Daniel Carvalho de Rezende

Redes interorganizacionais horizontais vistas como sistemas adaptativos complexos coevolutivos: o caso de uma rede de supermercados

Abstract This paper seeks to understand the phenomenon of horizontal interorganizational networks (HINs). For this purpose, the framework of complex adaptive systems (CASs) and coevolution was used, both approaches based on the Complexity Theory. The objective is to identify basic features of a complex adaptive system, present in a horizontal interorganizational network of supermarkets in southern Minas Gerais. A qualitative case study was carried out on the retail purchase network, referred to in this study as the Omega Network. It was found that this network is a system formed by the coevolutive process of its agents, whose basic objective is to promote their competitiveness. This process has resulted in increased operational effectiveness of the agents and learning, which results in collective and individual innovations. The results also indicate the presence of elements of self-organization in the Omega Network. The research results have implications for the understanding of competitiveness within the networks and the importance of learning and innovation in its development. The work also paves the way for new studies of networks as organizational evolving systems.

Eating-out and experiential consumption: a typology of experience providers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe generic eating out experiences that can be provided by commercial eating out establishments, presenting a typology of experience providers. Design/methodology/approach – The research carried out sought to make an understanding of the experiential environments in which eating-out is performed, as well as the experiences that it seeks to produce, and was conducted from a market-orientated ethnography in selected markets from the UK and Brazil. Findings – Six ideal models of service providers, according to the main characteristics of the stimulus provided by the service encounter, were identified: authentic, relaxed, “all you can eat”, “as home”, efficient and distinction environment. The diversity of food service environments is somehow an answer to the diversity of customers and expectations regarding eating-out. The access of different social classes to eating-out opens the space for more variety, and the creativity that food service managers have on buil...

Politics in food markets: alternative modes of qualification and engaging

Consumers are increasingly practicing an alternative model of politics when they make food choices influenced by civic concerns. The new markets that emerge in this context carry specific modes of qualification that makes food products valuable not only for their intrinsic properties, but also for features associated with their production and distribution. This paper aims to describe the different modes of political qualification and consumer engagement that operate in food markets based on secondary data collected in papers, books, certification norms, and websites. Three distinct “political food markets” are identified: a) Fair Trade; b) sustainable agriculture; and c) vegetarian. Whilst the latter is based on a boycott of “bad” products, the other two focus on “good” alternatives. Different types of political engagement are associated to these markets, ranging from a delegation form in Fair Trade, empowered consumption in sustainable agriculture, to a lifestyle engagement regarding vegetarianism. Market devices such as certification play a major role in the growth of these markets, but also affect the type of engagement that is solicited from consumers.

A Construção de Estratégias Competitivas Explorando Diferentes Abordagens Dinâmicas

Buscou-se a combinacao de duas correntes teoricas nao conflitantes (evolucionistas e neo-institucionalistas) com as contribuicoes de Michael Porter, na busca de novos elementos que auxiliem na compreensao das estrategias das firmas. Nesse sentido, aprofundou-se a discussao acerca do conceito de coerencia, que emerge como um doa mais importantes na compreensao do processo historico de formacao de competencias tecnologicas, o que restringe as estrategias de diversificacao e ajuda na definicao das fronteiras das firmas e nas estrategias de arranjos e parcerias inter-firmas na busca da vantagem competitiva, ressaltando-se a importância da inovacao como elemento vital nessa busca.

The brand new Brazilian specialty coffee market

ABSTRACT In Brazil, specialty coffee is a burgeoning market, stimulated by product-related events, research and opening of specialized coffee shops. However, there is a paucity of public domain information and statistics about Brazilian specialty coffee consumers’ characteristics and buying behavior. Through a descriptive and quantitative research, based on 834 self-administered questionnaires analyzed through descriptive and multivariate statistics, this paper builds a general profile of the Brazilian specialty coffee consumer. Furthermore, it verifies the applicability of the ‘connoisseurship’ and ‘third wave’ concepts to the national market and identifies three distinct consumer groups – regular consumers, enthusiasts, and experts – that differ by their level of interest and engagement with specialty coffee, shown by their product acquisition criteria and consumption motivations. There were similarities between Brazilian connoisseurs and coffee professionals, here combined in the same cluster and named ‘experts’, which leads to important questions about the current context of the Brazilian specialty coffee market.

Calculation, qualculation, calqulation: em um mercado de alimentação local

As feiras sao usadas para promover o mercado de alimentacao local. Este estudo foi desenvolvido na “Feira Livre do Produtor”, em Sao Joao Del-Rei, Minas Gerais, sob inspiracao da teoria ator-rede (TAR) e o consequente desdobramento conceitual, agenciamento. O objetivo foi descrever o calculo de valor realizado em relacao aos alimentos. Foram feitas entrevistas, analise documental, observacao e analise de conteudo do material coletado. A pesquisa demonstrou uma variedade de calculos, quantitativos-qualitativos-coletivos (Cochoy, 2010) que agem na atribuicao de preco. Os resultados revelaram que e possivel estudar preco sem, no entanto, demonstrar variaveis numericas, que os custos dos produtos sao pouco considerados pelos feirantes, que a comparacao de precos entre feirantes, preco no atacado e no varejo agem fortemente sobre o calculo. Portanto, os diversos agentes e agencias calculativas se confrontam e e complexo delimitar os limites de cada um.

A VNS approach for book marketing campaigns generated with quasi-bicliques probabilities

Abstract This paper focuses on Book Marketing Campaigns, where the benefit of offering each book is calculated based on a bipartite graph (biclique). A quasi Biclique problem is assessed for obtaining the probabilities of success of a given client buy a given book, considering it had received another book as free offer. The remaining optimization decision problem can be solved following the Targeted Offers Problem in Direct Marketing Campaigns. The main objective is to maximize the feedback of customers purchases, offering books to the set of customers with the highest probability of buying others ones from its biclique and, at the same time, minimizing campaign operational costs. Given the combinatorial nature of the problem and the large volume of data, which can involve real cases with up to one million customers, metaheuristics procedures have been used as an efficient way for solving it. Here, a hybrid trajectory search based algorithm, namely GGVNS, which combines the Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures and General Variable Neighborhood Search, is used. The strategy for generating the quasi Biclique problem is described and a new instance generator for the TOPDMC is introduced. Computational results regarding the GGVNS algorithm shows it is able to find useful and profitable sets of clients.

O “cidadão hedonista”: diálogos sobre consumo e cidadania na sociedade contemporânea

This paper aims to understand the challenges that hyperconsumerism poses for participatory citizenship in Brazilian society from the perspective of theories that seek to understand the implications of the key role played by consumption in contemporary society. The inspiration for this study has been government policies that have encouraged the acquiring of bank accounts and the promotion of easier access to credit as well as the creation of income distribution plans, and their potential impact on participatory citizenship. In methodological terms, this paper is a theoretical essay. In terms of its results, it points out that the creation of a hedonistic consumer culture in our society may lead to the emphasizing of individualism at the expense of collective demands. That is, public policies implemented during this period may have indirectly, as one of their consequences, stimulated citizenship by inclusion through consumption, which is regarded as an unequal, depoliticizing, and alienating construction of citizenship. Therefore, while social inclusion through consumption may minimize some of the social inequalities present in this country, it may also lead to the confusing of participatory citizenship with mere monetary inclusion in the consumer market. This form of inclusion may contribute to the diminishing of the differences between the social classes through consumption, but it also frequently just provides these people with the illusion of being in a higher class and that they can enjoy the benefits that this class has to offer.