O papel mediador da aprendizagem no processo do empreendedorismo estratégico em pequenas e médias empresas de alto crescimento orgânico

Abstract

This thesis aimed to investigate and respond how the learning mediates the process of strategic entrepreneurship (SE) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of high organic growth. As the adopted theoretical foundation, the SE was set as the organizational ability to develop simultaneously, on the one hand, the opportunity-seeking (exploration) strategies (OSS) prospecting strategies opportunity and more radical innovations, preparing the structure, organizational culture and operations, unstructured or routinely to generate sources of future competitive advantage, and moreover, advantage-seeking (exploitation) strategies (ASS) and more incremental innovations aligned with key business skills and opportunities identified in previous periods, a more structured and regular manner by means of known routines to generate competitive advantage in the short and medium term. The study is featured with a inductive qualitative research, based on multiples cases studies of six high organic growth of SMEs, operating in different segments, and located in four states. As the main procedure of data collection, there were semi-structured interviews with managers and employees. And as an accessory procedure, direct observation, focus interviews and collecting documentary evidence were carried out. The study took place in three phases. At first, indications of SMEs characterized as high organic growth were given by entities such as Endeavor, CIETEC / USP and PROINE / UFG. It is observed that these companies account for 1.5% of operating in the market. In the second part, there was the collection of data to find what were the actions and organizational strategies adopted in each case. In the third part, it was executed the analysis of data of the multiples cases based on the theories, concomitant with their field validation. As the main result of this thesis, it was identified that mediate learning in the SE process in high organic growth SMEs happens in an evolutionary and systemic manner, for four interdependent phases, Stimulation, Emancipation, Integration and Overrun. In phase 1, the entrepreneurial leadership provides the opportunity for employees to experience challenges and expand their cognitive abilities for the sake of personal and organizational development. This leadership transforms the environment of tension in positive stimulus and creates a learning culture that, systemically, spreads from anywhere in the organization. In phase 2, the employees acquire greater autonomy because they share the same environment in the search for solutions to organizational problems. In phase 3, the equity in the interaction with the social environment and the relevance of the objectives integrating the team, generate belloging and soften possible differences. In phase 4, the knowledge of limits, capabilities and organizational challenges creates resilience, which systemically, feeds back and strengthens the system. Mediation of learning is complex, built incrementally, and their maturity does not depend on a pre-set exact point, because it is subject combination of mechanisms and mediation elements. The mechanisms that interact and permeate the four phases are: conditioning factors of learning, strategies for prospecting and exploitation, organizational (culture, structure and operations) and types and levels of learning. Studies like this can contribute grants to small organizations, medium and large to stimulate an entrepreneurial leadership, reduce organizational stress and create a culture of learning, in order to implement effectively and balance the PSO and CARS to generate growth and wealth for organizations.