Научная статья на тему 'Использование информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах в Сербии'

Использование информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах в Сербии Текст научной статьи по специальности «Экономика и бизнес»

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Ключевые слова
ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ / СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫЕ КООПЕРАТИВЫ / СЕРБИЯ

Аннотация научной статьи по экономике и бизнесу, автор научной работы — Шеварлич Миладин М., Николич Мария М.

В данной статье анализируется уровень и значимость использования информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах в Республике Сербии, указывается на последствия сложившейся ситуации, а также возможности для ее улучшения. Рассмотрена зависимость уровня применения информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах от релевантных факторов, таких как территориальное распределение, результаты операционной деятельности и размеры кооперативов

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Текст научной работы на тему «Использование информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах в Сербии»

ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ

УДК 004.9:631.115.8 (497.11)

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫХ КООПЕРАТИВАХ В

СЕРБИИ

Миладин М. Шеварлич, доктор агроэкономических наук, профессор, заведующий кафедрой экономики сельского хозяйства и рынка

Мария М. Николич, ассистент

Сельскохозяйственный факультет Белградского университета Республика Сербия

В данной статье анализируется уровень и значимость использования информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах в Республике Сербии, указывается на последствия сложившейся ситуации, а также возможности для ее улучшения. Рассмотрена зависимость уровня применения информационно-коммуникационных технологий в сельскохозяйственных кооперативах от релевантных факторов, таких как территориальное распределение, результаты операционной деятельности и размеры кооперативов.

Ключевые слова: информационно-коммуникационные технологии,

сельскохозяйственные кооперативы, Сербия.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVES IN SERBIA

PhD. Miladin M. Sevarlic, fuul time professor Mr Marija M. Nikolic, assistant

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture

This paper analyses the level and importance of implementation of information and communication technologies in agricultural co-operatives in the Republic of Serbia and the consequences of the established situation, as well as possibilities for its improvement. Further, it examined the correlation between the level of application of information and communication technologies in the agricultural co-operatives and relevant factors, such as territorial distribution, business results and the size of the co-operative.

Key words: Information and Communication Technologies, Agricultural Cooperatives, Serbia.

Introduction

The results presented in this paper stemmed from research conducted by The Serbian Association of Agricultural Economists (SAAE) conducted during 2011 in 10.2 percent of the total of 773 perspective co-operatives (which at least once during the period 2007-2009 created positive financial result) in Serbia. In each cooperative manager and one representative of the members were surveyed using distinct survey questionnaires, in order to gather relevant responses of the subjects on the main issues and problems in the agricultural co-operative sector in Serbia.

Data collected through the survey were processed in Statistical Package for the

Social Sciences (SPSS), and the results were interpreted in order to obtain relevant conclusions.

Implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in Agricultural Co-operatives

In the modern economic environment characterized by globalization of production processes and market liberalization, co-operatives are faced with increasing competition from other businesses. In order to be competitive, agricultural co-operatives should overcome certain obstacles, and one of the basic is low level of access and use of information and communication technology (ICT). According to FAO, the use of ICT in agricultural co-operatives in the world is being implemented very slowly: the dominant part of the larger cooperatives in developing countries still operate with manual or semiautomatic accounting systems, which are labour intensive, imprecise and leave plenty of occasions for errors. (FAO, 2004:1) The implementation of ICT enables more efficient operation of agricultural co-operatives, providing many benefits that conditionally can be divided into two groups (Ratsifandrihamanana, 2012: 2-3):

(1) Enhanced communication and connections between members: members of the co-operatives are able to obtain relevant information regarding the work of the co-operative and to be informed of co-operative activities, but also to have access to market information; and

(2) Improved accounting and administration: particularly important with the increase of cooperatives, since enlarged membership leads to considerable increase of administrative work employees have to finish, which can be effectively conducted only by using appropriate software. With their use, co-operative is able to process data faster, to increase transparency of business and to enhance the confidence of members in the quality of business.

We believe that the use of ICT has another very important role, which is especially valuable in the long run. Implementation of ICT in agricultural co-operatives enable, in long term, increase of competitiveness and business success; in other words co-operatives are more successful in meeting the needs of their members, they can raise the quality of provided services, and carry out their activities more effectively and improve overall business.

