Article by ESEG professors wins award at the largest Management congress in Latin America.

Professors Aline Barbosa and Marcello Romani were awarded at the XLIII ANPAD Meeting – EnANPAD 2019 for a scientific article in the field of Organizational Studies. The event, which took place from October 2nd to 5th, is a space for dialogue between researchers and academics and, in this sense, prioritizes and encourages in-depth debate and interaction among participants.

The evaluation of the papers takes into account the quality of the text, the structure and especially the theme, the social contribution, the scope and the impact it promotes. Only 30% of the submitted papers are approved to be included in the congress proceedings. “The event is a showcase. The best schools in the country, with a tradition of research, are there. And ESEG was represented, which, for us, is very gratifying,” said Professor Aline Barbosa. 

EnANPAD provides an opportunity for exchange among researchers, in order to leverage training and strengthen research networks. It is the main Administration congress in Latin America and is second only to the Academy of Management in the United States. “Our article was among the three selected in the Organizational Studies division, which had approximately 300 approved articles,” said Romani. The subtopic of the work, entitled “Objectification and Commodification of Women: Gender Violence in the Brazilian University Context,” was Organizational Crime, which investigates, studies, and analyzes relationships within companies.

Part of Professor Aline Barbosa's doctoral thesis, the article was produced between December 2018 and January 2019. “I started the thesis in the first semester of 2017 and finished in 2019. It was a two-and-a-half-year process,” she said. “To transform the thesis into an article, we did a lot of work rewriting the paragraphs, rethinking the logic, and providing a foundation,” added Romani. Regarding the challenges in producing the article, the ESEG professor emphasizes the need to go beyond descriptive work: “It is necessary to contribute not only to practice, but also to theory and literature.”.

The scientific output of the ESEG faculty is consistent. Professors from all areas develop articles, participate in conferences, and publish study results in national and international journals. “If you go through this process of scientific investigation, your rigor, including in the classroom, increases. You base yourself on different sources. So, the process isn't just research,” explained Romani.

ESEG supports faculty members with conference registrations and strong incentives for undergraduate research, connecting students and professors in the development of research. The discoveries made and the technological advances generated from this scientific investigation are presented at conferences and recognized with awards by important scientific bodies.

For undergraduate students, engaging with science is one way to stand out in the academic world and the job market. “Every line on a resume counts. It could be participation in a conference, a scientific initiation project, an award-winning thesis. There's another, more pragmatic aspect: it increases the student's analytical capacity,” states Romani.

Regarding the challenges in producing the work, the authors highlighted the theme, the method, and the interviewees. “I adopted a research technique we call snowball sampling. Each interviewee would point me to another person. And with each interview, the challenge became greater,” recounts Aline. “Research seeks the truth of the facts; that's what it has to do,” adds Romani. Data collection, as well as triangulation and relativization of the research, are points highlighted by the PhDs in Administration as essential in producing good work.

Finally, the social relevance of the topic addressed contributes to winning the award. Harassment and violence against women in academic environments are already known phenomena, but when described in scientific literature they gain credibility and resonance: "When we talk academically about this subject, we show that it is still real," explains Aline. "By writing an article on this topic, we highlight that phenomenon," adds Romani. "We must go beyond triangulation on an interesting topic. We can do research on a topic that, to some extent, will bring insights to improve something. This is a huge challenge," concludes the professor.