Objective: diffusion theory suggests that customers adopt innovation. However, no research has examined the differences between peers and the balance required of a peer-to-peer platform in the diffusion process. This article investigates whether there was a peer-to-peer balance in the diffusion process of a technological platform, represented here by the Uber case. Methods: a total of 843 Uber users, comprising 397 drivers and 446 customers, took part in a probabilistic sample survey in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The study tests the hypothesis of P2P platform diffusion balance along Rogers' curve with Levene's and t-test. Results: the findings are counterintuitive and unexpected. Although the authors expected passengers and drivers to show a similar predisposition for Uber's adoption, empirical data did not confirm this. In contrast to the literature, which predicts that adoption occurs mainly in the initial phases, drivers' predisposition showed a constant diffusion curve. Conclusions: considering the peer-to-peer platform context, this article shows that the balance between peers can still be present considering the multiple actors involved, which shows a proposition for this research. Besides, this article develops the 'technological readiness indicator,' thus enabling a better understanding of different empirical contexts.

The world has been going through many technological transformations, which affect not only the productive systems, but also the prevailing social and institutional spheres, creating a fragmented and hard to understand scenario. Different theories aim at evaluating some specific dimensions of the complex process in course at the micro- meso- and macrolevels; however, none seems to encompass the multiple dimensions of the phenomenon concomitantly. To address such research gap, we resort to adaptive theory, which, on the one hand, turns to theoretical constructs on disruptive innovation, creative destruction and economic cycles; on the other, resorts to data and information on the emergence and proliferation of platforms for collaborative consumption. Our paper brings a unified theoretical conception, allowing a more comprehensive and integrated analysis of more than one dimension of the transformation process currently in course.

The world has been going through many technological transformations, which affect not only the productive systems, but also the prevailing social and institutional spheres, creating a fragmented and hard to understand scenario. Different theories aim at evaluating some specific dimensions of the complex process in course at the micro- meso- and macrolevels; however, none seems to encompass the multiple dimensions of the phenomenon concomitantly. To address such research gap, we resort to adaptive theory, which, on the one hand, turns to theoretical constructs on disruptive innovation, creative destruction and economic cycles; on the other, resorts to data and information on the emergence and proliferation of platforms for collaborative consumption. Our paper brings a unified theoretical conception, allowing a more comprehensive and integrated analysis of more than one dimension of the transformation process currently in course.

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Objective: To investigate the impact of procyclical and countercyclical strategies on the performance of MSMEs in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Methodology/approach: Quantitative sample, with 118 micro, small, and medium-sized companies in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Spearman's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Main Results: In the period dominated by the pandemic (2020/2021), countercyclical strategies performed better than procyclical strategies. Theoretical/methodological contributions: Although the literature explores procyclical strategies, studies that associate the influence of procyclical and countercyclical strategies with organizational performance still need to be made available. This gap is even more evident when MSMEs in crisis contexts are considered. By associating still new dimensions, such as HR, marketing, and production, among others, this article helps to fill gaps associated with, even today, a lack of work that seeks integrated models capable of better understanding the impact that crises, such as COVID-19. Relevance/Originality: The article innovates by associating, in the context of the literature on the crisis, the two types of strategies (countercyclical and procyclical) in the elaboration and testing of an integrated analytical model composed of different variables, and capable of being used not only in new research as well as in the business context. Social/management contributions: By demonstrating that cuts in investments in marketing and other areas produce adverse effects on performance and that organizations benefit by keeping employees instead of firing them, this study sheds light on the relevance of countercyclical strategies, which still need to be explored.

Objetivo: Investigar o impacto de estratégias procíclicas e anticíclicas no desempenho de MPMEs no contexto da crise de Covid-19. Método/Abordagem: quantitativo, amostral, com 118 micro, pequenas e médias empresas de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Utilizou-se o aporte de análise da correlação de spearman e análise de regressão linear múltipla. Principais Resultados: no período dominado pela pandemia (2020/2021), as estratégias anticíclicas apresentaram desempenho superior àquelas que utilizam estratégias procíclicas. Contribuições teóricas/metodológicas: Embora a literatura explore as estratégias procíclicas, estudos que associam a influência de estratégias procíclicas e anticíclicas ao desempenho organizacional ainda são raros. Esta lacuna é ainda mais evidente quando são consideradas MPMEs em contextos de crise. Ao associar dimensões ainda novas, como recursos humanos, marketing e produção, entre outras, este artigo ajuda a preencher lacunas associadas, ainda hoje, à falta de trabalhos que busquem modelos integrados capazes de melhor compreender o impacto das crises, como o COVID-19. Relevância/Originalidade: o artigo inova ao associar, no contexto da literatura sobre crise, os dois tipos de estratégias (anticíclica e procíclica), na elaboração e teste de um modelo analítico integrado, composto de diferentes variáveis, e passível de ser utilizado não apenas em novas pesquisas como, também, no contexto empresarial. Contribuições sociais/de gestão: ao demonstrar que cortes de investimentos em marketing e outras áreas produzem efeitos adversos no desempenho, e que as organizações se beneficiam ao manter funcionários em vez de demiti-los, este estudo lança luz sobre a relevância de estratégias anticíclicas, que ainda precisam ser melhor exploradas.

As transformações promovidas pelos avanços tecnológicos, sobretudo pelas plataformas tecnológicas de consumo compartilhado têm impactado drasticamente diversos setores e gerado alterações no ambiente institucional. Apesar da existência de vários estudos voltados para as instituições e seus processos de mudança, sobretudo no campo da prática, poucos abordam o processo de disrupção institucional, isto é, quando uma lógica institucional dominante é substituida por outra, com novas crenças, regras, normas, ideologias e sistemas regulatórios. O presente artigo aborda esse tipo particular, embora negligenciado, tipo de disrupção, através da perspectiva institucional prática. Constata-se que as plataformas reúnem mecanismos que podem influenciar as ações e interações dos atores institucionais, que ao modificar as práticas institucionalizadas, podem interromper (disrupt) instituições, resultando em uma lógica suprimida e outra dominante, contexto onde está inserida a ação empreendedora. Observa-se que a disrupção institucional, apesar de pouco explorada, constitui um fator inerente às plataformas de consumo compartilhado.

PurposeThe aim of this article is to test the hypothesis that peer-to-peer technology platforms (Uber) are associated with disruption in the institutional environment, affecting beliefs, norms and users' ways of thinking and acting.Design/methodology/approachProbability sample comprising 843 users (446 passengers; 397 drivers) in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, using a set of indicators was specifically designed for this study.FindingsUber triggers significant changes in the systems of rewards and sanctions, in social preferences, and in entrepreneurial structure and governance, and promotes the coexistence of an institutional logic, hitherto dominant, with new believes, rules, norms and regulatory systems.Originality/valueThis is a pioneer study that associates institutional approach's elements with technology platforms; the authors also elaborated and utilized an analysis model consisting of a set of completely original indicators capable of mapping and measuring different dimensions of the phenomenon under analysis.