T. Diana L. van Aduard de Macedo-Soares

Strategic Implications of Alliances and Other Linkages of Leading Telecom Operators in Brazil: Network and International Perspectives

ABSTRACT In response to competitive pressures created by privatization, telecom firms in developing countries are establishing alliances and other types of linkages—mergers and acquisitions—with foreign partners to ensure customer competitive advantages in global markets. However, there have been very few studies on the alliances of telecom operators in Brazil, an increasingly important BRIC. This article presents the results of research that aimed to fill this gap by identifying, from a network/international perspective, the opportunities/threats created by the relevant linkages of leading telecom operators in Brazil. The results suggest that acquisitions—and especially alliance-type linkages with foreign partners—have created opportunities for boosting performance, in keeping with their new strategic profile.ABSTRACT In response to competitive pressures created by privatization, telecom firms in developing countries are establishing alliances and other types of linkages—mergers and acquisitions—with foreign partners to ensure customer competitive advantages in global markets. However, there have been very few studies on the alliances of telecom operators in Brazil, an increasingly important BRIC. This article presents the results of research that aimed to fill this gap by identifying, from a network/international perspective, the opportunities/threats created by the relevant linkages of leading telecom operators in Brazil. The results suggest that acquisitions—and especially alliance-type linkages with foreign partners—have created opportunities for boosting performance, in keeping with their new strategic profile.

Redes e alianças estratégicas no Brasil: caso CVRD

No cenario atual de competicao, as empresas tem estabelecido um numero crescente de aliancas e redes para complementar seus recursos, reduzir incertezas e sustentar sua vantagem competitiva. Este artigo pretende evidenciar a importância de levar em conta na gestao estrategica de empresas que atuam em redes de aliancas as implicacoes destas redes para sua conduta e desempenho. Tem foco na maior exportadora brasileira que e lider mundial da industria de minerio de ferro - a Cia Vale do Rio Doce - usando uma metodologia de estudo de caso e um novo ferramental de analise estrategica sob a perspectiva relacional. Com base em pesquisa bibliografica, documental e de campo, mostra que esta perspectiva pode trazer novos subsidios valiosos para o planejamento estrategico da empresa, ao revelar implicacoes, em termos de oportunidades, ameacas, forcas e fraquezas das caracteristicas das suas redes, que atenuam, neutralizam ou exacerbam aquelas identificadas por analises estrategicas tradicionais.

Avaliação econômica de projetos de transporte: melhores práticas e recomendações para o Brasil

This article presents the results of an extensive documental research and literature review of worldwide procedures for economic project appraisal, and identifies best practices and state-of-the-art techniques in this area, as well as the criteria adopted in Brazil for this purpose. In the light of international benchmarks, it makes recommendations for improvements in the use of these methods in Brazil regarding the appraisal of safety measures, time savings benefits and social development that result from transportation-related infrastructure projects.

Implementing Quality Improvement Strategies in Brazilian Hospitals: A Model for Guidance of the Initial Stage of Implementation

Since the early 1990s, Brazilian hospitals have increasingly adopted quality improvement strategies with a view to attending more demanding customers and to the higher performance standards required by the Ministry of Health. However, most efforts have not been successful, partly because hospitals lack adequate methodologies, namely implementation models. This paper presents a two-stage model to help Brazilian hospitals deploy such strategies more effectively. It focusses on the development and pilot-test of the model for the buy-in stage. Distinctive features of the model were found to be critical for results at this stage: 1) An ad hoc structure to manage the changes involved; 2) A performance measurement system to lever and monitor its implementation, while aligning the actions taken with strategy objectives. Other aspects found to be crucial for success were creative application of model elements to the culture of the hospital and to Brazilian contingencies.

O lock-in estratégico em relacionamentos inter- organizacionais: o caso da Dataprev

Alliances and strategic networks gained prominence in the field of business administration, being viewed as a means for acquiring resources that provide a sustainable competitive advantage. In this context, competition occurs between groups that form a strategic network. However, commitment to the network can also create problems for a company. This happens when the company ceases to do business because the relationship causes restrictions to the change process, maintaining the firm in what is called a lock-in situation. This article describes the case of Dataprev, a state owned company specialized in information technology services, which decides to change its strategy with respect to its partnership with a supplier, but, because this relationship has created a lock-in situation, it cannot implement the new strategy within the necessary time-frame. The research was conducted by way of a documental investigation as well as interviews with company managers from May to June 2007. While making evident the difficulty to implement the new strategy due to this lock-in situation, it provided insights lessons for companies in similar situations.

