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PurposeThis paper reviews the academic contributions that have emerged to date on the broad definition of farm-level management information systems (MISs). The purpose is twofold: (1) to identify the theories used in the literature to study the adoption of digital technologies and (2) to identify the drivers of and barriers to the adoption of such technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe literature review was based on a comprehensive review of contributions published in the 1998–2019 period. The search was both automated and manual, browsing through references of works previously found via high-quality digital libraries.FindingsDiffusion of innovations (DOIs) is the most frequently used theoretical framework in the literature reviewed, though it is often combined with other innovation adoption theories. In addition, farms’ and farmers’ traits, together with technological features, play a key role in explaining the adoption of these technologies.Research limitations/implicationsSo far, research has positioned the determinants of digital technology adoption mainly within the boundaries of the farm.Practical implicationsOn the practical level, the extensive determinants’ review has potential to serve the aim of policymakers and technology industries, to clearly and thoroughly understand adoption dynamics and elaborate specific strategies to deal with them.Originality/valueThis study’s contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the farm-level adoption of digital technologies is twofold: (1) it combines smart farming and existing technologies within the same category of farm-level MIS and (2) it extends the analysis to studies which not only focus directly on adoption but also on software architecture design and development.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main factors influencing agri-food small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participation in business networks and to evaluate the impacts of these factors on network structure and the ensuing competitive strategy. Design/methodology/approach The study is articulated in four main steps. First, a critical literature review is conducted concerning the main approaches to firm competitive advantage and the role of stakeholder relationships. Then, three research questions are formulated and discussed in the light of two case studies describing the implementation of an innovative contractual solution in Italy (i.e. business network contracts). Finally, based on these findings, a set of more general “propositions” are stated and included in a provisional conceptual model that schematically depicts an integrated vision of the antecedents and mechanisms influencing SMEs business network structure and competitive strategy. Findings The study results pointed out the opportunity to adopt an integrated approach, combining resource-based view and stakeholder causal scope approaches. The provisional conceptual model proposed illustrates the role of both external and internal resources and relational constructs to shaping network structure and competitive strategy. Originality/value The study’s contribution is twofold. First, the empirical study shed light on opportunities and limits of two business networks with different backgrounds, approaches and outcomes towards value creation. Second, the conceptual framework proposed advances our understanding and knowledge of the factors and mechanisms influencing SMEs business network structure and competitive strategy.