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Abstract
The technical efficiency indexes for the rural producer from the central region of Santa
Catarina’s western side have been identified, thus enabling to determine their managerial profile through the
evaluation of processes of decision-making in the properties, administration of agricultural business firms,
strategical behaviour, time management, and information transferences. Moreover, the inter-relation among
efficient enterprises and managerial ability, and vice-versa, was also verified. The methodology used in the
qualitative analysis was the Data Envelopment Analysis-DEA, and the data used for such analysis were
gathered by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Twelve out of the fifty-eight analyzed properties did
reach the efficiency frontier, thus being presented as benchmark to the other 46. After grouping the 58 units,
through multivaried analysis, five distinct groups were defined for the studied sample, five inefficient
properties having been chosen, one from each group, in order to enable for the development of the qualitative
research. Plus, 4 of the properties which had been presented as benchmark were defined, enabling for the
analysis on the firms which were considered as efficient. The study allowed one to state that a positive
correlation between managerial abilities and technical efficiency does exist. However, one could also observe
that the properties which showed to be technically efficient did not present specific features related to the
managerial ability. The observed differencials were those resulting from a longer managerial experience as
well as from the feeling which leads to correct decision-making. One single factor, considered preponderant
for such matter, was the inexistence of integration in one single activity in all the efficient properties, a fact
which was not observed in the inefficient ones. Another fact observed was a considerable lack of
administrative maturity, generated mainly by insufficient instruction, and the lack of a sistemic visualization
of the business.