Journal of Contemporary Administration

The Contribution of Administration to Thinking and Acting on Cities

Carolina Andion — 2024-07-11

Considering the enormous challenges cities face due to the climate crisis dramatically and urgently affecting Brazil, as seen recently in Rio Grande do Sul, in this editorial we discuss the administration’s contributions in reflecting and acting on urban management and governance. RAC has pioneered addressing conceptual boundaries, interdisciplinary approaches, and the relationship between theory and practice, valuing knowledge production that can help confront contemporary challenges. In this context, discussing the role of administration and its contribution to urban management is essential to inspire professors, researchers, and professionals in our field to co-create more resilient, fair, and sustainable cities.

The Impact of Payments for Environmental Services in the Atlantic Forest: A Geospatial Study

Ricardo Cerveira — 2024-06-26

Objective: this study aimed at understanding the impact of payment for environmental services (PES) programs in relation to environmental indicators in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. Theoretical approach: the literary framework included three topics of discussion: payment for environmental services, program evaluation, and theory of change. In a broader way, the theme of evaluating programs in the agricultural area was articulated, considering the precepts of the theory of change. Method: geospatial data on land use, between 2016 and 2021, and amounts paid under the PES program with rural producers were collected to evaluate the impact on the increase or decrease in degraded and recovered areas. Data analysis included multivariate statistics, more specifically the comparison between groups and the relationship between variables through multiple linear regression. Results: the empirical results highlight that there is a significant difference in the increase in areas under recovery between producers who received PES values and producers not participating in this program. As for the types of PES, the one that pays for improvements in land use contributed most to the increase in the area under recovery. Conclusions: the study shows that evaluation methods for PES must be increasingly complex and measurable, as there are several possibilities for impacts depending on the objective of the program. The results are relevant to the theoretical, practical, and social spheres, in addition to helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Markets Interaction: Food Market Interdefinition Agencing

Karim Marini Thome — 2024-07-10

Objective: in order to collaborate with the ongoing research program on how markets intersect and overlap, this theoretical essay introduces the notion of market interdefinition agencing. Theoretical framework: the theoretical framework draws on previous constructivist market studies on the process of framing, overflowing, translation, and agencing in a market interaction context. Methods: to illustrate the market interdefinition agencing, this article uses a theoretical essay on slow and fast food markets. Results: this essay depicts how slow food can be seen as an overflow in opposition to fast food framing, agencing opposite sociotechnical elements for the construction of this new frame, and how slow food also contributes
to a new fast food frame. Conclusion: first, this essay shows that both food markets entangle and disentangle sociotechnical elements that move away from or closer to each other, translating and agencing their sociotechnical arrangements. Second, market interdefinition agencing is delineated as a process of market interrelation that happens through the capacity of actors to shape markets, where a previous market is used as a reference to influence another market frame.

Entrepreneurial Experiences of Female Entrepreneurs in the Maldives: From Concept to Implementation and Beyond

Aishath Sinaau — 2024-07-10

Objective: the number of women-owned SMEs in the Maldives has increased as a result of the recent popularity of e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the entrepreneurial experiences of female entrepreneurs in the Maldives in order to gain an understanding of the various stages of entrepreneurial process. Theoretical approach: the conceptual framework of this research was based theoretically on values derived from entrepreneurial theories and the components and features derived from the existing entrepreneurial process models. Method: this study employed a qualitative methodology, with semi-structured interviews conducted with five established female entrepreneurs. Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis method. Results: the study’s findings revealed that the conception of the entrepreneurial idea, the first stage of the entrepreneurial process, was primarily inspired by the entrepreneur’s passion and hobby. In the second stage, it was discovered that no proper business planning had been completed, and the business was initially self-financed. In the third stage, it was discovered that the majority of entrepreneurs launched their businesses through social media and managed day-to-day operations as a small team. When it came to fourth stage, most of female entrepreneurs preferred both image and financial growth, with the majority of them relying on government funds for further business growth. Conclusion: this research will assist policymakers to gain insight into female entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial experiences and, as a result, in developing effective policies and programs to help them expand their business.

Network as A Strategy to Break Silos and Promote Open Innovation

Aurélio Martins Favarin — 2024-07-01

Objectives: The central objective of this paper is to propose and test a model for the development of network governance structures to respond to the silo effect in the innovation management process in a large research organization. Method: A case study was used with the objective of building a governance model that could address the problems derived from the silo effect. To achieve the objective, validation workshops were held, with teams being challenged to reflect on the mechanisms and basic rules used to assemble the model. Results: The efforts made to inhibit the silo effect in the organization investigated were successful. Internal events were held to exchange knowledge between research centers, which resulted in greater stimulation of connections between these and other actors throughout the innovation ecosystem. Conclusions: The governance model adopted to mitigate the problems derived from the silo effect proved to be effective in promoting interaction between research centers on issues related to open innovation. The model, supported by mechanisms and basic rules inserted in the key actions, proved to be efficient in promoting a more intense relationship between the research units of the institution studied, resulting in new network actions.

Frugal Innovation and Sustainability in the Footwear Sector

Ismael Rodrigo Specht — 2024-05-27

Objective: this article aims to analyze how footwear companies can innovate frugally in convergence with the principles of sustainability. This objective was achieved based on studies that observe the relationship between sustainability and frugal innovation, with an emphasis on bricolage strategies, from a perspective of applicability in the footwear industry, as it is a sector with high environmental impact. Method: the research uses design science research, and made use of a field diary, for greater depth of understanding of the footwear environment, as well as secondary analysis of documents on the internet and transcribed interviews with the seven experts. Results: the study managed to propose two action artifacts, one of them a frugal and sustainable sneaker artifact, and, as a second action artifact, it realized the need for collaborative and constant action between universities and companies in the search for frugal and sustainable solutions, which can benefit both companies, through profitable results, and the university, through longitudinal research and production of articles. Conclusions: the footwear industry yearns for low-cost (frugal) innovations that are at the same time sustainable, and demonstrates capacity and interest in meeting social and political demands for sustainable actions; in order to achieve this, greater proximity to the university presents itself as a collaboration that can produce benefits for both, with side effects of positive impact on environmental initiatives, society, and government policies.