Análise do processo decisório na atividade produtiva rural: estudo de caso na sojicultura

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to analyze the decision making process in farming, in order to determine how decisions are made during the stages of soybean production. The methodology used for this purpose involved an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study, using a case study as a means for investigation. Observations in loco and interviews were used as instruments for data collection, which revealed that the production process is composed of pre-planting, planting, cultivation, harvest and marketing steps. The study was developed based on the theories presented by Herbert Alexander Simon. The results demonstrated the applicability of the decision making model created by Simon in its phases of intelligence, design and choice, as well as the phases of implementation, monitoring and review, which in this study complement the model. However, in some cases it was observed that the decision making process did not follow this method and was basically performed intuitively. The results also show that during the stages of soybean production, the farmer is constantly confronted with situations in which the precepts of programmed and nonprogrammed decision apply. The study also revealed that aspects such as incomplete information and centralization of decision making characterize a limited rationality in decision-making. Furthermore, analyses of the results showed that farmers seek to subsidize their decisions with the maximum amount of information available from both inside and outside the property.