Influência dos esquemas interpretativos e das pressões institucionais na definição de estratégias de uma instituição financeira

Abstract

This research aims to analyze how the interpretative schemes of leaders at the strategic level and institutional pressures affected the definition of strategies of a Financial Institution, in the period from 2016 to 2019, in the contemporary institutional context of bank digitization. This context involves digital transformation and changes in consumer behavior with a focus on digital solutions, customer experience and satisfaction and influence exerted by other consumers. The interactions in this context go through new relationship channels, restructuring of traditional service points, website, applications and social media. Traditional organizations face changes with competitors born in the current context, such as fintechs and digital banks, naturally adapted, needing to promote important institutional changes in a short period of time to ensure their sustainability, profitability and consequent continuity. To promote these changes, based on strategies defined by the leaders of the institution, their interpretative schemes, defined as beliefs/values and interests, were taken into account, and how this interpretation of the institutional context affected the definition of such strategies. The methodology used was a single descriptive and qualitative case study, applied through the use of research techniques: thematic content analysis of semi-structured interviews carried out with the directors of the financial institution and prior documentary analysis of the annual reports released to shareholders and the public of interest and other documents, in the analyzed period. Institutional pressures were identified, and the institutional environment was predominant over the technical one. These pressures were classified by the type of isomorphism and the coercive and mimetic patterns stood out. The results obtained showed that the IF managers’ interpretative schemes are homogeneous and adherent to the strategies disclosed by the institution, prioritizing the customer experience with its contemporary profile, simplification and modernization of the structure and processes, customer service with complete solutions and a more participatory management. The beliefs/values were grouped into macro areas, simplifying the analysis of relevance between them. The interests were clearly related to the intention of keeping the institution on a path of growth, transformation and optimization of its results. The governing body believes that the IF has the full capacity to promote the necessary transformation, but comes up against difficulties for cultural change, lack of speed in giving answers and great influence of the government as controller. The main contribution of this work was to propose another look at the grouping of beliefs/values according to the focus or macro areas, as they may reveal a distribution and relevance different from those observed individually.