João Paulo Bittencourt

Gerdau’s Men of Steel: A Unique Case of Leadership Development in Brazil

The goal of this chapter is to analyze the leadership development phenomenon in Brazil, a country facing historic challenges, including workforce qualification, low basic education levels, significant social inequality and infrastructure issues. We discuss the possibilities and challenges in leadership development based on the case of Gerdau, a Brazilian company that operates since 1901. Gerdau is the leading company in the long steel market. Internally, the company has developed, across many years, strategies, policies and practices that emphasize autonomy and self-management, experiencing potentialities and shortcomings associated with external influences and with traits of its own culture.

Challenges of Implementing Western Talent Development Models in a Collectivist Organizational Culture

The Problem In Brazilian business organizations, talent development (TD) programs are often based on models borrowed from Western countries. However, there are significant cultural barriers to successful implementation of such transplanted models. Research on TD in Brazil is scarce, especially, research on adoption of imported models and frameworks. The Solution This article is based on a case study of TD practices of a large Brazilian steel company that has a long history of human resource development (HRD) and a unique organizational culture. Our study suggests that this Brazilian company’s TD system is based on a combination of several well-known North American models. However, the implementation of the TD system that is based on meritocratic principles does not fully align with an organizational culture characterized by high power distance, paternalism, collectivism, and the emphasis on personal relationships over merit. We suggest ways of addressing the identified misalignments and point out the necessity of tropicalizing the implementation of TD models, which implies embracing Brazilian cultural traits and contexts. The Stakeholders The main audience for this article includes executives, managers, and HRD professionals executing TD strategies in organizations from emerging market economies and/or in firms doing business in emerging markets. In addition, the article will be of interest to scholars specializing in international HRD and talent development.

Participação cidadã na formulação da política pública do esporte catarinense

The present study investigates the process of citizen participation in public sports-related policy-making in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its purpose is therefore characterized as work of descriptive research. The analyzed period begins in 1992 and extends until the year 2006 and a case study method is used. Data collection was performed using different techniques relevant to the case study method, namely, participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentary research. The results showed that although the main social actors participating in the drafting of public policy had already previously been engaged in the process of public policy-making, some citizen participation did exist in a cooperative form and in the involvement of public collegiate bodies.

Citizen participation in public sports-related policy-making in Santa Catarina state

The present study investigates the process of citizen participation in public sports-related policy-making in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its purpose is therefore characterized as work of descriptive research. The analyzed period begins in 1992 and extends until the year 2006 and a case study method is used. Data collection was performed using different techniques relevant to the case study method, namely, participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentary research. The results showed that although the main social actors participating in the drafting of public policy had already previously been engaged in the process of public policy-making, some citizen participation did exist in a cooperative form and in the involvement of public collegiate bodies.

La participación ciudadana en la formulación de la política pública del deporte catarinense

The present study investigates the process of citizen participation in public sports-related policy-making in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its purpose is therefore characterized as work of descriptive research. The analyzed period begins in 1992 and extends until the year 2006 and a case study method is used. Data collection was performed using different techniques relevant to the case study method, namely, participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentary research. The results showed that although the main social actors participating in the drafting of public policy had already previously been engaged in the process of public policy-making, some citizen participation did exist in a cooperative form and in the involvement of public collegiate bodies.

Implementação de um centro de serviços compartilhados de recursos humanos: Estratégia de uma multinacional brasileira em contexto de fusão

The aim of this research was to analyze the process of implementation and management of the Shared Services Center for Human Resources, in a multinational company in the context of mergers and acquisitions. The company analyzed was called here Alpha, and is one of the largest food companies in the country that was born of a merger between Beta and Delta in 2008. The CSC may constitute a tool for strategic management of HR that allows repositioning of the role of the area in order to be more strategic at corporate level and more profitable at the operating level. The research was based on a descriptive and exploratory study of qualitative approach. Among the results, there is the fact that shared services were strategic to support, standardize and ensure the expansion of the company. The challenges found were associated with the development of a culture of service and the relationship with users and the definition of HR activities scope. The following management procedures include the adequacy of wage differences between employees, the career path limitation and the need to attract and retain talent and international expansion.