I study the strategy and governance of organizations pursuing social impact, which encompass diverse actors such as impact-oriented private enterprises, public (state-owned) organizations, and public-private collaborations.
For a list of my publications and ongoing projects, please check my Google Scholar page and updated CV. I also occasionally post some comments on my LinkedIn page.
Below some new projects and highlights:
How Do Boards Entertain the Interests of Multiple Stakeholders?
There have been increasing calls to consider the interests of stakeholders (beyond shareholders) in high-level decision forums such as corporate boards. However, engaging multiple stakeholders in strategic decisions can be costly and even impractical when there is substantial divergence in opinions and preferences. This conceptual paper (with Vitor Freire and José Heleno Faro), recently accepted at the Strategic Management Journal, proposes feasible governance mechanisms to deal with the complications that arise with stakeholder-oriented decisions.
From Sustainable to Regenerative Production Systems
In this conceptual article, we outline the main drivers of sustainable systems that go beyond avoiding harm and promote the regeneration of social and natural environments. A practical application to food production systems can be seen in this report, which employs a "theory of change" approach to propose sustainability strategies.
Engaging Workers in the Gig Economy
Using data from sales teams in the cosmetics industry, we show that promoting the general skills of contract workers via corporate training increases their productivity and retention. Key to this result is to frame the training as a way to foster a long-term relationship. New paper with Thomaz Teodorovicz, Sandro Cabral and Anita McGahan accepted for publication in the Strategic Management Journal.
Private Entrepreneurs Need Capable Governments
In this new book I argue that privatization of critical public services is an option but cannot be framed as a way to replace ineffective governments. Rather, it requires the presence of capable governments setting clear goals, addressing potential hazards of private engagement, and exploring plural paths of improvement. Excerpts here and here.
Private-Like Public Organizations
Public organizations often underperform private firms, but the presence of skilled managers and workers fosters best practices and attenuates this gap. New paper accepted at Organization Science (with Thomaz Teodorovicz, Sandro Cabral and Leandro Nardi), comparing public and private schools in Brazil.
Some companies have engaged and shared rents with local communities in the Amazon rainforest to procure unique inputs. In this paper with Leandro Pongeluppe, Dirk Boehe and Michael Cook we argue that such strategies require strong moral guidelines complementing instrumental objectives to profit from those operations.
Monetizing Impact
In this report we compare alternative methodologies to assess the economic value of impact strategies, including a discussion of ethical dilemmas involved in the monetization of impact.