Governance and strategy of undergraduate business programs in light of the actor-network theory

Abstract

In order to obtain a more accurate comprehension of organizations' strategizing and of the relations formed by actors and governance networks, this article intended to contribute to the theories used- Governance Networks, Strategy as a Social Practice, Strategic Outcomes and Actor-Network Theory - by delineating how the articulation of strategizing, as a process of translation, with governance network theory configures the governance and strategic outcomes of Business programs in private Higher Education Institutions in Curitiba (Parana, Brazil). The chosen research method was a comparative case study, by which five cases were studied and twenty-nine in-depth semi-structured interviews were held, besides non-participant observations and document analysis. Data analysis was developed through (a) Narrative Analysis and (b) Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Análise Qualitativa Comparativa [QCA]). The results showed that the strategizing process and the intertwining between human and nonhuman actors are essential to the comprehension of governance and strategic outcomes of the studied institutions. It is believed that the theoretical articulation undertaken in this paper and the empirical research findings form a consistent body of knowledge and elucidate current and relevant questions to understand nuances related to governance networks, strategy as practice, strategizing (and its outcomes) and sociomaterial issues (human and nonhuman actors).

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