Purpose Studies on the performance of agribusiness cooperatives in Brazil focus on economic and financial aspects. The purpose of this paper is to further delve into such studies by investigating which commonly measurable structural production factors (horizontal, vertical and lateral diversification; operating area; number of associates; and time in operation) have greater impacts on the financial performance of such cooperatives. Design/methodology/approach To achieve such a goal, a survey was conducted with a sampling pool divided by size (annual net revenues of US$ 50 million or higher), and the questionnaire was employed as a method of data collection. The sample was concentrated in the southern, south-eastern and mid-western regions of Brazil; classified by size; and deemed adequate after several adequacy tests. Findings The results were analysed using Spearman’s correlation, which showed that there were no significant correlations between the structural production factors considered in this study and the economic-financial performance of agricultural cooperatives, which leads to questions about the effectiveness of employing diversification strategies with a conjoint approach. Nonetheless, it was possible to identify several relationships not mentioned in the original hypotheses that might be addressed further in future studies. Research limitations/implications The data obtained should be interpreted with caution because heteroscedasticity was detected. Although the cause could not be clearly identified, the presence of heteroscedasticity could mean that smaller and similar cooperatives present similar variation in their diversification and production base strategies. Originality/value This work sought to generate knowledge regarding operations management, which was achieved by demonstrating that production diversification in a dynamic and relevant economic sector, that is, agricultural cooperatives, is limited in terms of financial return when performed in an isolated mode. Hence, cooperatives’ production managers should take into account the totality of structural production factors during their planning activities.

Literature review studies on Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) point to a future of high standardization (Liñán & Fayolle, 2015) and potential impoverishment of the current research (Terjesen, Hessels, & Li, 2013). There is an over-standardization in studies on EI, and a focus on potential dogmatism in the area -that is, theoretical and methodological inflexibility with replication based on alteration only in substantive domain of EI. The objective of this study is to broaden the focus of the literature review on EI. The research design is descriptive, with the use of quantitative data. We adopt the bibliometric technique in the field of research, based on the Principle of Least Effort (Zipf, 1949). We consider the Reinert (1993) method. Four classes emerged in the analysis. The relation between these classes indicated the concern of the studies on EI in replicating methods, techniques and analyses to the new profiles and roles of the entrepreneur. These results enabled the proposition of a preliminary model that increases the future opportunities for studies on EI.

We wrote this editorial – in both the Iberoamerican Journal of Strategic Management and Podium – thinking about future opportunities for research, especially in a topic that still has room for further development: the use of secondary data. Sports management research in Brazil, which is the key focus of Podium, has gained wide acceptance within the management research academia in Brazil. Along with this maturation process, this now reinforced area needs to step up its game (pun intended) in terms of methodological approaches. This means that both the qualitative and quantitative sides of the equation must now become more focused in improving results. In strategic management, on the other hand, the use of secondary data is now common and widespread, but not as much in Iberoamerican countries. In this editorial, we will focus more specifically on the use and opportunities in employing secondary data.

Brazilian agricultural cooperatives have seen an unprecedented growth in production in the last decade which has led to several different product diversification strategies. Almost all studies in Brazil focus on the financial outcome of these strategies but few empirical studies have addressed them properly. Even fewer papers have dealt with the causes and possible strategies for the diversification of such cooperatives and their impact on their strategic planning. Hence, this paper aims at comprehending the different strategies in operations management for production diversification in coffee-producing cooperatives in southeastern Brazil. This was done through a multicase analysis comprising six coffee-producing cooperatives. The research analysed both verbal (through interviews) and non-verbal (multi-criteria decision analysis) responses to the causes of their diversification behaviours. It was possible to find out that most of the cooperatives' rationale for diversifying is their pre-emptive response to financial crisis followed by increasing the number of associates as a strategy to overcome this economic struggle.

Purpose This study aims to explore the effect of crises on multinational companies’ (MNC) subsidiaries’ performance. It is hypothesized that crisis-led business underperformance will lead subsidiaries to choose market oriented or entrepreneurial oriented strategies (or both, “ambiorientation”). Finally, this study explores the idea that subsidiaries address market orientation (MO)-based strategies will address both exploration and exploitation outcomes, whereas those that choose entrepreneurial orientation (EO)-based strategies will focus on exploration only. Design/methodology/approach Partial-least square structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Data collection consisted of 280 full answers regarding MNC subsidiaries in Brazil. Findings The data provide evidence that crisis perception affects firms’ business performance. MNC subsidiaries in emerging economies, when confronting crises, take two different paths and use both market orientation, as well as entrepreneurial orientation (what the authors call “ambiorientation”). MO-based strategies cause both exploration and exploitation outcomes, and their combined result is comparable to EO-based strategies that focus only on exploration. Research limitations/implications Data collection was performed only in MNC subsidiaries in Brazil, and the results may differ depending on the area and the origin of the multinationals. Second, the sample concentrated on industrial activities, where there is space for both exploration and exploitation strategies. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by discussing the role of crises in shaping the possible strategic reactions multinational companies’ subsidiaries may undertake in emerging countries and their possible outcomes.

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The impact of new digital technologies creates challenges for the digital transformation process in company sustainability areas. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of contribution of digital-transformation-enabling technologies to company sustainability areas of three pulp and paper manufacturing companies in Brazil and relate it to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method, we sought to assess the key concepts of sustainability and the implementation of digital transformation (DT) through its enabling digital technologies. A field study was conducted in three Brazilian pulp and paper companies to assess the degree of contribution. They are leading companies in the paper and cellulose industry in Brazil. The results obtained indicate that the companies in this sample are still in a growth process regarding the use of digital technologies in their sustainability areas. Only one digital technology, cloud computing, appears relevant in one of the companies studied, which differs from the theoretical framework presented by the literature. To achieve the SDGs goals, countries, especially emerging ones, need to develop their technologies and their business and improve the results that relate to sustainability. The research method applied in this study can be replicated to other companies where the impact of digital transformation technologies on company sustainability is critical.