Agents identified with collective entrepreneurship distinguish themselves by the development of solutions that create value for the collectivity. However, the formation and survival of such organizations face many socioeconomic challenges. One alternative to fulfill this gap is the establishment of inter-organizational partnerships. The objective of this paper is to explore how the establishment of inter-organizational partnerships interferes in the promotion and development of a “socio-environmental, collective entrepreneurship”. To achieve this, case studies were performed in three organizations that produce handcrafts with natural raw materials. Data collected through primary and secondary sources were framed within a combination of theoretical approaches: collective entrepreneurship, solidarity economy and inter-organizational partnerships. Results show that the three cases had as main motivator public organizations with the mission of supporting socioenvironmental organizations. Those partnerships allow the mitigation of challenges related to commercialization, value added, administrative management, training in human resources, technological knowledge, thus expanding the organizations’ possibilities of developing themselves in a sustainable way.

Brazilian IT executives are being challenged to play an active and important role in the innovation process within their organizations. The purpose of this study is to explore agile software development methods in facing this challenge. We deployed a practice theory framework, in particular that of Orlikowski, in order to analyze practices from seven agile methods – eXtreme Programming (XP), Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Scrum, Crystal, Agile Modeling (AM), Feature Driven Design (FDD) and Adaptive Software Development (ASD). Results show practices grouped into five underlying factors – learning, iteractive, customer, human and technical; in addition, they explain the shift in focus of the agile development in reference to previous methods, centering on the individual and their actions in social relations in place of essentially technical issues. Findings suggest that agile software development methods have principles and practices better suitable to the innovation challenge than their predecessors do. Furthermore, their practices can aid the organization in the constitution of institutional properties useful to the process of business model innovation.

This theoretical-empirical article addresses the premature erotization of children. The objective is to analyze the influence of marketing actions that make use of erotic or sensual appeals to stimulate purchase, influence opinion, build images or sell products for children. Triangulation of qualitative methods was used to develop the research corpus that encompasses data on the supply side and also on the demand for children’s products. Results show that products with erotic connotation, such as high heels and makeup kits for children, are found in websites. Similarly, other products such as filled bras and short skirts are offered to the public inside the stores. Children’s drawings show makeup, high heels, short skirts and blouses, tight pants, clothing brands and stores, shopping bags and jewelry, which were also observed in children’s parties and events. The contribution of this research is to link marketing actions and their consequences for society, using knowledge as a means of empowerment for the consumer.

ERP systems have profound impacts on businesses processes and on the knowledge that employees need to carry out their activities. This essay discusses the ERP phenomenon using the metaphor of the cyborg and concepts about prosthetic memory based on the works of Haraway (2000) and Landsberg (1995). These works are used to explore aspects of ERP that seem to be otherwise obscure or camouflaged, so in need to be revealed. The cyborg can contribute to the understanding of different ways in which science and technology affect our lives, subjectivity and concepts. Issues such as complexity, changes in the workforce, changes in control strategies, identity and potential influences on knowledge and organizational actions related with ERP systems are interpreted in this essay. Finally, some questions and recommendations are presented on how to work with ERP systems.

Managers are often faced with the need to select one of several suppliers of a similar product or service, characterized by a set of parameters of whose weighting and analysis the selection depends. One technique for doing this is the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This paper proposes the application of this technique to the process of CRM (customer relationship management) systems selection, presenting a set of criteria and weightings, as well as the explanation of the various stages of implementation of the technique.

The growing of IT in companies could be explained by the promise of reducing costs and rationalizing the organizational processes. This is made possible, for example, by the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that required a process’s knowledge from the company managers. Thus, the comprehension of the possible repercussions by the adoption or adjustment of an ERP system has became a relevant field for research. It is necessary to measure not only the impact on the activities but also on document’s utilization, computer programs, risks, databases and other items that support the activities which are part of each process in the company. In this context, business process modeling could be use as a tool to assess the impacts caused by the adoption of an IMS in the organization’s processes. Although several authors discuss the consequences of implementing an ERP, there are a few that describe the impacts on the business processes. This absence could challenge the arguments to support or criticism of an ERP’s adoption, specifically, or diverse implementations, in general. Consequently, this paper intends to describe the impacts caused by the adoption of an ERP by using a theoretical framework from business processes engineering, as a general approach, and ARIS methodology (architecture of integrated information systems), as a specific one. The outcomes obtained were promising and brought concrete possibilities for replications of the methodology. Aspects such as risk management by using processes modeling and implementing ERP together still require to be studied in depth.