Successful implementation of ICT in agricultural co-operatives is conditioned by the satisfaction of the three preconditions:

(1) Existence of hardware equipment - which is a conditio sine qua non for the implementation of ICT in agricultural co-operatives;

(2) Implementation of appropriate software that enable the improvement of business;

and

(3) Involvement of appropriately trained personnel, and achieving the adequate level of computer literacy of the employees and members of co-operatives.

Informational and communication technologies in agricultural co-operatives in

Serbia

The introduction of information and communication systems in agricultural cooperatives is an imperative in order to survive on the market and to successfully fulfil appointed objectives and meet the needs of members. Other market players, especially representatives of government and local authorities, use the internet as a compulsory form of communication in daily activities, suggesting the necessity of application of ICT in agricultural co-operatives. (Sevarlic, Nikolic, 2012: 24)

Of the total number of surveyed agricultural co-operatives in Serbia, 79.7 percent own a computer, while in 20.3 percent of cooperatives even this basic prerequisite for the application of ICT, or the existence of the necessary computer equipment have not been meet. According to the territorial distribution, a slightly higher equipment with computer technique of agricultural co-operatives is present in economically more developed the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (85 percent) compared to the agricultural cooperatives that have a computer in Central Serbia (74 percent). Tendencies in the development of computer equipment caused continuously decreasing prices and increased availability of these products, resulting in lower costs for the purchase of adequate computer equipment for co-operatives. In this sense, the reality is that all agricultural cooperatives are in the financial position to purchase a computer that meets their needs. At the same time, new question arises: In terms of lower prices of computers and possibilities of delayed payment or purchasing at promotional prices, are the costs of buying a computer really an objective obstacle for the introduction of ICT in every fifth (20.3 percent) agricultural cooperative in Serbia?

In addition to lowering the cost of hardware, another trend in favour of introducing ICT into co-operatives is increasing internet coverage, even in rural areas. Of the agricultural co-operatives that own a computer, 79.4 percent have internet access, 15.9 percent do not have, while 4.8 percent of respondents did not want to answer this question. Lack of access to the internet points to serious limitations in terms of communication with members and business associates. It also implies that monitoring of relevant information provided by local and state government, access to statistical and other business databases, as well as production and market information is more difficult. In terms of internet access there is no difference in the territorial distribution of agricultural co-operatives in Serbia.

The existence of ICT in agricultural co-operatives enables not only facilitated communication and gathering information relevant to business, but also provides cooperatives the opportunity to adequately present their products and build reputation in the local community, with business partners and wider. In this sense, one of the main ways of presenting the co-operative products, and the contribution of co-operatives to development of local community and promotion of the co-operative movement in general, is publishing information on the web site of the co-operative. However, beside the cooperative union of Serbia and Vojvodina, and The Cooperative Union "Agrojaeren", neither a single regional cooperative union, nor a dominant majority of agricultural co-operatives (83.5 percent) have their own websites. (Sevarlic, Zakic, 2011: 63) It is interesting to note that co-operatives that increase the value of the products of their members, or in other words, co-operatives that in some way processed agricultural products, have organized website presentation in a slightly higher percentage (21 percent), compared to 79 percent of these cooperatives that do not have website presentations (6 percent of respondents did not answer this question). This indicates that the co-operatives that increase the value of the products of their members to some extent recognized the importance of the promotion and marketing of their products and they implement this through the internet presentations.

Out of 14 percent of the agricultural co-operatives that have their own web site, more than half (54.5 percent) is only in Serbian, which significantly limits the number of users and business partners from abroad that can get familiar with the products of this cooperative via the Internet. However, as 35.4 percent of co-operatives are focused exclusively on local and 39.2 percent on the regional market, it is, to some extent, understandable that web sites presentations are organized only in Serbian language.

