The meanings of the death of the founder: the constructionist approach

• Published in: BAR, Brazilian administration review Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 227 - 241
• Main Authors: de Brito, Mozar Jose, da Silva, Sabrina Soares, Muniz, Mayara Maria de Jesus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rio de Janeiro Associacao Nacional de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa em Administracao-ANPAD 01-07-2010; Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração; ANPAD - Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração
• Subjects: Corporate culture; Death & dying; MANAGEMENT; Narratives; Organization theory; Sociology; Studies; Subjectivity; Brazil; social constructionism; organizational culture; foundation myth
• ISSN: 1807-7692; 1807-7692
• DOI: 10.1590/s1807-76922010000300002

The aim of this article is to investigate the meanings constructed around the death of a university center's founder. For this purpose, the culture theory and the social constructionism approach formed the theoretical-methodological basis. In this qualitative descriptive research, the triangulation of various data collection techniques was utilized and an analysis of the discursive practices was conducted. The reflections presented in this article could serve as a starting point for other researchers who are interested in investigating and constructing new theoretical and methodological reflections on this subject, which is absent from the theory of organizations. If this is the case, the researchers should bear in mind that the death of the founder of any organization takes on meanings that lie on the frontiers between the subjectivity of people and the organizational culture. The death of the founder, in any organization, cannot and should not be studied as something natural to those who have lost their historical reference, incorporating the figure of the hero, embellished with all his symbolism.