As dimensões da sustentabilidade nas relações de poder: O Comércio Justo no setor alimentício brasileiro

• Autor(a) principal: Schmitt, Valentina Gomes Haensel
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional do FGV (FGV Repositório Digital)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10438/9371
• topic: Power; Sustainability; Fair trade; Food sector; Brazil; Poder; Sustentabilidade; Comércio justo; Setor alimentício; Brasil; Administração de empresas; Poder (Ciências sociais); Comportamento organizacional; Desenvolvimento sustentável; Agricultura sustentada

This research aimed to describing and explaining how economic, social and environmental dimensions influence on power relations, within the certified Brazilian Fair Trade food sector. The present thesis is that sustainability dimensions – economic, social and environmental – influence on power relations on organizations, with distinct impacts. The theoretical background to analyze power relations evolved the conjugation of theories of dependence of resources, bounded rationality, transaction costs and relation amongst power and justice. The study demonstrates how the mentioned dimensions intervene and, thus the analysis is composed by: 1. conflicts along Fair Trade´s insertion in Brazil; 2. the structuring of networks and partnerships; 4. the use of discourses; 5. the role of technologies and resources; 6. price; 7. the understanding about justice. The study is characterized as qualitative, being descriptive and interpretative. The data collection involved: 1. bibliographical, documental and internet researches – specially by the use of google alerts tool; 3. interviews; and 4. field research. Sample was composed by nineteen representatives from organizations inserted on the certified food producers context. Data collection had a longitudinal approach. Discursive analysis from the interview content was done and it resulted from readings and triangulations between research objectives, theoretical background and found results. It was concluded that there is partiality on the relations, which are affected mostly by economic dimension interferences. The dependence of resources allows the existence of asymmetrical relations. Technologies and knowledge, due to social dimension, are tools to: 1. reduce differences among actors; 2. offer an effective differential, which is not supported only by certification. Configuration of organizations, partnerships and networks is liable to asymmetries reduction, when people's need and specific knowledge are understood; and, therefore, the relevance of social dimension. Environmental variable is relevant, chiefly in terms of resources and productive processes. However, the environmental dimension generates higher interferences when there is: 1. awareness about its relevance; 2. social and market demands for processes adaptations. Nonetheless, environmental interferences on power relations are generated mostly, from the social and economic dimensions. Therefore, we conclude that the mentioned thesis is validated, since there is distinction of impact and interferences of sustainability dimensions, on power relations among the studied organizations.