According to a survey of directors of co-operatives, 70.9 percent of employees have been trained to use computer technology, while 25.3 percent have not, and 3.8 percent of directors did not answer this question. In other words, more than a quarter of employees in

the agricultural co-operatives in Serbia do not possess adequate knowledge to use computer technology, which is unacceptable in the information era, because they are very limited in the performance of daily business activities. It should be underlined that approximately one third (29.1 percent) of agricultural co-operatives do not use software packages for business administration, commercial and financial services. Application of software business packages is more present in co-operatives in the province of Vojvodina (39 percent) than in Central Serbia (18 percent). According to the survey, there is no statistically significant connection between the use of software packages in co-operatives business and territorial distribution, the size of the co-operative according to the number of members, and achieving positive financial results over the past five years. This may indicate that the agricultural co-operatives in Serbia are relatively small (only 3 of 79 agricultural co-operatives included in the survey, or 3.8 percent have more than 100 members), so they are still able to relatively successfully fulfil business activities "manually", or without the use of appropriate software packages. However, with enlarged membership and involvement of co-operatives in the sphere of processing agricultural products and, based on that, providing new services to their members, the lack of knowledge of using computer technology by employees and the lack of commercial software packages could pose a significant problem and limiting factor for their development.

Shortage of computer equipment and the reduced possibility of its use by employees have resulted in limiting existence of electronic communication with members. According to evaluation of the directors, only 24.2 percent of co-operatives can "boast" with electronic communication with its members, while in 74.5 percent this is not the case, and in one co-operative (1.3 percent) director did not respond to this question.

Figure 1 - Reasons for the lack of electronic communication with the co-operative, according to the responses of co-operative members

In the opinion of co-operative members, the existence of electronic communication is even rarer, since only 19 percent of members confirmed that they communicate in this way with the cooperative. However, according to the responses of members, in 39 percent of cases for the lack of electronic communication between the co-operative and its members can be "blamed" co-operative, while nearly half of surveyed members (45 percent) do not have the computer or do not know how to use it. (Fig. 1)

In accordance with expectations, there is a statistically significant correlation between the existence of electronic communication and the length of service of directors in the cooperative sector. Specifically, in agricultural co-operatives in which the director is a person

***** ИЗВЕСТИЯ ***** № 3 (27, 2012

НИЖНЕВОЛЖСКОГО АГРОУНИВЕРСИТЕТСКОГО КОМПЛЕКСА

employed for over 20 years in the co-operative sector, there is significantly less (at the level 0.05) electronic communication with co-operative members - only 4 percent comparing to 24.2 percent of co-operatives that have electronic communication with members in the main group.

This indicates that cooperative's director has a crucial role in organization of electronic communication with members, and indirectly in the application of computer technology in the business of agricultural co-operatives. Specifically, persons working over 20 years are usually elderly, and less open to innovation, including the use of computers, so there is a lower level of interest in their implementation in business, and one of the reasons may be the inability, or ignorance of directors of agricultural co-operatives to use a computer.

Given reasons indicate the need for continuing education, in accordance with internationally adopted cooperative principles, of all groups of user: directors, employees and members of agricultural co-operatives in various fields, including knowledge and use of computer technology.

Conclusion

The survival of agricultural co-operatives at the local and national, and especially in international markets, depends on their ability to adapt to changes in the market and to successfully compete with other business entities. In this sense, the use of ICT in agricultural co-operatives is a necessity not only for their prosperity, but mere survival. Implementation of ICT in agricultural co-operatives depends on the ability of responsible persons to realize the advantages and benefits that application of ICT can have on achieving positive business results, as well as faster and safer identifying problems that can be overcome by its implementation. At the same time, the use of ICT requires additional investment, not only for the purchase of computers and appropriate software packages, but also to ensure the continuing education of directors, employees and members of agricultural co-operatives in the area of application and use of information and communication technologies.

Literature

1. FAO (2004): Computerizing agricultural cooperatives - a practical guide.

2. Ratsifandrihamanana Lila Hanitra (2012): Cooperatives and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). United Nations Headquarters, New York, June 2012.

3. Sevarlic M., Zakic Zorka (2011): Strategy of development of agricultural cooperative sector in the Republic of Serbia. Draft version, The Serbian Association of Agricultural Economics and Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management, Belgrade.

4. Sevarlic M. M., Nikolic M. Marija (2012): Standpoints of the Directors of CoOperatives and Members about Agricultural Co-Operative Sector in Serbia. The Serbian Association of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade.

Е-mail: milsevar@eunet.rs

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