O papel social de uma instituição financeira no Rio Grande do Sul: um estudo de caso

Abstract

The objective of this article is the understanding of the process of institutionalization of the social responsibility (SR) in the Brazilian banking sector. The followed stages to reach the intention had been the following ones: the description of the Brazilian banking sector and the identification of the elements of SR throughout its history; the analysis of the justifications of the sector for its insertion in the movement for SR and also of its interests and finally, the identification of the structural changes about SR in the banking institutions. The practical part of the research contemplated a financial institution with high relevance for the State of Rio Grande do Sul and also for the sector, because it appears among the twenty bigger banking institutions of Brazil.It was evidenced that, from an isolated action, the SR became along the last decade, in a planned action in the banking organizations, at the same time that it was became social value, capable to contribute for the legitimacy of the sector.