Abstract Purpose: This study examines the career trajectories of women aspiring to leadership positions in financial sector organizations and identifies the challenges they face due to the social construction of gender, drawing on the concept of sustainable careers. Originality/value: The findings help address gaps in the dominant literature on sustainable careers, which has thus far offered limited exploration of gender-based barriers in professional trajectories and insufficiently considered the specificities of the South American labor market. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study with 19 Brazilian women working in the financial sector who aspire to leadership roles. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, which were subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Findings: The study identifies several key challenges: difficulties in gaining credibility and securing approval from male colleagues; self-imposed pressure, feelings of inferiority, and a consequent need for heightened career dedication to overcome these barriers; the reconciliation of multiple roles, particularly the work–life dilemma; the motherhood penalty, including the postponement or even avoidance of pregnancy in favor of career advancement; and constant comparison with men in relation to “expected” attitudes and roles within the gendered division of labor. Contributions/implications: Theoretically, this study advances the sustainable careers literature by providing empirical evidence grounded in its conceptual foundations. As practical implications, the identified gender inequalities and discriminatory practices provide a basis for developing organizational policies and practices. Issues such as sexual harassment, delayed promotions favoring equally qualified male professionals, underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, and the preference for hiring younger women without children are critical areas for intervention. Furthermore, these insights align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 (Gender Equality), reinforcing the study’s theoretical and practical relevance.
Abstract Objective: To verify whether attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (components of the theory of planned behavior), as well as organizational entrenchment, are predictors of the intention to leave a federal public company. Originality/value: This is the first Brazilian study to use the complete model of the theory of planned behavior, together with organizational entrenchment, to explain the formation of the intention to leave a public company. Design/methodology/approach: Cross-sectional survey approach. The sample of 535 professionals from the National Supply Company (CONAB) was recruited nationwide. The data was analyzed using two multiple linear regression models. Results: One of the regression models indicated that attitudes (measured using a job satisfaction scale), subjective norms, and organizational entrenchment predict the intention to leave CONAB. The regression model, including the dimensions of the constructs, showed that satisfaction with the nature of the work, satisfaction with promotions, limited alternative jobs, and subjective norms are predictors of the intention to leave the organization. This second model explained 50.95% of the variance in the intention to leave CONAB, a high percentage. Contribution/implications: The study increases the internal precision of the perceived behavioral control scale in the context of the intention to leave a public organization. Some factors can be managed, at least in part, to prevent good public employees from deciding to resign; these include job design, a promotion policy that truly values merit (and not just length of service), and the positive perception of family members and people of importance to the employee regarding the significance and value of public service.
Abstract Purpose: Understanding how stakeholders of a governmental regulatory entity exert influence in processes of gradual and transformative institutional change. Originality/value: It combines stakeholder theory and the theory of gradual and transformative institutional change, characterizing actors simultaneously as stakeholders and agents of institutional change. The study advances by analyzing how regulated entities influence the regulatory entity and form associations to increase their influence. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study adopted a case study on the regulation of socio-environmental responsibility in the Brazilian Financial System (Sistema Financeiro Nacional [SFN). Primary data were collected through ten in-depth interviews with actors directly involved in the case, and secondary data were gathered from publicly accessible documents from the Central Bank of Brazil (Banco Central do Brasil [BCB]). Content analysis was conducted using codes developed based on the study’s theoretical framework. Findings: It was observed that stakeholders sought to maximize their relevance and prevalence of their interests by forming associations, which accumulate the attributes of their members (power, legitimacy, and urgency) and represent them to the regulatory body, which also benefits from the reduced number of relationships it needs to manage. Additionally, different stakeholders adopted distinct strategies of institutional change throughout the process (displacement, drift, conversion, and layering), according to their perception of the level of discretion in the interpretation and implementation of the regulation and the possibilities of veto.
Abstract Purpose: Collective decision-making is the process of making a decision means of a group. With the unavailability of sufficient legislation to support some decisions, collective decision-making demands a better understanding of how to make decisions by heading towards finding correct and fair solutions to them. The aim of the study is to help better understand how such collective ethics decisions are made in light of the Aristotelian ethics paradigm (phronesis) through an empirical study in a university council. Originality/value: Joint reflections and plural judgments, which often take place in decision-making meetings in councils, help achieving the ethical deliberative reasoning supporting collective phronesis. The originality of this study is to bring reflections on how organizations can proceed to maintain ethical collective decisions, and also by highlighting how decisions are made in a university council. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative empirical research on collective decision in a university council, from a Brazilian Federal University, has shown a sort of collectively built phronesis. Through observations and interviews, we researched counselors and analyzed the information recalling counselors’ actions and relating them to the observed context. Findings: We talked about how the collective decision-making phenomenon takes place by bearing in mind its association with and addition to ethical reasoning. Ethical collective decision-making is socially built because it concerns a joint sense of morality. Collective judgment results from interactive and dynamic processes. Contribution/implication: The theoretical contribution is based on building the concept of collective phronesis. A practical contribution lies on reflections about collective decision-making and efficient management of processes involving the council.
Abstract Purpose: This article aims to describe the development of a technological artifact using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to optimize traceability in the beef supply chain through blockchain. This article addresses a critical gap in the beef supply chain: the lack of robust technological mechanisms for effective traceability. It explores blockchain as a promising alternative to strengthen transparency and foster trust within the agri-food sector. The study details the development of a blockchain-based technological artifact, emphasizing its functionalities, document integration, and simulation results. The system demonstrates enhanced security, visibility, and reliability throughout the production chain. The explanatory core of the research rests on blockchain’s capacity to mitigate fraud and inefficiencies through its inherent decentralization, immutability, and auditability. These features underpin the observed improvements in trust and efficiency. The study describes the demand for traceability within the Brazilian context, in which beef production assumes a strategic role in agribusiness and global exports. It highlights how social and economic pressure justify the adoption of blockchain to ensure safety and credibility. The findings suggest potential scalability of the proposed solution to other food sectors and its applicability to public policies related to auditing and regulatory control, under similar conditions of transparency and traceability. The study advances beyond theoretical analysis by introducing a technological artifact capable of transforming practices in the beef supply chain, thereby improving efficiency and reliability through a scientifically rigorous design approach. Originality/value: The study addresses a relevant problem in the agricultural supply chain, offering an innovative solution to guarantee data security, transparency, and reliability, from the source to the end consumer. The application of blockchain in the Brazilian context is an unprecedented contribution, promoting significant improvements in the visibility and control of beef production. Design/methodology/approach: The research used the DSR methodology, which is characterized by the creation of a technological artifact to solve complex and relevant problems. The development of the artifact followed seven main guidelines, including the relevance of the problem, methodological rigor, and design evaluation. For data analysis, traceability simulations and validation of the integrated system were used in order to test the practical feasibility of the proposed solution. Findings: The results show an advance in automation and data security, from the identification of animals to the issuing of tax documents, reinforcing consumer confidence and efficiency of the process. The findings advance a practical solution for enhancing traceability across the food chain, with scalability potential to other sectors and applicability to public policy and auditing frameworks.
