Mobile Technologies to Support Agribusiness Professionals

Abstract

The proliferation of mobile devices and advances in wireless networking has created an always-connected society. One of the sectors of the economy that has made use of these technologies is agribusiness, through its need for traceability and geographical location, among others. Agribusiness managers work in transit, remotely and at various headquarters, and need access to information and constant communication to support decision making. This study aims to examine how mobile technologies have influenced everyday decisions in the perception of agribusiness professionals. The research was exploratory, using a qualitative approach to the data. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight agribusiness professionals. Data were analyzed through content analysis, considering mobile service categories. The results showed that the respondent agribusiness professionals use mobile technology in their specific everyday life for a variety of functions and needs. Respondents also reported using the features of the mobile service portfolio in different ways, according to availability in their region (e.g. connectivity) and their comfort with technology in general, and specific tasks (such as applications that assist in pest diagnosis).