinery and labour is not decisive for productivity. The study has found that the use of information technology and precision agriculture tools do not explain differences in either productivity or costs of management and administrative work. Den tidigare och pågående strukturomvandlingen inom det Svenska jordbruket har resulterat i ett ökat antal storskaliga jordbruks företag. De biologiska faktorer som är sammankopplade med storskaligt jordbruk kan öka variationer, risk och leda till minskade skördar till följd av icke optimal tidsanpassning och styrning av fältarbete. Teorier om stordriftsfördelar föreslår att storskalig produktion kan producera till längre kostnader till följd av skaleffektivitet. Därför kan det finnas möjligheter för storskaliga jordbruk att minska kostnader för t.ex. jordbruksmaskiner. Dock visar tidigare forskning att till följd av komplexiteten med biologiska faktorer i jordbruksdrift så kan ökade kostnader till följd av bristande tidsanpassning och styrning överskrida möjliga besparingar rörande maskin- and arbetskostnader till följd av skaleffektivitet. Förhållandet mellan gårdsstorlek och effektivitet, lönsamhet och produktivitet har omfattande undersökts i tidigare forskning. Dock presenterar litteraturen en kluven bild av detta förhållande. Somliga författare argumenterar att empiriska bevis för ekonomiska effektivitetsfördelar till följd av storskalig jordbruks drift är sällsynta. Vidare lyfter tidigare litteratur företagsledning och styrning som en viktig faktor för att förklara effektivitet och produktivitet vid tillväxt i jordbruksföretag. Vissa författare hävdar att företagsledning inte har inkluderats i många studier och att det kan vara en viktigare faktor än tekniskt effektivitet. Den här uppsatsen undersöker förhållandet mellan produktivitet och gårdsstorlek, vidare inkluderas företagsledning och tillväxt i studien. Slutningen inkluderas användandet av informationsteknik och precisionsodlings verktyg som en resurs vid ledning och styrning av gårdsdriften, och hur det kan användas av storskaliga jordbruksföretag. I denna uppsats utförs fallstudier med en blandad metodik. Produktivitet studeras med hjälp av historiska data från jordbruksdriften tillsammans med intervjuer som utgör grunden för att få detaljerad förståelse för företagsledningen och tillväxt processen i fall gårdarna. Ett resurs baserad synsätt används för att analysera resultaten från fall gårdarna. Detta innebär att företagens konkurrensfördelar analyseras baserat på företagens produktions resurser. Uppsatsens resultat visar tendenser till en negativ korrelation mellan gårdsstorlek och produktivitet för fallgårdarna. Detta medför att gårdarnas tillväxt skulle minska produktiviteten. Företagsledning, administrativt arbete och företagets personal har identifierats som viktiga faktorer i tillväxt processen. Medan maskin- och personalkostnader inte är avgörande för företagens produktivitet. Uppsatsens resultat kan inte förklara att informations teknik eller precisionsodling påverkar varken produktivitet eller kostnader för administrativt arbete och företagsledning. 2015-07-08 Second cycle, A2E NonPeerReviewed application/pdf sv https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8290/11/Alvemar_H_150702.pdf Alvemar, Hans, 2015. A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools : a case study of Swedish large-scale farms. Second cycle, A2E. Uppsala: (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Economics <https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/view/divisions/OID-510.html> urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-4655 eng |
| spellingShingle | Economics and management Alvemar, Hans A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title | A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title_full | A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title_fullStr | A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title_full_unstemmed | A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title_short | A resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| title_sort | resource based view of productivity, firm growth and technical management tools |
| topic | Economics and management |
| url | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8290/ https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/8290/ |