A institucionalização do desenvolvimento na perspectiva das organizações: um estudo de caso no Seridó/RN

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the process of institutionalization and legitimization of development in Western Seridó (Rio Grande do Norte), and for that reason it was necessary to know and analyze the Organizational Field, the legitimation and the institutionalization process in the seven counties of Western Seridó. As far as methodology is concerned, we have used qualitative research and case study. The semistructured questionnaire and the interview were used as tools of research. Also, we have used research and documentary literature and direct observation. When defining the organizations to be researched, we sought those ones with a significant participation in development activities or being part of some forum or network of organizations dealing with the issues concerning the development in the semi-arid region. One approach used in order to define the participating organizations was to get an initial list from the Planning Board of Seridó region, which served as a basis to define the participating organizations. In this list, it was noticed that most organizations were in Caicó, an important town in that region. However, it was possible to do a research, at least on two leading organizations in the other six towns that make up the Western Seridó. As for data analysis, we have defined categories of analysis and, where necessary, we made use of content analysis. Among the results, it was noticed that West Seridó, despite being located in the Brazilian semi-arid region, a region with serious social, environmental and economic problems, has a good performance in areas such as health and education, reaching significant levels in FIRJAN rating of Municipal Development (IFDM). The employment and income rates were the lowest in every municipality in Western Seridó. Regarding the Organizational Field, it was noticed that there are internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) organizations participating in this field. They are not always related directly, and the exogenous organizations manage to have great power to influence public policies and to achieve resources for the region, even with organizations linked to the federal government or foreign organizations. The coercitive Isomorphism appears with the economic power and the legal power of the organizations that control the use of resources, and the legality of organizations, the regulative and cognitive isomorphism are related to the local institutions and to the identity of the people who make up the organizations. At this point, by using the questionnaires, it became clear there was a dispute between the local traditional groups, connected to Colonels and the new organizations of civil society. Regarding the legitimacy, it was noticed that the identity of the people from Seridó is really present in organizations and local institutions, and places, values, rules and myths help to explain people´s point of view about the development, and how they perceive the organizations working with this subject. The identity of the people from Seridó is characterized by resistance to environmental adversity and by affection to things from the region. Taking the answers, we notice that the legitimacy of the organizations working with development is much associated with solutions to the most pressing issues and practices of the community, such as the ones related to health, education and employment. Finally, the term development is in process of institutionalization, even with characteristics of deinstitutionalization and pre-institutionalization, because the term development from the 70s until the present day was being overhauled and we can say that Seridó has passed through several experiences, not always successful, which eventually contributed to lacking a common definition about the meaning of development.