Strategic alliances of shopping centers in Brazil: network perspective

Purpose The shopping center (SC) industry in emerging countries has grown fast over the past decade; however, recently, it is showing signs of slowing down. Nevertheless, some SC-companies perform well. As those firms operate in alliance networks, relational opportunities and risks should be considered in their strategic analyses. Although there is a significant amount of research on SC from a marketing perspective, there is a dearth of research on strategic alliances from an SC management perspective. This paper aims at answering the following question: How do characteristics of the alliance networks of leading SC-companies contribute to their success by mitigating the structural threats the SC-industry in Brazil is facing? Design The case study method was adopted for analyzing two leading Brazilian SC-companies. Several data sources were used to allow for data triangulation. The lack of literature on strategic alliances and the SC-industry, as well as the research’s exploratory nature, justified this choice. Findings The research made evident that the SC-companies’ alliance network characteristics not only mitigate some of the structural industry threats but also enhance opportunities. It illustrated how firms can conduct a strategic analysis from a network perspective with the right tools. It also made evident how much more accurate the results of a comprehensive relational analysis are compared with traditional analyses that do not consider the strategic implications of relational factors. Practical implications The research contributed to SC management by highlighting the importance of taking into account the network characteristics of their relationships with key partners and of considering these as alliances and not merely contractual arrangements. Originality/value There is a dearth of research on the strategic implications of alliances of firms that own and manage a portfolio of SCs, as well as of their relationships with other actors in the industry, such as retailers and real estate owners, from a network perspective.

Alianças estratégicas no setor de autopeças: o caso forjas brasileiras

The objective of the present article is to contribute to studies of the management of firms that enter into alliances, focusing on the issue of the latters strategic implications - opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses - given their relational characteristics. The article focuses on the case of a Brazilian firm in the automotive industry - Forjas Brasileiras (FB) - that, in 1999, decided to establish two strategic alliances with foreign firms. It seeks to answer the following question: is the firms competitive strategy adequate for its current competitive context, considering its strategic alliances with foreign firms? The data of the study at issue in this article was collected using various methods in accordance with the methodology proposed by Yin (1994) for case studies. To assess strategic fit, the research adopted conceptual tools developed by Macedo-Soares (2002) to carry out analyses from a relational perspective, i.e. considering a firms relationships and their impact on its management and performance. The results of this study demonstrated the importance of conducting strategic planning from a relational perspective, in the case of firms that have established alliances, illustrating how it can provide new insights for business decision-making that could not be obtained through traditional analyses that do not contemplate the strategic implications of alliances.

Redes y alianzas estratégicas en el Brasil: caso CVRD

No cenario atual de competicao, as empresas tem estabelecido um numero crescente de aliancas e redes para complementar seus recursos, reduzir incertezas e sustentar sua vantagem competitiva. Este artigo pretende evidenciar a importância de levar em conta na gestao estrategica de empresas que atuam em redes de aliancas as implicacoes destas redes para sua conduta e desempenho. Tem foco na maior exportadora brasileira que e lider mundial da industria de minerio de ferro - a Cia Vale do Rio Doce - usando uma metodologia de estudo de caso e um novo ferramental de analise estrategica sob a perspectiva relacional. Com base em pesquisa bibliografica, documental e de campo, mostra que esta perspectiva pode trazer novos subsidios valiosos para o planejamento estrategico da empresa, ao revelar implicacoes, em termos de oportunidades, ameacas, forcas e fraquezas das caracteristicas das suas redes, que atenuam, neutralizam ou exacerbam aquelas identificadas por analises estrategicas tradicionais.

Networks and strategic alliances in Brazil: the CVRD case

No cenario atual de competicao, as empresas tem estabelecido um numero crescente de aliancas e redes para complementar seus recursos, reduzir incertezas e sustentar sua vantagem competitiva. Este artigo pretende evidenciar a importância de levar em conta na gestao estrategica de empresas que atuam em redes de aliancas as implicacoes destas redes para sua conduta e desempenho. Tem foco na maior exportadora brasileira que e lider mundial da industria de minerio de ferro - a Cia Vale do Rio Doce - usando uma metodologia de estudo de caso e um novo ferramental de analise estrategica sob a perspectiva relacional. Com base em pesquisa bibliografica, documental e de campo, mostra que esta perspectiva pode trazer novos subsidios valiosos para o planejamento estrategico da empresa, ao revelar implicacoes, em termos de oportunidades, ameacas, forcas e fraquezas das caracteristicas das suas redes, que atenuam, neutralizam ou exacerbam aquelas identificadas por analises estrategicas tradicionais.