Corporate social projects in Brazil: conceptual framework for empirical research and management analyses

Abstract

This article presents a conceptual framework which was developed as part of a research aimed at investigating management models adopted by firms in Brazil to conduct their social projects, how they fit project characteristics, and the implications for their effectiveness and sustainability. Firstly, the article shares the results of a wide-range review of the literature, under- taken to identify concepts and constructs which could support the building of the framework. The research also identifies the interaction of various fac- tors that may have implications for project effectiveness and sustainability. Based on Kerlinger¿s (1973) recommendations regarding concept operatio- nalization, a description is made of how the main constructs adopted in the research were defined. These were then broken down into dimensions, to which indicators were attributed. An explanation is given of how the resul- ting framework can be used to guide empirical research into social projects developed by firms in Brazil, and also its importance for project managers in their analyses of the fit between various intervening factors, in order to ensure the greater effectiveness and sustainability of results.