The institutionalization of cooperation: An institutional work analysis in a vulnerable community of the Amazon region

Abstract

Purpose-To provide a broader perspective on how the institutionalization of cooperation (in a network) through the work practices of local actors can generate a positive social impact and reduce social vulnerability Design/methodology/approach-We analyzed the experience of many local actors in the Brazilian Amazon region, who cooperate in the extraction and processing of Brazil nuts, up to the formation of a collaborative network. Interviews were conducted and we became immersed in the field. In addition, we used secondary documents Findings-The network cooperation around the extraction and processing of Brazil nuts unfolds over sequential phases throughout collaborative projects that help to reduce social vulnerability. Originality/value-We discovered a hierarchical relationship between the types of institutional work carried out to institutionalize cooperation and we highlighted that some types of institutional work can develop different conditions for the establishment of business networks.

Institutional Work: A Review and Framework based on Semantic and Thematic Analysis

“…For example, Agyemang et al (2018, p. 587) show that regardless of race, actors reacted the same to the 1968 Olympic Games protests; however, they still concluded 'race matters' in IW (emphasis in original). Furthermore, different individual motivations might coalesce into collective IW (De Lima et al, 2019;Sherer, 2017). Overall, we found motivation undertheorized in the current literature.…”

“…Additionally, marginal group identities include historically and structurally disadvantaged categories like gender, race, or class. These marginal actors are 'socially vulnerable' due to socioeconomic conditions and their 'subordinate' relationships within the institution (de Lima et al, 2019;Xiao & Klarin, 2019). Simplified, actors are assigned (role) or possess (identity) marginalization, but marginality is socially constructed and, therefore, socially changeable.…”