Maria Ester de Freitas beyond pioneerism: critique and “Brasilidade” in organization studies

Abstract

Our objective is to investigate and highlight the contributions of Maria Ester de Freitas to the development of the Brazilian field of Management and Organization Studies (MOS). Ester wrote pioneering work in the development of impacting themes in this field - such as organizational culture, intercultural management, diversity, and moral harassment. This Global South scholar’s approach to such themes was shaped by a peculiar criticism that found an echo amongst Brazilian scholars and practitioners. Ester knew how to produce and reproduce complex and often controversial topics courageously, with intellectual refinement and an impressive cultural repertoire embedded in elements of “Brasilidade.” Ester’s main concern was to think about the human condition in organizations and, therefore, to promote the social responsibility of organizations, a concern that continues to demand urgent reflection. Hence, this research question is: in addition to being a pioneer in developing such themes in the Global South, which elements keep Ester’s work relevant today for organization studies in general? We conclude that Ester’s relevance extrapolates the relevance of the topics she addressed, as her academic style is marked by correlating criticism and manifestations of “Brasilidade”. This correlation appears in a kind of “Becoming-Ester” throughout her texts and speeches, an investigative and provocative posture that invites us to reflect and broaden our horizons when approaching our local realities. Finally, we show that the content and style of Ester’s legacy instigates alternative ways to critically reflect on the human condition in organizations through unconventional and unprejudiced eyes, thus, fostering new approaches to imagining and creating more socially responsible organizations.