Framing Analysis como Metodologia de Estudo para Estratégias de Legitimidade Institucional: o caso JBS S.A. após escândalos de corrupção

Abstract

O artigo volta-se ao universo da legitimidade social de organizações empresariais em tempos de crises a partir de um diálogo metodológico com a tradição da framing analysis. Busca-se identificar as estratégias de legitimação utilizadas pela empresa JBS S.A. nos anos de 2017 e 2018 em resposta aos danos à imagem causados por operações deflagradas pela Polícia Federal. São estudados 37 comunicados aos investidores e 62 notícias institucionais. Infere-se que as estratégias de ganho de legitimidade estão diretamente ligadas à função de enquadramento de atribuição de juízo moral ao passo em que as estratégias de recuperação de legitimidade vinculam-se à função de enquadramento da identificação de problemas.

Morally transgressive companies and sustainable guidelines: seeking redemption or abusing trust?

“…Furthermore, the results allow advancement in the understanding that the greater the individual’s ecological awareness, the lower their trust in morally transgressive brands. In our case study, the transgression happened during the production process of commercialized animal protein, as disclosed by “Operação Carne Fraca” (“Operation Weak Meat”), an investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police over malpractices in meat processing companies (Silva et al, 2021).…”

“…Moreover, management plays a role in finding the best practices for sustainable production (Macht et al, 2020). Therefore, identifying sensitive issues has been crucial in formulating strategies to increase companies' credibility with the public (Silva et al, 2021). This article proposes to bring research closer to the daily needs of management, a demand identified by Macht et al (2020), which is the SDGs 12 and 15 explained by the UN proposed agenda (United Nations, 2015, p. 14).…”

“…Even though organizations aim to achieve and maintain an unblemished reputation (Basdeo et al, 2006) to deserve the stakeholders’ trust (Chaoguang et al, 2018; Munaier et al, 2022; Song et al, 2019), both academia and the press have registered the impact of unethical actions by companies, such as corruption and money laundering (FGV DAPP, 2017; Lopes et al, 2020; Silva et al, 2021).…”

“…That may be the case for JBS, a food industry giant in Brazil. Involved in corruption scandals with political and economic repercussions (FGV DAPP, 2017), JBS, owner of the Friboi brand, was also accused of product adulteration by using sorbic acid in processed meats to extend their expiry date, or injecting water into meat, or even replacing it with soy (Silva et al, 2021).…”

“…Every company whose image got tarnished by some ethical deviation, such as corruption, wishes to find strategies to increase trust in its brand (Silva, Almeida, Espejo, Vendramin, & Espejo, 2021). Moreover, with environmental concerns arising in the priorities of governments and societies (Macht et al, 2020; Szabo & Webster, 2021), a strategy for transgressing companies is to adhere to and communicate sustainable actions in their production management.…”