Influence of Meso-Institutions on Milk Supply Chain Performance: A Case Study in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze meso-institutions, and their effect on the performance of the dairy farms in the regions along the western border of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Exploratory and descriptive research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. The data collection techniques included documentary research, interviews, self-reports, and questionnaires administered to a sample of 96 milk producers. Interpretive analysis was used to process the qualitative data, and the Mann–Whitney U test and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the quantitative data. The results of the analyses led to the identification of the meso-institutions and their role in interpreting, implementing, and monitoring rules in the milk supply chain. The findings indicated that the meso-institutions do not operate uniformly in the various milk-producing regions. The regression results indicated that effective monitoring by the meso-institutions positively influences the milk producer’s perception of performance. Therefore, to maintain the sector’s competitiveness, meso-institutions are necessary for interpreting, implementing, and monitoring the implementation of rules in the organizational arrangement in the dairy supply chain. The research brings advances in the field of knowledge of meso-institutions, a research frontier of the new institutional economics. Provide subsidies for public and private policies to consolidate the milk supply chain in emerging countries, especially highlighting the importance of meso-institutions as interlocutors between the macro level and the economic and social problems of producers.